Amidst the excitement of Climate Week in New York, join Penta Partner Andy Whitehouse, along with Penta Managing Directors Cecilia Thorn and Alex Bluestone, as they discuss the latest in climate policy and the corporate race to meet ESG standards in the U.S. and in Europe. They share insights into how businesses are preparing for decarbonization and navigating the European Commission's ESG standards, set to take effect in 2024. The group also examines the evolving public attitudes toward renewab...
Sep 20, 2023•38 min
This week on the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, John Fagan, and Robert Dewey are joined by John Dick, CEO and founder of Civic Science, to dive into the latest economic sentiment index (ESI). The group offers their insights on the subtle shifts in the labor market, the dilemma of return-to-office mandates, and the decline in job changes since the peak of the "Great Resignation." And after an active summer for labor, our experts grapple with the potential economic ripple effects of the Unite...
Sep 15, 2023•34 min
Imagine stepping into the world of crypto investments, grappling with the complexities of a new technology and pioneering the charge towards a revolutionary financial product. Our guest, Jennifer Rosenthal, head of communications at Grayscale Investments, has done just that. On today's episode of What's at Stake, Jennifer gives us a captivating recount of her journey, including how she built Grayscale's communications team and led the company to an impressive victory in the D.C. Court of Appeals...
Sep 13, 2023•36 min
What happens when the government hits pause and the financial markets hold their breath? On the latest episode of the Macrocast, Ed Mills, Washington Policy Analyst at Raymond James, joins Ylan Mui and Brendan Walsh to discuss the potential effects of a government shutdown on markets. The group explores the possible twist of a temporary funding extension and the seismic shift this could cause in consumer sentiment. Later, our experts turn to the 2024 elections and the heavyweights that could inf...
Sep 08, 2023•36 min
On this week's episode of What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, Head of Penta's D.C. office, is joined by Alberto Lopez Valenzuela and Andrea Christianson, co-leads of Penta's AI Task Force. Ahead of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's AI Insight Forum with tech leaders next week, the group takes a look at key considerations around AI governance, including the impact industry can have on responsible adoption and regulation. As leaders in the field, Valenzuela and Christianson share insights on th...
Sep 07, 2023•30 min
Join Ylan, John, and Brendan for this #JobsDay #Macrocast! The group discussed the current state of the labor force, including how caretakers, including women, are handling the high cost and short supply of daycare. The group also talked about how the employer and employee dynamic might shift as the labor market cools—will employees still be able to use their leverage to get benefits and flexibility? In the next couple weeks, there will be some potential economic headwinds, including changes to ...
Sep 01, 2023•30 min
Can AI revive the local news industry? How will legacy media outlets compete with the increasingly crowded entertainment landscape? How should media executives be assessing the impact of their work? In this episode of What's At Stake, Ylan Mui of Penta sits down with two media industry innovators, Sara Goo, Editor-in-Chief of Axios, and Paul Cheung, CEO of the Center for Public Integrity, to answer these questions and many more. With new developments in technology and as political tensions reach...
Aug 31, 2023•47 min
Today on the Macrocast, Ylan, John, and Brendan are joined by David Wessel, Director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution. The group unpacks Fed Chairman Jerome Powell's Jackson Hole speech, including Powell's takeaway that the economy’s growth could require additional Fed hikes to fight inflation. The group also discusses the implications of the U.S.'s federal debt, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's comments on the subject at this we...
Aug 25, 2023•34 min
As policy professionals and corporate communicators aim to tap into new markets and expand their reach, they're increasingly looking to tap into the influencer landscape. But this brings with it a host of questions: How should brands and issue advocacy campaigns leverage influencers? What are the risks? Can audiences trust the authenticity of influences? And, what's next for influencer culture? Join us for this week's episode of What's at Stake, as Penta Partner Andrea Christianson chats with fe...
Aug 24, 2023•29 min
On today's Macrocast, Ylan, John Fagan, and Brendan are joined by John Dick of Civic Science. The group chats about the latest consumer data from the ESI, which indicates that consumers might be "coming back to reality" as some are trading down for purchase categories like going out to eat. Despite the decrease in the overall consumer sentiment in the ESI reading, the group notes that some retailers had very positive second quarter earnings calls. Later in the episode, they also discuss the minu...
