The Business

This episode of the Business is sponsored by PwC. Anxiety about how artificial intelligence will impact companies, employees and careers is reaching a fever pitch. Workers are beginning to ask: will technology wipe out entire sections of the employment base? On this episode of The Business, we consider how organisations can turn that uncertainty and fear into hope and opportunity. How can employees make better use of the tools available to drive productivity? How can technology education better prepare the next generation of workers for the workplaces of the future? Presenters: - Hannah Prevett, associate business editor of The Sunday Times - Dominic O’Connell, Times columnist and Times Radio business reporter Guests: - Carol Stubbings, PwC Managing partner - Sir Charlie Mayfield, Lead reviewer, Keep Britain Working Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Elon Musk’s satellite and rocket production company SpaceX confirmed its plan to take the company public. As part of the IPO, according to the securities filing, the company plans to offer retail investors the chance to buy stock. Could it all be a game changer for the space sector? And will this mean a wall of money chasing space-related opportunities? Presenter: Guest: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The uncertainty dominating British politics in the last half decade has ramped up to a full-blown drama in recent days. As uncertainty hangs over Prime MInister Keir Starmer's premiership and a possible leadership challenge looms, we consider: what does this chaos mean for the British business community? Presenter: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LinkedIn is not without its critics, but there is no doubt it provides a great way for professionals and founders to build a following, a presence and to share their ideas. We asked LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer Aneesh Raman about the best ways to use the platform. Read more: Crying videos on LinkedIn? It’s not a good look, says top exec Presenter: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The impact of Artificial Intelligence on the workplace is inevitable - but are there ways to protect your business and career? Aneesh Raman, chief economic opportunity office and the co-author of Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI tells us why the impact of AI is not pre-determined, and how workers should go about adapting to this rapidly changing environment. Presenters: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cinemas have had a rough fight for audiences ever since television arrived in our homes. The competition is now tougher than ever - streaming services, all kinds of online content available for free, and a culture hooked on short, endlessly scrollable clips. What is cinema’s role in this new entertainment economy - and can it still thrive? Presenter: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much pressure is there on companies to dial back on linking pay to ESG -- environment, social and governance -- in light of the Trump administration? Presenters: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British companies have nearly always paid less than the Americans – but as the global war for talent heats up, is lower remuneration costing the UK a competitive edge? Read more: Could US-style 1,000% bonuses be heading to the City? Jaw-dropping salaries put top AI talent out of reach for UK unicorns Presenters: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Executive Producer: Miriam Hall Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, two successful young UK founders joined The Business - venture capitalist Harry Stebbings, who founded 20VC and Amy knight, whose company Must Have Ideas sells home cleaning products. Both have a full in-office policy, believing it is best for their companies, and the only way for their staff to thrive. In this bonus episode, we talk about why they believe "in-office" is the best, and only way to go. Presenter Guests: Producer: Miriam Hall Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Sunday Times Young Power List drops today: 30 of the nation’s most inspiring, influential people who are under the age of 30. On this episode, we’re speaking to two members of the next generation of British business talent about taking a leap, building a company in your early twenties– and what it’s like to launch a venture in the UK today. Is age a barrier to forming a business? Is university degree a waste of time? And is a commitment to hustle culture imperative to making something of your outfit? Read more: The Young Power List 2026 Five successful entrepreneurs share how they made it without a degree Presenter Guests: Producer: Miriam Hall Executive Producer: Kate Ford Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With stock prices and energy costs reeling as the fragile Middle East ceasefire threatens to shatter, we ask what happens next for global business? And what has the conflict taught us about long-term weaknesses in the British economy? Presenters: Guests: Producer: Hope Federico Producer: Miriam Hall Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New week, the government’s Employment Rights Act begins to take effect. The legislation, a fulfillment of one of Labour’s biggest manifesto promises, changes sick pay, parental leave and unfair dismissal rights. Plus, future measures will target zero hours contracts. Keir Starmer has described the legislation as the “biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation”. But - coming on top of increases in the National Minimum Wage, higher national insurance contributions and increases in