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 UK capital markets in the year ahead.

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 facilitate the move to a better, greener future. What more must be done to drive the innovation needed to achieve our collective climate targets and what challenges face businesses trying to lead the charge? Topsoe CEO Roeland Baan, Carbonaires advisory board member Anna-Marie Slot, and Foresight Solar Fund Managing Director Ross Driver join us to discuss the critical importance of ensuring climate commitments translate to tangible action. Hosted by: Michael Keating Produced by: Michael Keating, Isabel Ralphs, Io Kidson & Georgia Way Edited by: Ollie Beckwith Artwork by: Demi-Marie Barnard

“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 more. With COP28 just around the corner, Roeland explains how Topsoe is leading the charge in developing technological solutions to support the green transition in some of the hardest to crack sectors, and shares his hopes and expectations for this year’s climate forum in Dubai.

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 fights – and explain the pivotal role that PR can play in supporting their campaigns in this week’s episode. **Content Warning: This episode contains discriminatory remarks which are offensive; listener discretion is advised.** The Friday Fix: Powerscourt Perspectives is our new monthly series exploring the most pressing questions and interesting opportunities of today’s communications landscape. Each month, we will draw together interviews from across our network of business, media and political experts, bringing you deeper insights and a wider viewpoint on the issues that really matter. Hosted by: Michael Keating Produced by: Michael Keating, Isabel Ralphs, Io Kidson & Georgia Way Edited by: Ollie Beckwith Artwork by: Demi-Marie Barnard

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 to see at next week’s show, what is next for the UK defence industry and how we might expect warfare to change in the next 20 years.

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 Dr Liu alongside Jane Glover, from Powerscourt’s Technology practice, for an urgent, timely discussion on this week’s Friday Fix. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 challenges aviation faces on its sustainability journey. Tune in for exclusive insight into an industry that faces scrutiny and pressure to do better.

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 competition. Can we expect a rebound in IPOs? And will radical reforms proposed by the Financial Conduct Authority make London more competitive than ever?

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 influences which shaped an industry previously known for typewriters and long lunches into today’s press powerhouses, battling to make money in an era of free content. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 Twitter and LinkedIn.

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-racist work. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 future constitution of the United Kingdom? Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 boards fared on diversity in 2022, and whether boards have the diversity they need to meet diversified modern risks. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 current political environment. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 can the government and the regulator do to ease the burden on UK plc and attract IPOs? Victoria Palmer-Moore, Managing Partner at Powerscourt, interviews Mervyn Metcalf in this week’s episode of the Friday Fix. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 reduce the risk? Managing Partner Victoria Palmer-Moore poses all these questions and more on this week’s episode. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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, CEO of the Quoted Companies Alliance, for a wide-ranging interview about the City. Did the Chancellor deliver a Budget for growth? Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

“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 any hope of a turnaround? Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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. Listen to all episodes on our website. Follow Powerscourt on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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 LinkedIn.