Aug 18, 2023•34 min
In this week's episode of What’s at Stake, we are re-releasing one of our favorite conversations from earlier this year: The case for reading business books. In the episode, Penta President Matt McDonald joins partner Andrea Christianson to share reading recommendations for those interested in business, including young professionals, aspiring leaders, and experienced executives. The two discuss their favorite books and explain why business professionals and leaders should take the time to engage...
Aug 16, 2023•22 min
On this week's episode of the Macrocast, Ylan Mui of Penta Group and Brendan Walsh of Markets Policy Partners take on a range of topics: from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, the Fed's upcoming Jackson Hole symposium, and the trend toward deflation in China. The duo also discuss the PPI and CPI index numbers, how they compare to pundit predictions, and what they mean for the overall economy.
Aug 11, 2023•28 min
On this week's episode of What's at Stake, Senior Partner Kevin Madden and Director Oliver Edelmann join Head of the D.C. office Bryan DeAngelis for a deep dive into the heart of President Biden's re-election strategy. With over a year to go until the general election, Biden's spending plans and policies have emerged as the cornerstone of the Administration's strategy in 2024. But with the fate of the economic landing still up in the air, will tying Biden and other Blue candidates' fortunes to "...
Aug 07, 2023•30 min
On this week's episode, K. Stratton Kirton, a Penta Strategy Partner, joins the Macrocast as a guest host with John Fagan and Brendan Walsh from Markets Policy Partners. The group discusses the middle of the road jobs day and what they think this means for Fed policy and the long discussed recession. They also explore Fitch's decision to downgrade the United States credit rating and recent central bank decisions around the world, including the Bank of England and Reserve Bank of Australia. Final...
Aug 04, 2023•32 min
On this week's crossover episode of What's at Stake and the Macrocast, Bryan DeAngelis, partner and Head of Penta's D.C. office, and Ylan Mui, managing director at Penta, speak with Greg Baer, President and Chief Executive Officer at the Bank Policy Institute. The group breaks down the impacts of Basel III endgame, which is the regulatory approach to analyzing capital requirements for banks based on the riskiness of their activities. Specifically, the group discusses the plan for implementation ...
Aug 03, 2023•29 min
On today's Macrocast, Ylan, John, and Brendan are joined by a special guest: Jon Hilsenrath. Jon covered economics and finance at the Wall Street Journal from 1997 until this spring. He was also a Pulitzer finalist in 2009 for coverage of the financial crisis, and most recently, the author of "Yellen: The Trailblazing Economist Who Navigated an Era of Upheaval," which examines the major financial crises of the 21st century through the lens of Janet Yellen's career and life.. The group engages in...
Jul 28, 2023•34 min
On this week's episode of What's At Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, Partner and Head of Penta's DC office, is joined by sports law expert Mike McCann to discuss the proposed PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger. In 2022, it was announced that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund would be sponsoring a new golf league, LIV Golf, and had signed a number of prominent professional golfers. In response, the PGA Tour announced that current and former PGA golfers who signed with LIV would be indefinitely banned from p...
Jul 24, 2023•29 min
On this special Barbie-weekend edition of the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan are joined by John Dick, CEO and founder of Civic Science, to dive into the latest economic sentiment index (ESI). The group explores the monster day for consumer spending that was last week's Amazon Prime Day, along with the UPS-Teamsters negotiations, the economic impact of soon-to-be-resumed student debt payments, and whether we can finally breathe a sigh of relief about a soft economic landing. A...
Jul 21, 2023•33 min
On the latest episode of What's at Stake, Penta Managing Director Ylan Mui sits down with Stratton Kirton, partner at Penta, and Rebecca Buck, senior director at Penta, to dive into the evolving state of today's news industry. The group explores the latest across the consumption and production of news, including the shift to digital media and changes in revenue models. The group also takes a look at the biggest challenges facing journalists and news outlets today, along with the major trends acr...
Jul 18, 2023•47 min
In this jam-packed episode of the Macrocast, Ylan, John, and Brendan discuss the latest on inflation as the annual rate continues to slow, and zoom in on some CPI and PPI insights. The group delves into today's bank earnings, as investors hope that sour expectations for last quarter's results will give banks a lower bar for beating estimates. They also discuss the rise in mortgage applications, China's trade surplus, shifting oil prices, and a special announcement from the Fed! Tune in for all t...
