This week on What's At Stake, tune into the inaugural episode of our Artificially Intelligent Conversations series. Each month, Penta Partners Andrea Christianson and Chris Mehigan will dissect the AI latest news and developments from each side of the Atlantic, helping you understand how AI will affect stakeholder management, policy, and more. This week, they discussed two major reports released leading up to the World Economic Forum in Davos: one from the International Monetary Fund on the impa...
Jan 17, 2024•23 min
In this week's Macrocast, Ylan, John, and Brendan unpack the global instability and domestic politics contributing to macroeconomic uncertainty. The group begins with a discussion of the oil markets, impacted most recently by U.S. strikes against Houthi rebels and geopolitics more broadly. Other factors, such as weak demand and rising U.S. reserves have put downward pressure on crude oil prices and contributed to price swings. Ylan, Brendan, and John continue their conversation about internation...
Jan 12, 2024•32 min
On this week's What's At Stake, Penta Partner Bryan DeAngelis speaks with Penta Partners and campaign veterans Kevin Madden and Stacy Kerr about campaign communications in 2024, an unprecedented year of global elections. The guests offer insights into the shift from the intimate, hand-shaking days of retail politics to the fast-paced digital landscape that now dominates voter interaction. They dissect the contrasting communications playbooks of Biden and Trump who, despite their age, are vying t...
Jan 09, 2024•36 min
In this week's Macrocast, Ylan, John, and Brendan host a conversation with special guest Michael Strain, the Director of Economic Policy Studies and the Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Their discussion begins by analyzing the addition of 216,000 jobs and a steadfast unemployment rate, examining how different economic indicators impact the Fed's interest rate decisions. Additionally, they reflect on how inflation impacts consumer confidence...
Jan 05, 2024•41 min
Just in time for those looking to read more as part of their New Year's resolution, we're re-releasing one of of our favorite episodes of What's at Stake: the case for reading business books. In the episode, Penta President Matt McDonald joins partner Andrea Christianson to share his reading recommendations for those interested in business, including young professionals, aspiring leaders, and experienced executives. The two not only discuss their favorite books, but also explain why business pro...
Jan 04, 2024•22 min
On today's Macrocast episode, Ylan, John, Brendan, and John Dick of Civic Science chat about the latest inflation numbers from the core personal consumption expenditures price index, which rose less than expected in November. The group explained that the reaction to the news was broadly a "yawn" as the market remains focused on a soft landing. John Dick also talks through the latest Economic Sentiment Index . He explains that holiday spending will be strong, and notes that credit card debt and u...
Dec 22, 2023•37 min
On this week's episode of What's at Stake, Penta Partner Bryan DeAngelis is joined by crisis management educators and experts, New York City Managing Partner Andy Whitehouse and Managing Director Jonathan Graffeo. The group discusses the fine line between a brand hiccup and a full-blown crisis and analyzes what makes or breaks a company during tumultuous times, focusing on how essential stakeholder relationships are during times of crisis. Andy, Jonathan, and Bryan explain strategies that can sh...
Dec 20, 2023•36 min
On today's Macrocast episode, Ylan, John, and Brendan cover the Federal Reserve's unexpected policy shifts, the implications of inflation on retail sales, and the current state of the oil market. They delve into the everyday effects of inflation on retail sales, questioning whether a decrease in inflation would strengthen or weaken consumer spending. They also note that the Fed appears to be simply keeping up with rapidly falling inflation, a win for those on "team transitory." In their quest to...
Dec 15, 2023•31 min
NOTE: This episode was recorded on Monday 12/11, with the introduction added on Wednesday 12/13 given late-breaking developments from the conference. On this week's edition of What's at Stake, D.C.-based Penta Partner, Christina Pearson, is joined by London-based Managing Director, Andy Williams, and New York City-based Director, Liza McIntosh. The group unpacks the high-stakes discussions and heated debates that took place at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). The group ...
Dec 13, 2023•37 min
In this week's episode of the Macrocast, hosts Ylan Mui, John Fagan, and Brendan Walsh decode the latest jobs report, a surprising addition of 199,000 jobs with healthcare and government hiring leading the charge. Yet, they also investigate the sectors experiencing a slowdown, like wholesale and retail trade. In the face of a booming job market and the Fed's cautious stance, there seems to be an undercurrent of pessimism. Ylan, John, and Brendan also discuss the Biden administration's economic a...
