Board Agenda: The Macro Memo – Details, episodes & analysis

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Board Agenda: The Macro Memo

Questor Media

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/78d. Total Eps: 25

The Macro Memo is an essential briefing for UK corporate leaders, offering timely insights into the geopolitical and macro-economic forces shaping today’s business environment. Produced by Board Agenda, the corporate goverrnance news and intelligence resource, this podcast series is published in association with Forvis Mazars, the global auditing, accounting and advisory business. In each episode, we explore the impact of global trends, from economic policies to political shifts, and how they translate into risks and opportunities for businesses. Stay ahead of the curve with The Macro Memo—your guide to understanding the global factors that drive local business strategy.

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The Macro Memo - Trade, Tariffs & Tech: How Geopolitics Is Rewriting Business Strategy

Thursday, July 24, 2025 • Duration 31:47

This episode of The Macro Memo podcast delves into the intersection of macroeconomics and geopolitics, highlighting how these factors are reshaping business strategies. With discussions on the shift from neoliberal globalization to a multipolar world, the importance of understanding geopolitical risks for international expansion is emphasized. The conversation also touches on sustainability reporting, the varying approaches to climate change between the US and Europe, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in productivity. As businesses navigate economic uncertainty, the need for a balance between regulation and deregulation is underscored, alongside a cautious optimism about future government policies.

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The Macro Memo - The Macro Memo: Trade Wars & Business Strategy: Planning Through Uncertainty

Monday, April 14, 2025 • Duration 36:33

In this special edition of The Macro Memo, we examine the seismic shifts in global trade policy following dramatic US tariff announcements. With duties briefly imposed on over 90 countries—before being swiftly revised to a flat 10% and a steep 145% on China—boards and executive teams now face extraordinary volatility in trade conditions and economic indicators.

Host Gavin Hinks is joined by economist George Lagarias and business strategist Mark Kennedy to dissect what this all means for business leaders. The episode explores how tariffs impact inflation, supply chains, business modeling, and investor sentiment, and why managing uncertainty must now be a core leadership skill. From stock market turbulence to Treasury yield dislocations, our experts assess both the risks and the surprising opportunities that lie ahead.

We also look at how corporate leaders should think about resilience—balancing cost control with agility, resourcefulness, and long-term strategic positioning. As firms pause investment decisions and rethink market exposure, the episode offers a clear-headed guide to scenario planning, talent retention, and the potential realignment of global trade.

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The Macro Memo - global trends briefing for boards & directors: predictions for the autumn statement; the impact of conflict & geopolitical uncertainty on global trade; can firms play a role in making sure artificial intelligence is safe?

Season 1 · Episode 1

Thursday, November 16, 2023 • Duration 43:23

What does Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement hold for UK business and what will it do for the economy? How is global trade affected by conflict and geopolitical uncertainty? And can companies play a role in making sure artificial intelligence is safe, or is the world heading for a Terminator-style melt down?

Mark Kennedy, partner and member of Mazars’ group executive board, alongside George Lagarias, Mazars’ chief economist, offer their analysis of global trends to Board Agenda’s Gavin Hinks in this episode of Macro Memo.

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What’s next for boards in the UK pharma and life sciences industry? Navigating the challenges of innovation, productivity and ESG in a post Covid world.

Season 1 · Episode 14

Friday, March 10, 2023 • Duration 44:03

What’s next for boards in the UK pharma and life sciences industry? Navigating the challenges of innovation, productivity and ESG in a post Covid world.

The life science industry is in a dynamic phase of transformation which has been rapidly accelerated by the pandemic, with more workforce agility, shortening development and review times, increased speed to market, and greater efficiencies. In response to the pandemic, life sciences companies mobilized impressively to meet the needs of their employees, patients, customers, and communities. This mobilization, however, has upended well-established business norms, including about how and where people work.

panel guests discuss.

- Key priorities for boards in life sciences industry as they transition to the future of healthcare

- Harnessing opportunities from rapid digitalisation and tech disruption

- Building resilience in an era of rapid transformation

- Ideal skill sets and composition of life science company boards

- How boards in pharma and life science are integrating ESG and building trust with stakeholders

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What's next for boards in the UK auto industry?

Season 1 · Episode 13

Monday, October 3, 2022 • Duration 33:55

An industry of high strategic importance to the economy, the UK auto sector is undergoing rapid change, dealing with clean tech innovation, a shift to electric vehicles, supply chain issues and poor sales. To explore how boards in the industry are tackling these issues, Gavin Hinks interviews Mike Hawes CEO of the SMMT, Dr. Andy Palmer, CEO of Switch Electric, and Louis Burns, Partner and auto sector lead at professional services firm Mazars.

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What's next for boards in the new era of consumer retail?

