How do we rebuild confidence in the future - and in our collective ability to shape it? How do we reconnect economic growth with social progress, fairness, and stability? And how do we harness innovation without widening inequality or navigate political tensions without retreating from cooperation?
Responses to these questions demands new thinking - ideas that challenge assumptions, acknowledge what isn’t working and offer credible paths forward for business, finance and government.
That’s the focus of our new podcast series, hosted by CISL CEO Lindsay Hooper, and Investec Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer Marc Kahn.
You’ll hear from leaders, innovators and critical thinkers who are grappling with the toughest challenges of our time - and bringing forward important new thinking and practical action. From industrial transformation and AI to philanthropy’s catalytic role, the voices of the next generation and the shifting geopolitics of power, we ask how today’s leaders can bridge divides, unlock innovation and steer economies toward long-term stability and opportunity.
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Episodes
The Value of Values with Alison Taylor and Karen Wood
Listen from 4 December 2025: Apple I Spotify I Amazon I YouTube I Iono
In an era of market pressure, political backlash, and accusations of “purpose-washing”, do corporate values still matter? Why isn’t making money legally enough? And in markets that reward short-term performance above all else, what does it take to uphold principles, integrity and trust? This episode explores how values are a strategic imperative - not a “nice to have” - in shaping decisions, culture and legitimacy. The discussion cuts through slogans and corporate virtue signalling, asking what real values look like in practice and how leaders navigate tension between principle, and market or political pressure.
The Tech Reckoning: Who Shapes the Next Economy? with Thomas Lingard
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This episode looks at the power shifts created by AI and digital systems - asks where real agency still lies. The discussion probes how digital power is concentrating, why regulatory systems are struggling to keep pace, and what it would take to steer emerging technologies toward societal benefit rather than narrow commercial gain. Thomas highlights the leadership capacities that now matter most: ethical judgement, systems intelligence, and the confidence to question deterministic narratives about technology. The episode asks a central question: how do we build an economy where technology strengthens society - and who has the responsibility and agency to shape that path?
Powering Africa’s Future with Carlos Lopes & Jasandra Nyker
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This episode examines Africa’s energy transition as both an economic strategy and a question of agency, featuring insights from Professor Carlos Lopes and investment leader Jasandra Nyker. They argue that while the world often views Africa through the narrow lens of risk, fragility, or aid dependency, the continent increasingly sees itself as a driver of innovation, industrialisation, and clean energy leadership. The energy transition, they contend, should not be framed as a moral obligation imposed from abroad but as a catalyst for productivity, competitiveness, and long-term prosperity.
AI Shaping the Future with Dominic Vergine
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In this episode, hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn speak with innovation and sustainability leader Dominic Vergine about how artificial intelligence can be directed toward solving the world’s hardest engineering and energy challenges rather than fuelling hype or waste. Drawing on two decades at the intersection of technology, engineering, and purpose - including building the sustainability function at ARM - Dominic offers a grounded perspective on where AI’s genuine value lies and why leadership judgment, not speed, will determine its legacy.
Young Divided and Under Pressure with Clover Hogan and Ravi Naidoo
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For years, we’ve comforted ourselves with the idea that young people will “save the world.” But is that hope realistic - or an unfair projection? Many young people care deeply about climate, justice and inequality, yet face economic precarity, political disillusionment and shrinking civic space. How can youth today find real agency and meaningful work amid systemic barriers and concentrated power?
From Heavy Industry to Clean Growth with Faustine Delasalle and Katie Fergusson
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This episode focuses on the industrial transition — how to decarbonise the “hard-to-abate” sectors that power modern economies, and how to sustainably mine the metals and minerals needed to build the clean energy infrastructure of the future. While technologies for low-carbon, resource efficient steel, cement, heavy transport and mining are advancing rapidly, deployment still lags behind what’s required. Policy signals remain inconsistent, investment is cautious, and supply chains face both physical and geopolitical constraints. The conversation examines what’s working, where momentum is building, and what kind of leadership will be needed to deliver scale and pace.