Dec 08, 2023•29 min
What’s it like to be an Associate at Penta? On this week’s episode of What's at Stake, Penta Senior Associate Lizzie Johnson chats with fellow Senior Associate Lauren Ott and Associates Aparna Iyer and Ben Korn about their experiences at the firm. Each had a different path leading to Penta, featuring a variety of educational and internship backgrounds that lend themselves to the wide range of teams and tasks that they work on. The group breaks down what day-to-day life is like as an Associate an...
Dec 06, 2023•26 min
In this week's episode of the Macrocast, hosts Ylan Mui, John Fagan, and Brendan Walsh are joined by Matt Dell Orfano, Discovery Capital senior analyst and professor at Columbia Business School. The group sheds light on holiday shopping activity and its wider impact on the economy, specifically highlighting changes in pricing and shifts in consumer behavior. The group unpacks credit card usage and debt, and how they're reshaping consumer financing. They cite the steady rise in aggregate credit c...
Dec 01, 2023•34 min
How should we think about the future of money? On this week's episode, join Penta Managing Director Elliott Owensby and Director Oliver Edelmann as they delve into digital currency and its impact on payments. In this discussion, they explore central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, and insights gleaned from Atlantic Council's " Exploring central bank digital currency " event on November 28-29, 2023. The conversation emphasizes blockchain's transformative potential...
Nov 30, 2023•16 min
Explore generational labels and their impact with this week's host Bryan DeAngelis, head of the Washington, D.C. office, and guests Lauren Wolfson, a Penta Partner, and Daniel Cox, Director and Founder of the Survey Center on American Life and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Kelsey Eyre Hammond, research associate at the Survey Center on American Life. They delve into recent studies on the key differences between Generation Z and older generations, examining how maj...
Nov 21, 2023•35 min
What if the slowdown in retail sales and inflation was actually a good sign? Join your hosts Ylan, Brendan, and John, as they discuss the latest on the Federal Reserve. They also chat about lowering inflation and retail sales data, examining how these numbers might be an indicator of the market's cooling phase. With holiday shopping on the horizon, they also weigh in on Walmart CFO's slightly dampened expectations for the season and the role a decrease in food prices is playing in consumer behav...
Nov 17, 2023•30 min
This week on a crossover episode of What's at Stake and the Macrocast, host Ylan Mui is joined by Betsey Stevenson, economics professor at the University of Michigan, to discuss the real-world impacts of Claudia Goldin's work. This October, Goldin became the first solo woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics for her work on women's labor market outcomes and the gender pay gap. Goldin was Stevenson's mentor and professor at Harvard, and Stevenson provides incredible insights into Goldin's groun...
Nov 10, 2023•45 min
On this week's special edition of What's at Stake, join us as we journey through Asia's business landscape with Penta Managing Directors Deb Giam and Thomas Kwan, hosted by D.C.-based Partner Bryan DeAngelis. From their offices in Singapore and Hong Kong, the guests share data-informed insights on global trends, environmental concerns, geopolitical tensions, and economic growth in the region, drawing from their extensive corporate and financial experience. In the discussion, the group uncovers h...
Nov 08, 2023•43 min
In this week's episode of the Macrocast, John and Brendan of Markets Policy Partners, alongside guest host Bryan DeAngelis, Partner and Head of the Washington Office at Penta Group, dissect the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain status quo and Chairman Powell's understated approach. They also weigh in on potential economic storm clouds such as China's economic outlook, rising energy costs, and the impending government shutdown. The latest jobs report revealed a major slowdown in job gains, b...
Nov 03, 2023•30 min
This week for What's at Stake, we're cross-posting an episode from communications podcast, The Crux. Penta's President Matt McDonald joined the Crux with Gary Sheffer, Professor of Public Relations at Boston University, and Mike Fernandez, Chief Communications Officer at Enbridge to talk about Penta's work and the latest issues at the forefront of public affairs and communications. The conversation focused on explaining Penta's unique approach to counseling our clients on public affairs and comm...
Oct 30, 2023•50 min
In this week's episode of the Macrocast episode, Ylan, Brendan, and John guide us through core PCE inflation rates, GDP surprises, and Fed Chair Powell's likely next moves. Looking forward to 2024, they predict what a recession would mean for presidential campaigns and the future president elect. They also examine how major players like the European Central Bank and President Trump have been influencing economic policies and markets around the world. Ylan, John, and Brendan also chat about how t...