Season 1 · Episode 12

Tuesday, April 26, 2022 • Duration 36:06

Consumer retail firms are witnessing upheaval. Aside from uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the retail sector is confronted with the climate change agenda, supply chain realignment, cybercrime and data security. It is a dynamic and fast-moving set of issues which could spell the end of the road for some retailers if not managed correctly. Some have already had to close their doors.

To explore these issues, Board Agenda has convened a panel of experts for a round table discussion about the priorities for boards in this new era of consumer retail.

Hosted by Gavin Hinks of Board Agenda, panel speakers for this episode are:
Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium
Ian Shepherd, Chairman of Bensons for Beds
Matt Dalton, Partner and retail lead at Mazars

Key discussion points.
- Key priorities for boards in the retail consumer industry for 2022
- How boards in retail are responding to ESG
- Resilience and supply chain realignment
- The skills required on consumer retail boards in an era of change
- Harnessing opportunity from AI and disruptive technologies

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Sir Donald Brydon on audit reform, career NEDs and board relationships

Season 1 · Episode 11

Thursday, November 25, 2021 • Duration 25:16

Sir Donald Brydon, one of the most prominent board directors in the UK, is chairman of Tide Holdings, and the former chair of the London Stock Exchange, Sage and Royal Mail. Sir Donald is also the author of a 2019 government commissioned report into audit reform, the recommendations of which are being proposed for new UK corporate governance rules.

This year he was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sunday Times, Non-Executive Director Awards and in this interview Gavin Hinks talks to Sir Donald about his career as a non-executive, how he has seen the role transform, the priorities for board members today, and his views on audit reform.

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Audit reform 2021: implications for board oversight of risk management

Season 1 · Episode 10

Friday, August 6, 2021 • Duration 23:04

As UK government proposals increase responsibilities for directors, our latest podcast discusses the impact on the oversight of risk management by the board, and specifically on the issue of internal controls and the payment of dividends.

Experts from Mazars the global auditing and accountancy firm, explain the implications of the reforms in discussion with Gavin Hinks, the editor of Board Agenda.

The proposals come as part of a host of measures set out in a government white paper, Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance, which aims to improve risk management.

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Building better boards: Why firms must accelerate diversity in leadership.

Friday, June 4, 2021 • Duration 31:40

The Covid-19 pandemic has helped crystallise the need to renew efforts on boardroom diversity in UK firms, it has thrown a spotlight on the relationship between companies and their stakeholders and this, in turn, has increased the need for corporates to ensure their boards are diverse.

There is growing pressure on boards to change. Companies can now expect to be challenged more robustly; boards may need to take more nuanced decisions; shareholders will be more forceful and active; customers and employers are more engaged; supply chain, human rights, climate risks and community relations will receive more scrutiny. The collective skillset of a board will need to change and adapt to all of this.

Gavin Hinks hosts a round table discussion with three experts on board selection.
The podcast will focus on:

· Why post pandemic, the pressure to accelerate diversity on boards will intensify

· The present state of board diversity within the UK’s leading firms

· The opportunities for boards to harness the benefits diversity

· Practical steps for firms to drive diversity on their boards forwards

Panel guests:
Kit Bingham is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ London office and head of the UK Board Practice. He leads searches for chairs, non-executive directors, and chief executive officers across a wide range of industries and supports board effectiveness through succession planning, onboarding, evaluation, diversity and inclusion, and talent mapping.

Doyin Atewologun is a multiple award-winning Chartered Business Psychologist, consultant, executive coach, researcher and skilled facilitator. Doyin was the lead researcher of the 2017 Sir John Parker Review into ethnic diversity on FTSE 100 boards. She has worked with FTSE 100 businesses, United Nations agencies, the UK Civil Service and professional services firms. She is Dean of Rhodes Scholarships at the University of Oxford and also currently holds faculty positions at Cranfield School of Management, UK; Queen Mary University of London, School of Business and Management; Lagos Business School, Nigeria and the Human Resources Management Department at University of Pretoria, South Africa.

The chief executive of the Ethics and Compliance Initiative (ECI), Patricia Harned, on rising unethical behaviour, reporting and retaliation

Wednesday, May 12, 2021 • Duration 27:08

In this podcast episode of Board Agenda we focus on the issue of ethics in the workplace and discuss the findings of a new global survey which finds that pressure on employees to compromise standards has increased significantly during the pandemic, in the US and in 10 other countries around the world, including the UK.

The research is from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, and we discuss the findings with chief executive Patricia Harned.

Many firms have been vocal about well-being of their employees, but the evidence from this study shows that workplace conditions, during the pandemic, including flexible working, has increased pressure, and compromised standards among employees, particularly middle management. The risks for boards and leadership teams are evident.

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Board Agenda: The Macro Memo – Details, episodes & analysis

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Board Agenda: The Macro Memo – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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