How can we all help shape better policies for better lives? OECD Podcasts bring you insightful interviews with experts and well-known personalities on such pressing challenges as inequality and inclusive growth, the economy, jobs, the digital transformation, climate change, the environment, education, healthcare, tax, trade, international co-operation, and more.
NOTE: The opinions expressed and arguments employed in the content displayed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the OECD, its Member countries, or any stakeholders who have contributed to or participated in any related work.
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Love, work and taxes: How tax systems shape our choices
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 20:01
There’s a particular moment, familiar to almost everyone who receives a payslip, when optimism meets reality. You see your gross salary – that encouraging number at the top – and then your eyes begin the slow downward journey. Line by line, contribution by contribution, acronym by acronym, that number starts to shrink.
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, our host Ashley Ward is joined by Alexander Pick and Edoardo Magalini from the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration to unpack Taxing Wages, the OECD’s flagship report on labour taxation.
The episode explains the “tax wedge” – the gap between an employer’s total cost of hiring and an employee’s net take-home pay – and explores what the 2026 edition reveals about taxes, social contributions and benefits across OECD countries. It also looks at why household circumstances matter, including how tax systems can influence the choices couples make about whether both partners work, how much they work and how they balance paid work with family responsibilities.
Host:
Ashley Ward, Director’s Office Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)
Guests:
o Alexander Pick, Head of Tax Data and Statistical Analysis (OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration)
o Edoardo Magalini, Tax Policy Analyst (OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration)
To learn more about this policy area, go to https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/taxing-wages-2026_3a5169ef-en.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
COGITO Talks… Goals, grills and growth: What the World Cup meant for local business
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 25:42
Major sporting events can bring huge crowds and investment to host cities, but how much of that opportunity reaches local businesses? In this episode, Shayne MacLachlan from the OECD speaks with scientist, entrepreneur and investor Riana Lynn about what the 2026 FIFA World Cup meant for local food businesses in Atlanta and Mexico City. Drawing on her experience in both host cities, they explore how restaurants, food vendors, farmers and suppliers benefited from the tournament, and why some businesses were better placed than others to seize the opportunity.
Looking beyond the final whistle, they discuss what host cities can do to turn a few busy weeks into a lasting legacy. From supporting small businesses and local supply chains to celebrating neighbourhood culture and creating opportunities that endure after the crowds have gone, the conversation asks how global sporting events can leave local economies stronger long after the tournament ends.
Podcast host: Shayne MacLachlan - Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the CFE.
As Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Shayne engages with policy issues concerning SMEs, tourism, culture, regions and cities to name a few. He has worked on a number of OECD campaigns including “Going Digital”, "Climate Action" and "I am the future of work".
Podcast guest: Riana Lynn - CEO of Journey Foods
Riana Lynn is the founder and CEO of Journey Foods (Journey AI), an intelligence and action platform for the global consumption economy. Journey AI helps companies find, understand, and build with the world’s food, ingredient, supplier, and product intelligence. Journey has generated more than 110 billion personalized recommendations and built an intelligence graph spanning millions of ingredients, products, and suppliers, connecting food science, supply chains, and consumption intelligence. A fourth-generation food entrepreneur, former Track & Field athlete, and patented technologist, Riana’s work spans North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She has been recognized by Forbes, MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35, and the World Economic Forum as a Technology Pioneer. A former Google Entrepreneur in Residence, investor, and educator, she has taught at Stanford and Harvard and explores global food economics through her podcast.
To learn more about this policy area, go to https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/culture-creative-industries-and-sports/leveraging-the-olympics-games-for-local-development.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
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What is the Value of Statistical Life?
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 27:59
Behind every statistic is a human-scale question. What is a safer commute worth? How much do people value cleaner air? And how can policymakers compare the cost of an intervention with the benefit of reducing mortality risk across a population?
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, our host Ashley Ward speaks with Olof Byström from the OECD Environment Directorate and Ståle Navrud from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences about the Value of a Statistical Life, or VSL. They explain what this frequently misunderstood measure means, what it doesn’t, and why it matters for evidence-based policymaking.
The conversation explores how economists estimate people’s willingness to pay for small reductions in mortality risk and what the OECD’s global meta-analysis of more than 4000 VSL estimates can add to the evidence base. Is also considers how this evidence can support more transparent and consistent decisions on air quality, road safety, food safety, chemicals management and other policies to protect human health.