Oct 27, 2023•28 min
Today, we're re-running one of our favorite episodes of What's at Stake. Generative AI is as relevant as ever—this week, Senator Schumer held the second of what is expected to be several AI Insights fora and President Biden is widely expected to issue a long-awaited Executive Order next week. In this converastion, Bryan DeAngelis, Andrea Christianson, Oliver Edelmann, and Blake McGill break down Penta's new framework to help companies assess the brand risks of AI. After describing some of the sc...
Oct 26, 2023•27 min
On today's edition of the Macrocast, Penta's Ylan Mui and Markets Policy Partners' John Fagan and Brendan Walsh are joined by Brai Valerio-Esene, Founder of SW4 Insights Inc. The group dissects the mixed signals from recent economic data and the shift in the Fed's focus from inflation to growth. Our co-hosts also discuss how the conflict in the Middle East could have an economic ripple effect globally.
Oct 20, 2023•36 min
Picture this: you're standing at the intersection of U.S. and European politics, wondering about the complex political landscapes that lie ahead. Enter Kevin Madden, a Senior Partner at Penta in Washington DC, who joins host Ken Waters, a Managing Director at Penta based in Dublin, to discuss these systems. Kevin and Ken discuss some of the biggest factors currently impacting the political landscape, including omnipresent media and social media coverage and the power of big data in shaping polit...
Oct 20, 2023•32 min
On this Friday the 13th edition of the Macrocast, Ylan, John Fagan, and Brendan are joined by John Dick from Civic Sciences to talk about all things global finance, including its wide-ranging effects on the economy and consumer sentiment. The group delves into J.P. Morgan's recent earnings and CEO Jamie Dimon's warnings about the state of global affairs, the unexpected stock market rally in the face of stricter sanctions on Russian oil and energy, and the reasons behind declining consumer sentim...
Oct 13, 2023•28 min
On this episode of What's At Stake, Penta Partner Andrea Christianson is joined by fellow partners—and House leadership experts—Stacy Kerr and Kevin Madden to talk about the race for the next U.S. House of Representatives speaker. Stacy was a longtime advisor to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi while Kevin served in communications roles for former majority leaders Tom DeLay and John Boehner. In addition to discussing some inside-baseball House dynamics, the trio break down the broader implications o...
Oct 10, 2023•30 min
In this week's episode of the Macrocast episode, Ylan and Brendan dove into the latest jobs report, breaking down the unexpected addition of 336,000 jobs to the economy. They explored one of the standout features of this data: a massive 96,000 job boost in the leisure and hospitality sector. They also took a closer look at how this job growth is impacting wage data and the sudden rise in Treasury yields. Plus, Brendan and Ylan discussed potential disruptions tied to recent political events, like...
Oct 06, 2023•30 min
On this week's episode, Penta Partner Meghan Pennington explored the impact of early childhood education on the future workforce with our guests from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Senior Vice President and Vice President of Education & Workforce Policy, Cheryl Oldham, and Vice President of Policy and Programs, Caitlin Codella Low. Drawing from their extensive experience in the education sector, Cheryl and Caitlin provided valuable insights into the importance of a robust childcare...
Oct 04, 2023•45 min
On today's Macrocast, Yale Law School research scholar, Martha Gimbel joined Ylan, John, and Brendan for a discussion on the likelihood and consequences of a potential government shutdown. The group breaks down potential economic fallout, the uphill battle for unemployment benefits, and even the possibility of air traffic controllers stepping in to force an end to the shutdown. Martha also offered her take on the Biden administration's economic policy, the influence of rising mortgage rates, and...
Sep 29, 2023•34 min
On this episode of What's At Stake, Penta Partner Andrea Christianson is joined by Penta Senior Director Scott Haber-Katris and Steven Overly, host of POLITICO Tech. The trio discussed AI's large-scale impact, including for the workforce, education, politics, and the law. Based on years of experience in the tech industry and politics, the group offered their predictions for how Congress will (and will not) regulate the emerging technology, and how industry is preparing to respond to these guardr...
Sep 26, 2023•24 min
On this week's episode of the Macrocast, Ylan, Brendan, and John discuss the looming government shutdown and much more, including the Fed's competing signals on interest rates, and the international economic outlook. The trio unpacks the looming debt ceiling fight and the effects of far-right influences on Speaker McCarthy's negotiation power. The group also analyzes the Federal Reserve's recent decision against rate hikes, and speculates whether the decision will stick. Finally, our hosts discu...
Sep 22, 2023•32 min