Jul 14, 2023•29 min
On a new episode of What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis brings together a group of intercontinental experts including Penta Partners Stratton Kirton and David Cook, along with Managing Director Cecilia Thorn, to break down the starkly different universes of ESG regulations across the EU, the U.S., and the U.K. As the war in Ukraine continues to complicate environmental and social trends in Europe, the EU is poised to enact stringent regulations on human rights, environmental transparency, and due d...
Jul 12, 2023•36 min
Join us for a special edition of the Macrocast! On this week's episode, Ylan and Brendan are joined by Neil Irwin, chief economic correspondent at Axios and author of "The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire" and "How to Win in a Winner-Take-All World: The Definitive Guide to Adapting and Succeeding in High-Performance Careers." The trio discuss the latest jobs report, the recent ADP National Employment Report, Secretary Yellen's recent visit to China, and more. Tune in! Read P...
Jul 07, 2023•33 min
On the latest episode of What's At Stake, Penta partner Bryan DeAngelis hosts Viv O'Connor-Jemmett, a partner in Penta's Dublin office. The pair discuss how news cycles are moving faster than ever—and how search engines and social media play a large role in disseminating information to stakeholders. Being prepared to control and manage a crisis online before it gets out of hand is essential for any organization.Enter Online Reputation Management (ORM). Sharing insights learned from over 15 years...
Jul 05, 2023•33 min
Join us for an exciting holiday edition of the Macrocast! This week, Ylan, Brendan, and John are joined by David Cook, a partner at Penta's London office, where he leads the firm's international financial services practice. Together, the group delves into pressing macroeconomic issues from both sides of the pond, illuminating the challenges faced by the Bank of England as it navigates high inflation and an upcoming election along with what the results of the Fed's annual big bank stress tests me...
Jun 30, 2023•34 min
The U.K. Labour Party has seen a remarkable turnaround in its political fortunes since the 2019 general election. The current polls show a consistent and sizable lead for Labour under Sir current party leader Keir Starmer. But what are the realistic prospects for a Labour Government? What would the priorities be for a new administration? And what will that mean for business and enterprise? On June 13, 2023, Baron Watson of Wyre Forest (formerly Tom Watson, Member of Parliament), former Deputy Le...
Jun 27, 2023•55 min
This week on the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan sit down with John Dick, CEO and Founder of Civic Science, explore today's trends in consumer behavior, including the latest economic sentiment index from Penta and Civic Science, and private sector growth. The group also discusses what Fed Chair Powell's comments on the Hill mean for a potential "passive tightening cycle" this year, and compares activity from central banks across England, China, and the U.S. What does the Fed's...
Jun 23, 2023•30 min
Since 2020, there has been a shift in the political dynamics between the U.S., EU, and China. Between increasing tensions over regional security posturing, and upcoming policy in the U.S. and EU dictating outbound investments and ethical sourcing guidelines, the West's relationship with China is becoming increasingly complex. In the U.S., there have been calls for a full decoupling from China, while many in Europe have taken a more measured approach, calling for 'derisking'. On this week's episo...
Jun 21, 2023•30 min
Today on What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, partner at Penta based in Washington, D.C., is joined by fellow D.C.-based partner Andrea Christianson and Brussels-based partner Chris Mehigan. The trio examine the current state of AI regulation in the U.S. and the EU. The AI regulatory framework is complex and evolving, and the group discusses the implications of recent developments, including the EU AI Act and testimony before Congress by CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman. Bryan, Andrea, and Chris offer thei...
Jun 14, 2023•39 min
This week on the Macrocast, Ylan, Brendan, and John dive into the current global macroeconomic growth, exploring the latest trends in markets and consumer behavior among the world's major economies. The team also breaks down the latest economic sentiment index from Penta and Civic Science. What does the improving outlook mean for banks and homeowners? Should we expect the Fed to respond with another rate hike? Tune in to find out. Read Penta and Civic Science's ESI analysis here ....
Jun 09, 2023•32 min
On today's episode of What's at Stake, Mike Berland, Senior Partner at Penta, sits down with Jonathan Adashek, IBM's Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications and Chief Communications Officer. The duo discusses the role stakeholder engagement has had in Jonathan's career, including how his past work on political campaigns impacted his ability to cater to different groups of stakeholders at IBM. They also talk about Jonathan's current experience leading both the marketing and communicat...
Jun 07, 2023•25 min