Host:
Ashley Ward, Director’s Office Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)
Guests:
o Olof Byström, Senior Economist (OECD Environment Directorate)
o Ståle Navrud, Professor (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, School of Economics and Business)
To learn more about this policy area, go to https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/10/mortality-risk-valuation-in-policy-assessment_733b9d66.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
Governing AI in the Public Sector with NY State's Chief AI Officer Eleonore Fournier-Tombs
Monday, July 13, 2026 • Duration 31:46
Governments are moving from discussing artificial intelligence to deploying it. But what does responsible AI look like when it is used inside large public administrations, across real services, using real people’s information?
In Episode 3 of Statistics in the AI Era, OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely speaks with New York State Chief AI Officer Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, about the practical work of implementing AI across government while maintaining public trust.
They discuss the emerging role of Chief AI Officers, AI use cases in public service delivery, code modernisation and geospatial analysis; the data governance foundations needed for AI; and how risk assessments, acceptable-use policies and human oversight can make responsible AI operational.
The conversation also explores workforce impacts, the importance of upskilling and consultation, and the need for a governance model that gives agencies room to experiment while ensuring the highest-risk use cases receive extra scrutiny.
Host:
Steve MacFeely | Chief Statistician, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD
LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/steve-macfeely-a1a710112/
Guest:
Eleonore Fournier-Tombs | Chief AI Officer, New York State
LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/eleonoreft
To learn more about AI governance challenges in the public sector: www.oecd.org/en/blogs/2026/07/governing-ai-and-data-in-the-public-sector-with-eleonore-fournier-tombs.html
To learn more about this policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/directorates/statistics-and-data-directorate.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
Making good data easier to find and use with Google's Prem Ramaswami
Monday, June 22, 2026 • Duration 29:15
As AI assistants, search engines and chatbots become intermediaries between users and information, official statistics face a new usability test: can authoritative public data be found, understood, sourced and used correctly by both humans and machines?
In the second episode of Statistics in the AI Era, OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely speaks with Prem Ramaswami, Head of Google Data Commons, about the practical work needed to make trusted statistics understandable to people and legible to AI systems.
Prem argues that the challenge is not only to publish reliable data, but to make it easier to discover, connect and use. He explains why fragmented datasets impose a hidden “data tax” on analysts, why AI systems need data that is well sourced, auditable and reproducible, and why statistical organisations should start with machine-readable metadata.
The conversation also explores practical AI use cases across the statistical pipeline - including data collection, data cleaning, sharing and tailored policy outputs - as well as the need for public-private partnerships where technology companies help, and statistical institutions hold them to account.
Host:
Steve MacFeely | Chief Statistician, Statistics and Data Directorate, OECD
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-macfeely-a1a710112/
Guest:
Prem Ramaswami | Head of Data Commons, Google
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/premrama/
To learn more about this policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/directorates/statistics-and-data-directorate.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
AI and the future of official statistics with André Loranger - Chief Statistician of Canada
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 • Duration 30:29
AI is changing how citizens, journalists and policymakers find facts. Instead of going directly to statistical databases, more users are turning to AI assistants and chatbots to retrieve, interpret and reference official statistics.
In this first episode of Statistics in the AI Era, OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely speaks with André Loranger, Chief Statistician of Canada and head of Statistics Canada, about what trusted public data means when AI becomes the interface between society and statistics.
They discuss metadata, evolving data quality frameworks, hallucination risks, responsible AI use within statistical organisations, and whether AI should be treated as a new kind of user.
The episode also explores Statistics Canada’s 2030 vision and the mix of skills statistical offices will need to protect quality, transparency and public trust in the AI age.
Host:
Steve MacFeely, OECD Chief Statistician (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-macfeely-a1a710112/
Guest:
André Loranger, Chief Statistician of Canada (Statistics Canada)
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-loranger-12515731/
To learn more about this policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/directorates/statistics-and-data-directorate.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
AI in small businesses: hype, hope or hard reality?
Friday, April 17, 2026 • Duration 19:37
Recorded live for the first time at the 7th Digital for SMEs (D4SME) Roundtable, this special episode is hosted by Shayne MacLachlan and Alix Philouze. While 61% of SMEs report using AI, three quarters remain beginners, highlighting a gap between adoption and confidence. Joined by entrepreneurs Regitze Vestergaard Jacobsen, Robyn Baker and Leonardo Baggiani, the discussion explores how small businesses are experimenting with AI, managing cyber risks, navigating costs and skills gaps, and protecting jobs, identity and the human touch. A candid, on the ground conversation to explore what matters most to entrepreneurs facing these challenges today.
Hosts:
Shayne MacLachlan, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities.
Alix Philouze is a communications co-ordinator at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, where she works with both the SME and Entrepreneurship division and the Cities, Urban Policies and Sustainable Development division. She holds a degree in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
Guests:
Robyn Baker | https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-baker-257924396/
Robyn Baker is an entrepreneur based in The Netherlands who loves supporting small businesses succeed on competitive eCommerce marketplaces. Through her business Unicorn Copy & Strategy, she provides the written and photo content needed to launch products online with a focus on AI optimization to maximize product visibility and brand growth.
