Evan Davis and guests ask if now is the time to exploit scientific research more effectively to help business recover from the coronavirus crash. The UK has traditionally been better at basic science research than its commercial exploitation - with examples ranging from computing to the discovery of graphene, where international companies have benefited more from those discoveries. The Bottom Line examines the government’s idea of creating an agency, similar to the legendary US Defence Advanced ...
Jul 02, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast During the pandemic, businesses have faced severe tests, from supply chain shocks to fluctuations in consumer demand. How resilient are companies in dealing with the unknown? In recent years the focus has been on getting costs down, creating lean supply chains, and delivering returns to shareholders. But has that emphasis left supply chains insecure in the face of shocks? Will companies learn to value resilience over mere efficiency? Guests Dr Sandra Bell, founder and chief executive of The Busi...
Jul 02, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What have you learned about yourself in lockdown? What is it you crave, what have you found you barely miss? Evan Davis and guests contemplate life after lockdown and changing consumer habits. A surge in the sale of bikes, toilet roll panic buying, and flour flying off the supermarket shelves. Will these consumer habits stick? Have we learned to value other things in life than shopping? Or will we just want to borrow and spend at the first possible opportunity? Guests: Kate Ancketill, founder an...
Jun 18, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will Western economies and companies decouple from China? For decades, the world has relied on this rapidly emerging economy as its factory, producing everything from toilet rolls to iPhones. But post Covid-19, US trade wars and tensions with Hong Kong, is that all about to change? Evan Davis and guests discuss GUESTS Liam Casey, CEO and founder, PCH International Diana Choyleva, chief economist, Enodo Economics Dr. Yu Jie, senior research fellow, China, Chatham House...
Jun 11, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Should the government continue to bolster companies, large and small when lockdown is finally eased? If so what businesses do you choose to save and what are the criteria? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Michael Jacobides, holder of the Sir Donald Gordon Chair of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, London Business School Julie Palmer, Regional Managing Partner, Begbies Traynor, Insolvency practitioners Mark Blyth, Director of the William R Rhodes Centre for International Economics and Finance...
Jun 05, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can new businesses survive without some form of hype or over-promotion? Or will consumer or investor disillusionment inevitably correct this? One recent example where hype came back to bite a company founder is that of the shared office space provider, WeWork. Its stock market valuation fell from $50bn to near bankruptcy over the course of a few weeks. GUESTS Brent Hoberman, serial entrepreneur and investor, chair and co-founder of Founders Factory and First Minute Capital Kerry Baldwin, Managin...
Mar 12, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How will the infection affect commerce in the UK and around the world? Evan Davis and a panel of guests discuss what's happening to the economy and look at likely scenarios. Jennifer McKeown, Chief Global Economist, Capital Economics, Gloria Guevara, CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council. Tim Power, MD of maritime and shipping container research firm Drewry. Producers: Lesley McAlpine and Julie Ball Researcher: May Cameron
Mar 05, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is our working week due for major reform? Will a move to a four day week - as proposed by the Labour Party in its recent General Election manifesto - ever happen? From shorter hours to more flexibility in the workplace, what will the modern world of work be like in ten years time? Evan Davis and guests discuss the latest trends. Guests appearing on The Bottom Line Kate Cooper, Head of Research, Policy & Standards, Institute of Leadership and Management David Stone, CEO of MRL Recruitment and...
Feb 27, 2020•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are the pros and cons of running a business with your life partner and how do you keep the personal out of your professional life? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Sophie Mirman and Richard Ross, founders and owners, Trotters childrenswear and accessories Claire and Andy Burnet, founders and owners, Chococo artisan chocolatiers Peter Leach, author and Adjunct Professor in Family Business , Imperial College Business School Producer: Julie Ball Editor: Hugh Levinson...
Nov 21, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What are the rules when people have to lose their jobs? It's always a difficult situation - which is why it's often handled badly. Evan Davis and guests ask if there is a better way of doing it. GUESTS Angela O'Connor, Founder and CEO, The HR Lounge Consultancy Sian Keall, Partner, Employment Law, Travers Smith LLP Kate Griffiths-Lambeth, Group HR Director, Charles Stanley, Wealth Managers Producer: Julie Ball Editor: Hugh Levinson
Nov 14, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do business gurus really hold the secret to success? Peter Drucker, Michael Porter and Gary Hamel are some of those who've found fame and influence via best-selling business books. But can following their lead transform a company - or are they really just selling themselves? Evan Davis and guests assess the pros and cons of buying from the ideas merchants. GUESTS Lynda Gratton, professor of management practice, London Business School, CEO The Hot Spots Movement John Kay, economist, author and co...
Nov 07, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How should businesses deal with workplace quarrels? At a time when the nation seems increasingly divided and hot-tempered, is there a way to bring harmony among staff when there are differences of opinion and personality? Evan Davis and his guests explore what can go wrong and look for some possible solutions. In a very cooperative spirit, naturally. GUESTS: Naomi Shragai: psychological business consultant and Financial Times contributor Roxana Mohammadian-Molina, Chief Strategy Officer, Blend N...
Oct 31, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The number of companies in 'financial distress' in the UK is on the rise. What's causing the problems and what exactly happens when a company goes into administration? Evan Davis and guests discuss. Guests: Julie Palmer, Insolvency practitioner, Begbies Traynor Andy Scott, Chairman, REL Capital Dr Rebecca Parry, Director, Centre for Business and Insolvency, Nottingham Trent University Producer: Julie Ball
Oct 24, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How can business benefit from the popularity of vegetarian and vegan products in supermarkets and restaurants? One in eight of us identifies as vegetarian or vegan, but that's not enough to have boosted the market so significantly. So what is happening and is it sustainable? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Kevin Brennan, CEO Quorn Tommaso Chiabra, venture capitalist and CEO Tommaso Chiabra Holdings Rachel Hugh, Co-founder, The Vurger Company Producer: Julie Ball...
Oct 17, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Will Facebook's launch of its own cryptocurrency be a game changer? What will this mean for established currencies and the global banking system? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Jutta Steiner, Chief Executive Officer, Parity Technologies Dr. Catherine Mulligan, Chief Technology Officer of Gov Tech Labs and Data Net at University College, London Barbara Mellish, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Citizenship, Enterprise and Government Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Julie Ball...
Oct 10, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast How can the aviation industry marry sustainability with increasing passenger numbers? Since the deregulation of Europe's airlines in the late 1990s, more and more of us have been flying every year. Whilst this may be good news for the airline industry, it's not good news for the environment. Manufacturers are trying to make models lighter and more fuel efficient, with a pledge by IATA to cut emissions to 50% by 2050. Nevertheless, experts say we are at least fifteen years away from hybrid engine...
Jul 25, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What can we learn from how one medical start-up fooled Silicon Valley and the world? Elizabeth Holmes dropped out of Stanford University at 19 to start Theranos. She promised investors and the public a revolutionary blood diagnosis machine which would be less painful, accessible and affordable than ordinary lab tests. She managed to raise $9 billion in funding. Now the company is worth nothing. Holmes and her business partner may face up to 20 years in prison for fraud. How did she manage to dec...
Jul 18, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast You trust financial professionals to grow your long term savings and pension pot. But how do you know if they are investing it wisely? The UK investment industry is awash with complicated terms and conditions, and unclear and sometimes high charges, which can eat into your monetary returns. The woes of star fund manager Neil Woodford, who has temporarily frozen one of his funds to its investors after poor performance, highlights just how complicated an industry it is. Is some clarity starting to...
Jul 11, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Poundland, Lidl, B&M Bargains and Primark are thriving successes on the High Street, while more mainstream retailers have seen their profits hit. Just how do the discounters keep their prices so low? Keeping the business model simple, supply chains lean and costs down are key parts of the story. Guests: Barry Williams, Managing Director of Poundland Simon Arora, Chief Executive, B&M Bargains Catherine Shuttleworth, Chief Executive of Savvy Marketing
Jul 04, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can a sudden change in direction save a new company? Evan Davis and his guests hear stories about the start-up's nightmare: the original product is not selling, and cash is running out. Can changing focus - with a new service or product - pluck success from the jaws of doom? Speaking to entrepreneurs and experts, he learns about how in a range of sectors, from sanitary products to event ticketing, the key is to shift while staying true to the original vision. Guests: Celia Pool, cofounder DAME E...
