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Heads Talk ®

Elaine Pringle Schwitter

Heads Talk® is a top 0.5% global executive podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with FTSE 100 and S&P 500 CEOs, C-Suite executives, diplomats, policymakers, academics, strategists, and leaders of global institutions.


Each episode examines the nexus rerum of boardrooms and statecraft, where corporate strategy, geopolitics, and global markets converge, and where decisions carry real-world consequence.


Through direct dialogue with the heads of leading multinational organisations, Heads Talk® offers a rare, unfiltered perspective on the forces shaping business, finance, technology, and world affairs.


Featured guests include executive Heads from organisations such as Alphabet, AWS, Boeing, Deloitte, EY, HSBC, IBM, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Pfizer, Salesforce, Shell, Siemens, UBS, Verizon, Zurich Insurance, and many many more.


Enter the room:Become #AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall #AFlyOnTheCabinetRoomWall


#HeadsTalk

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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 3 min
  • English

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Episodes 22

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  • #284
    April 30 · 1 hr 45 min

    284 - Simon Evenett, Professor, Co-Chair: Power Series, IMD - The Great Upheaval

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇨🇭The Great Upheaval🇬🇧 We kickstart the new series on Heads Talk® with a guest I’ve been wanting on the show for quite some time — and it was absolutely worth the wait. This is also the longest episode we’ve recorded, yet it felt anything but. Early morning recording, sharp thinking, and a conversation packed with insight from start to finish. I’m joined by Simon J. Evenett, Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy at IMD and one of the foremost experts on international trade and investment. Known for cutting through the gap between theory and reality, Simon has spent decades advising governments, global firms, and institutions on navigating economic and geopolitical complexity. This episode sets the tone for the series:- candid, hard-hitting, direct, unfiltered., leaving no stones unturned. We unpack what Simon describes as The Great Upheaval: a world where the narrative of open markets collides with the reality of state-driven strategy, where assumptions about globalisation, risk, and economic order are being rewritten in real time. A strong opening to the series and one that delivers clarity, challenge, and more than a few lines worth revisiting for soundbites. Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment Topics Covered: ◽️ Everyone talks about open markets… but what if they were never truly open? ◽️ The widening gap between global trade rhetoric and reality ◽️ From hidden protectionism to overt economic confrontation ◽️ “Liberation Day” tariffs: a turning point in modern trade dynamics ◽️ Why the “level playing field” is more aspiration than reality ◽️ The growing entanglement between governments and global firms ◽️ Weaponisation of interdependence:- finance, supply chains, and technology ◽️ Fragility in global systems: risk, resilience, and strategic blind spots ◽️ AI, employment, and the future economic settlement ◽️ The end of specialisation - entering The Great Upheaval So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peach Soda Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 ⛔️Listen to this episode's Heads Talk - The Analysis here Episode Sponsored by ◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 Journal of International Business Policy here ABOUT THE HOST #AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall #HTPowerSeries #HeadsTalkPodcast Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at info@elainepringle.com

  • #283
    April 13 · 1 hr 2 min

    283 - Geoffrey Williams, IH: Howlett Brown - Workplace Culture as a Misunderstood Force

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see HeadsTalk Monday Audiograms on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇬🇧Workplace Culture as a Misunderstood Force🇬🇧 Everyone claims culture matters… until it starts challenging how things really work Before we kickstart the brand new series on Heads Talk® (coming soon...) , we bring you a special episode today. I had an insightful & wide-ranging conversation with my guest on one of the most talked-about yet often misunderstood elements of modern organisations: Culture. Not just what it is, but how it forms, how it shifts, and whether it can ever truly be engineered or “bottled” in a meaningful way. Geoffrey Williams is a cultural strategist and leadership advisor with over 25 years of global experience across business, fashion, media, and social impact. Having held senior roles at organisations including Burberry, Dr. Martens, and Thomson Reuters, he has worked closely with C-suite leaders to navigate reputation, talent, and organisational alignment, helping them rethink culture as a driver of performance, resilience, and long-term value. In this conversation, we step back from the noise and look at the fundamentals: how culture shapes decision-making, why organisations struggle to align strategy with reality, and what it takes to build environments where people and performance can genuinely thrive. A thoughtful, grounded discussion with practical insight and just enough challenge to reframe how you see the organisations you lead or work within. Topics Covered: ◽️The uncomfortable truth about culture: what organisations say vs what actually happens ◽️Why strategy often looks good on paper but breaks down in practice ◽️Culture as an invisible force shaping decisions, behaviour, and outcomes ◽️The illusion of alignment and why most organisations are more fragmented than they think ◽️Are we losing the human edge in the pursuit of efficiency and scale? ◽️Reputation in the age of transparency: can organisations really hide anymore? ◽️Leadership blind spots: the unintended consequences of decisions at the top ◽️Profit vs responsibility: where should the line really be drawn? ◽️The next generation ready for the workplace, or walking into a system that isn’t ready for them? Sponsored Episode ABOUT THE HOST #HeadsTalk Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedIn Website Twitter Email at info@elainepringle.com

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