business rates - many business owners are concerned. So, what exactly is coming down the track? And how can businesses get ready? Presenters: Guests: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the conflict in the Middle East threatens to whack the world economy with an energy shock - and possibly a huge recession, the debate about the UK’s North Sea has re-ignited. Should we be drilling there to help our energy security in a volatile global market? There’s now a growing chorus of voices, from surprising places, calling on the government to support more North Sea exploration. So, will the government – having banned new licenses as part of net zero drive – now give them the go ahead? Presenters: Guests: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drones are transforming war, from Ukraine to the Middle East - some 80 percent of battlefield casualties in Ukraine are now the result of drone strikes. The devices are cheap to manufacture, are transforming military strategy but represent a massive challenge for the British armed forces as they try to modernise. It is also a business challenge. So, which companies are best-placed to make the drones needed? And how do they get through the complexities of tight budgets, ever-changing technology and tough competition? Presenters: Guests: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the UK is a breeding ground for brilliant ideas, very few start-ups ever reach "supersize" status. So what are the hurdles preventing British companies from joining the £50M+ revenue club? This week we consider a new report from the Scale-up Institute about female-founded businesses which shows that it may not just be about the funding. Presenters: Guests: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The attack on Iran and its consequences have sent shockwaves around the global economy, hitting stock markets, airlines and energy supplies. UK gas prices have nearly doubled and the flow of a fifth of the world’s crude oil supply - which travels through the Strait of Hormuz in tankers - has largely ground to a halt. As the ripple effect is felt across the world, how harsh will the economic fallout be, will inflation - only just under control - rise? And, with gas and oil stores in Europe limited, might there be a major energy shock ahead? Presenters: Guest: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of The Business is sponsored by PwC. It was recorded before the recent attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. At Davos this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke of “a rupture in the world order”. And ahead of the Munich Security Conference, Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State described “a new era of geopolitics”. What does that new era look like for business? What are the tensions, the traps and the opportunities to look out for? In this special bonus episode of The Business, Marco Amitrano, Senior Partner PwC UK and Middle East and Lord Gavin Barwell, former Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Theresa May, discuss business resilience in an unstable world. Guests Hosts: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quantum computing has been described as “the next big thing “ - a tech revolution to rival AI that could have implications across sectors as diverse as finance, chemicals, life sciences and manufacturing. This cutting-edge tech - which uses quantum physics to solve problems much faster than today’s regular computers - is already being used by HSBC. The bank has trialled IBM’s quantum technology in trading. Over the past few decades the government has been investing heavily in quantum, and many start-ups have spun out of UK universities. We speak to one UK company that is scaling up, Quantum Motion, to ask - how long it will be before this tech sees a breakthrough on the scale of AI? What is the commercial potential and, as some have suggested, will it break the blockchain? Presenters: Guest: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making money out of airlines is tough. Warren Buffett once said if he had a time machine he would go back and shoot the Wright Brothers. Luis Gallego made his mark turning around the Spanish airline Iberia and in 2020 he got the top job at International Airlines Group, parent company of Aer Lingus, Iberia, Vueling and British Airways. So how do you run an airline, how did covid supercharge our love of travel and how can Luis navigate the possible development of a third runway at Heathrow - Britain’s biggest airport. Presenters: Guest: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The numbers behind YouTube juggernaut The Sidemen - the seven-strong collective often referred to as the UK’s answer to MrBeast - are nothing short of staggering. What began as a group of friends playing Grand Theft Auto as a hobby and uploading it online is now a nine-figure empire spanning multiple channels, merchandise, a fried chicken chain, a vodka brand and a netflix reality show. The official YouTube channel has more than 22 million subscribers. So, what has driven their stratospheric growth? Jordan Schwarzenberger, CEO of management and venture company Arcade, has managed the group for the last five years and joins the Business to talk over the strategy behind its online presence - and what businesses and individuals can learn from their success. He walks through his career trajectory, the booming creator industry, and why content remains so overlooked in company and career development. Presenters: Guest: Producer: Miriam Hall Senior Producer: Julia Johnson Executive Producer: Kate Ford Photo credit: Getty Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.