The Friday Fix

What really matters to fund managers? What can smaller companies do to improve their chances of winning investment? And how is the ever-growing influence of retail investors challenging industry norms? Find out in this episode of the Friday Fix, as Jamie Constable, market strategist at Singer Capital Markets, joins Powerscourt senior director Nick Dibden to talk IPOs, delistings and perceptions of...

Ever wondered what its really like on the ground at the UN Climate Summit? Powerscourt’s Leighton Barnish , Head of Sustainability and Christie Wanstall , Sustainability Analyst give us the lowdown on the COP28 conference in Dubai, where over 80,000 people gathered from 190 nations in a truly extraordinary display on the international climate stage.  We also hear from business leaders helping faci...

“The push coming from the private sector is very palpable.” How can governments and industry work together to navigate the green transition? Should there be a proper price on carbon? What will the energy mix look like in a decades time? In this week’s episode of the FridayFix, Powerscourt’s Peter Ogden sits down with Roeland Baan , President and CEO of Topsoe to get the answers to all of this and...

How does the media impact a fight for justice? In the first episode of our new podcast series, Powerscourt Perspectives, we hear from four individuals who’ve had to face the tricky dynamics of the media in their personal battles for justice. Former England cricketer Azeem Rafiq, ex-CNN journalist Saima Mohsin and criminal justice campaigners Zainab and Ruki share personal experiences of their figh...

Ahead of next week’s DSEI conference at London’s Excel, one of the largest exhibitions of military and security equipment in the world, the latest Friday Fix episode sees Powerscourt’s James White talk to Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS Group, the trade organisation representing the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space industries.   Together, they explore some of the big themes that we’re likely t...

The Founder & CEO of AI firm Eigen Technologies, Dr Lewis Z. Liu has concerns about the direction of generative AI. As this technology becomes more and more powerful, how do we answer the questions it poses around intellectual property and creation? What lessons can policymakers learn from the struggle to regulate social media? What manner of threat could machine learning pose to society? Join...

The aviation industry is gaining altitude in its quest for a sustainable future. What steps are being taken towards change? When will we see hydrogen and electric planes? And could the government be doing more to support this agenda? Russ Lynch , Director at Powerscourt and former Economics Editor at The Daily Telegraph, interviews Oliver Gill , the paper’s Chief Business Correspondent, on the cha...

Recent months have seen naysayers in the markets and media call London’s position in the global capital markets into question. But what’s the truth behind the headlines: are fears of transatlantic migration overblown?  Justin Griffiths , Partner at Powerscourt, interviews Bod Buckby , Head of Primary Markets North at the London Stock Exchange to hear how London stacks up against the international...

Chris Blackhurst , distinguished business journalist, spent decades in the engine room of the British media. In this week’s episode with Victoria Palmer-Moore , Chris conjures the changes wrought on Fleet Street by the death of the 9-to-5 - and the dawn of the information age.  From journalists to business leaders, corporate affairs directors to newspaper proprietors, Chris describes the seismic i...

This week’s Friday Fix delves into the complex world of AI, courtesy of Carolyn Esser from cyber security company Darktrace. Powerscourt’s Elly Williamson , Partner and Head of TMT, quizzes Carolyn on what separates large language models like ChatGPT from Darktrace’s self-learning AI, and how we can build trust in emerging technologies. Listen to all episodes on our website . Follow Powerscourt on...

What is DE&I? It’s easy for businesses to see these terms - diversity, equity, equality, inclusion and belonging - as buzzwords. How can businesses move beyond this mindset to create real change?  Ria Kalsi , founder of Matriarch Ltd , talks to Keira Marron from Powerscourt’s HR team about how to have difficult conversations about racial inclusion - and why organisations should care about anti...

Does the British monarchy have a comms issue? Steve Marinker , Head of Powerscourt 360, talks to Powerscourt’s Georgia Way about the Coronation, and the PR winners and losers of the 6th May 2023.  Media coverage of this historic occasion has been positive, but social media has told a vastly different story. Is the traditional media - and the Royal Family - at odds with the British public over the...