Leonardo Baggiani | https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonardo-baggiani-488216116/
A former Chef, Leonardo Baggiani transitioned to management to ensure business resilience. Leveraging an Agronomy degree and Food Quality Master, he directs cultural-site cafés through public-sector collaborations. His human-scale approach prioritizes staff well-being, promoting the vital social essence of traditional neighborhood hubs also in tourist areas.
Regitze Vestergaard Jacobsen | https://www.linkedin.com/in/regitze-vestergaard-jacobsen-12025b97/
Regitze Vestergaard Jacobsen is a Sales and Marketing Manager in the Danish hospitality sector at Hotel Gl. Skovridergaard and Conference Center, where she works hands-on with AI to turn digital potential into real business value. She focuses on saving time, personalising guest experiences, and improving visibility. Her core belief is clear: technology should support people, not replace them, and be simple enough for SMEs to actually use.
To know more about the D4SME network https://www.oecd.org/en/networks/oecd-digital-for-smes-global-initiative.html
For the latest SMEs policy https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/empowering-smes-in-the-age-of-ai_bf5a9816-en.html
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
#oecdpodcast #oecd #ocde #SMEs #AI #business #digital
Fuel, fear and flights: How the tourism sector learned to withstand global shocks
Friday, April 3, 2026 • Duration 19:27
Over the 10 years, global tourism has been reshaped by successive crises, from the collapse of travel during COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the current conflict in the Gulf and the rise of petrol prices. In this episode, Shayne MacLachlan from the OECD, speaks with Sergio Guerreiro, Chair of the OECD Tourism Committee, about how governments have responded to uncertainty and what resilience means in practice. Together, they explore how tourism policy is evolving to balance growth with sustainability, community impact and long-term stability in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Host: Shayne MacLachlan, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
Guest : Sergio Guerreiro / https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergioguerreiro74?originalSubdomain=pt
To learn more about policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/tourism.html
To read more on tourism policy in Portugal by Serio Guerreiro: https://oecdcogito.blog/2026/01/07/tourism-at-a-turning-point-the-next-generation-of-policy-making/
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
Life, the universe and Data Governance with OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 • Duration 38:22
Data is the lifeblood of the modern economy - powering decision-making, daily life, and the AI revolution. But governing data is full of trade-offs: openness and trust vs privacy and regulation; cross-border sharing vs sovereignty; and timeliness vs quality.
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, host Ashley Ward is joined by OECD Chief Statistician Steve MacFeely to explore why data governance has become a core policy challenge - and what it means for the future of official statistics and AI.
We follow Steve’s journey from Cork to Geneva to Paris; unpack his thoughts on metadata; and find out where he thinks the international statistical community should double down – or back off – over the coming decade.
Host: Ashley Ward, Director’s Office Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)
Guest: Steve MacFeely, OECD Chief Statistician (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/en/about.html
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/en/about/newsletters.html
Labels matter: Putting people over profit
Friday, January 23, 2026 • Duration 19:28
With hundreds of sustainability and impact labels in circulation, how can consumers, policymakers and investors identify organisations that really do put people over profit? And why does it matter for the social economy?
In this episode of Cogito Talks, Shayne MacLachlan is joined by Ruben Rebelo from the European Commission and Sofija Rakcejeva from the OECD to explore how labels can do more than just make social economy more visible and easier to support but also help people do better.
Drawing on a recent joint OECD and European Commission report, we will unpack the different types of labels that exist, from those exclusively for social economy entities to broader impact and financial labels, and discuss how they can guide funding, policy decisions and consumer choices.
Host: Shayne MacLachlan, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities
Rúben Rebelo is a policy officer currently serving at the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission. He joined the ‘Social and Inclusive Entrepreneurship’ unit in 2021 and is working on the implementation of the Social Economy Action Plan. He was involved in drafting and negotiating the Council recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions, and in publishing the Special Eurobarometer on the social economy in the lives of Europeans.
Sofija Rakcejeva is a policy analyst in the Social Economy and Innovation Unit at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities, where she analyses the contribution of the social economy to policy priorities such as affordable housing and social inclusion, as well as framework conditions that can increase its impact, including labels, taxation and access to finance. Before joining the OECD, Sofija co-authored two technical briefs and contributed to due diligence of microfinance projects at the Council of Europe Development Bank.
Sofija holds an MA in International Economic Policy from Sciences Po and a BA in History, Politics and Economics from University College London.
To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters
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