Jun 27, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast From Somali pirates who've turned kidnapping into a global enterprise to cybercrime and fraud - the worlds of business and wrongdoing potentially have much in common. Clever criminals build business empires and fraud is sometimes carried out by well paid workers at legitimate companies. What the two worlds can have in common is a pursuit of profit and a series of apparently rational calculations. Evan Davis and guests explore why some bright, talented people try to get rich the wrong way, while ...
Jun 20, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who wins and loses in the cut-throat exercise market? Looking good and being fit has become more important as we have become more wealthy. Yet most new gyms and fitness centres fail. Evan Davis and his guests work out the secrets of success in this growing industry, which is is worth over £5 billion in the UK. GUESTS Stuart Broster, CEO, Anytime Fitness UK Tommy Matthews, Managing Director, Be Military Fit Dawn Tuckwell,, Director and Co-founder, Action PR PRESENTER: Evan Davis PRODUCER: Julie B...
Jun 13, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The package brought to your door may have crossed the globe - but the most expensive and fiddly bit of the journey will undoubtedly be what's known as 'the last mile'. Delivery firms are constantly innovating how they do this - using electric vehicles and e cargo bikes, robots, or offering customers a click and collect option at a local store of their choice. Consumers take it for granted that they will get free delivery in many cases. But is the whole 'last mile' industry sustainable? Delivery ...
Jun 06, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Antibiotic resistance is a global problem but there have been no new drugs produced since the 1980s. So who is to blame? The public's over-consumption or the current economic model for drug research and production? Evan Davis and guests discuss. GUESTS Seema Patel, Medical Director, Hospital Business, Pfizer, UK, Ireland and the Nordics Lord Jim O'Neill, Chair Anti-Microbial Resistance Review (2016), Former Chief Economist, Goldman Sachs Professor Colin Garner, Co Founder and Director, Antibioti...
Jun 01, 2019•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every business faces uncertainty. In the final programme of the series Evan Davis and guests ask what businesses should do when faced with uncertainty. Guests: Jeremy Bentham, Head of Scenarios, Shell Nick Allan, CEO, Control Risks Dr Sandra Bell, Head of Resilience Consulting, Sungard Availability Services
Mar 28, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's hard to buy anything these days without being asked to rate or review it. Evan Davis and guests look at how have businesses such as Tripadvisor, Feefo and Checkatrade have altered the relationship between companies and consumers? Do you trust the wisdom of crowds more than an expert's view? Guests Matt West, Chief Executive of Feefo Rob Paterson, Chief Executive of Best Western Hotels GB Caroline Wiertz, Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean for Entrepreneurship at the Cass Business Sch...
Mar 21, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast For many graduates an internship has become the default route to full-time, paid employment. But getting a good placement is competitive and in some cases poorly paid or unpaid. What does this mean for social mobility and diversity in the workplace? Evan Davis and guests discuss the pros and cons of internships. GUESTS Sarah Churchman, UK Head of Inclusion, Diversity and Wellbeing, PwC Amalia Illgner , Freelance journalist and a former intern Oliver Sidwell, Co-founder, Rate My Placement...
Mar 14, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Technological advances have made it easier for businesses to offer us more personalised goods and services, from customised cars to clothes that fit better and pioneering cell and gene therapies to target serious illnesses. How far can this personalisation revolution go? GUESTS Darrin Disley, Chief Executive of cell therapy company, Mogrify Georgina Silvester, Chief Operating Officer (designate), Handelsbanken UK Karl Howkins, Managing Director, Citroen UK Kate Ancketill, Chief Executive of GDR ...
Mar 07, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are more than two-and-a-half thousand consumer and business magazine titles on sale in the UK. What is the appeal of magazines and how does the business endure in spite of falling advertising revenues and declining circulation figures? GUESTS Wolfgang Blau, President, Conde Nast International Terri White, Editor-in-Chief, Empire Magazine Rebecca McGrath, Senior Analyst, Media, Mintel
Feb 28, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's the point of an audit if it fails to detect when a company's about to go under? The sudden collapse of BHS, Carillion and Patisserie Valerie has dented public confidence in the firms that audited them and prompted calls for a shake-up of the audit industry. Would more competition in the sector, which is dominated by four big players, drive audit quality up? Do accountants need to be more robust in challenging company figures? Joining Evan Davis for The Bottom Line: Bill Michael, UK Chairm...
Feb 21, 2019•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