The boards of 2023 face the challenges of a complex, interconnected world: cybersecurity, geopolitical risk, and ESG transparency and action. Are they hiring the right board members to protect themselves against future risks?  This week’s guest is Alice Breeden , Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, which has just released its 2023 Board Monitor UK . Powerscourt’s Victoria Palmer Moore hears how b...

The UK’s local elections are taking place on 4th May. As more than 8,000 seats at 230 councils are contested, what could the result tell us about the prospects for the Conservatives and Labour, as the runway for the General Election comes into view? Mark Leftly , Powerscourt’s Head of Public Affairs, talks to his colleague Harold Amoo to discuss what constitutes a good result for each party in the...

As the private equity “wall of money” eyes up deals in the UK, and public companies face ever more requirements, do the costs of being listed outweigh the benefits? Mervyn Metcalf , founder of Dean Street Advisors , argues that onerous reporting requirements and nervy markets make listing less attractive than private equity ownership. Is it better to have a committed private equity owner? And what...

One banking collapse might be seen as isolated - but does two indicate a systemic issue? Andy Smith , Powerscourt’s in-house banking expert, examines the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the rescue of Credit Suisse in the context of the 2008 financial crisis. Are these isolated or related events? What was the root cause? What causes a bank run? And is there anything communicators can do to redu...

Does London still have momentum as a great capital market – and what can be done to address the cost and complexity of listing? What needs to change to connect companies with capital on the public markets? This week’s episode of the Friday Fix covers the MiFID II, Silicon Valley Bank, and everything in between. Russ Lynch , Director at Powerscourt, turns the tables on his former boss, James Ashton...

“This is a place marking budget.. setting a platform from which you can have a crack at limiting the damage at the next general election.”  Mark Leftly , Head of Public Affairs at Powerscourt and former economics editor at The Telegraph, Russ Lynch , look ahead to next week’s Spring Statement from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. With the Conservatives still struggling in the polls, can the Budget offer an...

Developing stories to catch the attention of the media is an art form, “not rocket science”, according to Russ Lynch , Powerscourt’s ex-journalist hosting this week’s podcast. But how does one FTSE100 company, Auto Trader, generate consistent media interest in an age of overstretched newsrooms? Auto Trader’s Director of Communications, Laura Harvey , talks through the secret ingredient: data. List...

Simon Olsen , Partner in Deloitte ’s Equity Capital Markets team, worked on his first IPO back in 2002, and knows what sets the successes apart from the failures. This week James White , Director in Powerscourt’s Industrials team, gets up to speed with the importance of business preparedness and the outlook for 2023.  Listen to all episodes on our website . Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and Linked...

Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as First Minister of Scotland has come as a surprise to even keenest political pundits. What’s next for the nation and party which have grown used to her steady hand on the tiller? Powerscourt’s former political journalists, Mark Leftly and Stephen O’Brien , consider the future for the independence cause and a resurgent Labour in Scotland. Listen to all episodes on ou...

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As Political Correspondent at GB News, Olivia Utley is at the forefront of the conversation around the future of news media. While print newspapers contend with the realities of 24/7 news, newcomers like GB News have a loyal and growing viewership on Twitter and YouTube. Is it time for the channel’s critics to revise their opinion? Interviewed this week by Georgia Way , Consultant at Powerscourt....

Did you know that the buildings are responsible for an astonishing 40% of global emissions? To bring our homes and offices in line with net zero targets, they need to be made more energy-efficient as a matter of urgency – but are the world’s major economies doing enough to create a built environment fit for the future? In this week’s Friday Fix, Ludo Baynham-Herd , Director in Powerscourt’s 360 te...

Five decades of business experience are condensed into one hot take in our interview with Sir Martin Sorrell . Elly Williamson , Powerscourt’s Head of TMT, sat down with the Sage of Soho himself for frank insights into the business landscape in 2023. Listen to all episodes on our website . Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn .