The International Risk Podcast

The International Risk Podcast with Tzvi GottliebIn this episode, Dominic Bowen and Tzvi Gottlieb examine the intersection of war, politics and national security in Israel, asking how domestic political pressures are shaping decisions over Iran, Gaza and the wider Middle East. From Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future and Israel’s confrontation with Iran to the resilience of Israeli democratic institutions and the country’s increasingly strained relationship with the United States, the conversation explores the strategic risks facing Israel at a pivotal moment for the country and the region.We discuss:- Whether Israeli domestic politics are influencing decisions over war and national security- Israel’s confrontation with Iran and what “finishing the job” could realistically mean- Why regime change in Iran would be extraordinarily difficult to achieve- Benjamin Netanyahu’s political incentives and the approaching Israeli elections- The resilience of Israel’s democratic and political institutions- How Israeli politics have changed during Netanyahu’s long period in power- The relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump- Why changing American attitudes towards Israel could pose a major strategic risk- Whether Israel risks weakening its most important international relationship- Gaza, the West Bank and the prospects for a two-state solution- The political power of Israel’s settler movement and changing Israeli demographics- How the conflict could reshape the balance of power across the Middle East- What Israel and the wider region could look like five years from nowAbout the guest:Tzvi Gottlieb is a political consultant and former communications director for the Israeli government. He is also a former Arab affairs correspondent for Galei Tzahal (IDF Radio) and a former lobbyist for Shatil – The New Israel Fund. He has written for Haaretz, Globes and other Israeli media outlets, and brings extensive experience across Israeli politics, government, media and public affairs.About the host:Dominic Bowen is Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. He advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives on crisis management, geopolitical risk, operational resilience, and strategy, drawing on decades of experience across government, humanitarian operations, and corporate leadership.See more at www.theinternationalriskpodcast.comTell us what you liked!

In Episode 399 of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic and Craig examine the real economics of artificial intelligence: how CFOs should measure AI returns, when automation becomes job displacement, why agentic workflows are changing competitive advantage, and how AI is becoming a geopolitical and governance challenge.They discuss:- How CFOs can distinguish durable AI value from hype- Why some companies are cutting headcount while others avoid new hiring- The shift from AI experimentation to operational agentic workflows- Competition and regulation across the United States, Europe and China- How professionals can future-proof their careers- Mass employment change, taxation and pressure on the middle class- Who captures the profits when machines replace human work- Shrinking business moats, talent risk and AI dependency- Defence, data centres, energy, water and international riskWhat concerns you most: job displacement, concentrated profits, weak governance or geopolitical competition? Share your view in the comments.Listen to and follow The International Risk PodcastThe International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Craig Unsworth is a Portfolio Chief Product Officer and senior adviser who works with private-equity firms and their portfolio companies. His work focuses on product strategy, transformation, growth and agentic AI.Craig's website: https://www.craigunsworth.com/Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Subscribe for expert conversations on geopolitics, security, economics, conflict, resilience and global affairs.Podcast Chapters00:00 AI value, jobs and risk00:22 How CFOs should measure AI returns01:50 AI productivity, layoffs and fewer new hires04:14 From experiments to agentic workflows06:14 AI geopolitics: America, Europe and China08:39 How to future-proof your career11:07 The AI tools and workflows leaders overlook14:57 The cost of waiting to adopt AI18:47 Who captures the gains from automation?23:14 Who should govern AI?23:34 Shrinking business moats and hidden risks26:27 Defence, resources and data-centre risk29:08 The leadership skills businesses need now29:46 Closing thoughts#ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #Geopolitics #AITell us what you liked!

In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Simeon de Brouwer, policy advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi), Europe’s largest network of digital rights organisations. Simeon explains the controversial EU proposal known as “Chat Control” and explores what mandatory scanning of private communications could mean for encryption, privacy, security and child protection across Europe.We discuss:What the EU’s Chat Control proposal would actually require messaging and hosting platforms to scan for child sexual abuse material and groomingWhy scanning everyone’s private communications raises fundamental questions about the presumption of innocence and proportionalityHow client-side scanning could affect end-to-end encryption on services such as WhatsApp and SignalThe risks of false positives, including innocent communications being flagged, accounts being suspended and private material being reviewed by authoritiesWhy mass scanning could create opportunities for “function creep”, allowing surveillance infrastructure introduced for child protection to be expanded to terrorism, organised crime or political dissentWhy encryption is essential not only for ordinary users, but also for journalists, human rights defenders and businessesHow criminals can adapt their behaviour to evade automated detection, potentially leaving the most sophisticated perpetrators beyond the reach of the technologyThe tension between privacy and child safety, and why EDRi argues that the two do not have to be mutually exclusiveWhat alternative approaches could better protect children online, including addressing how platforms enable adults to find and contact young peopleWhere negotiations over Chat Control currently stand, and what could happen as the European Parliament, Council and European Commission continue negotiationsWhy Simeon is concerned about Europe’s broader push to simplify digital regulation, and the risk that weakening protections in the name of innovation could ultimately create new security and privacy risksThe International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!

In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Dr. Holly Bell, economist, former professor and academic administrator at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and author of the geopolitical novel Occupied Alaska. Holly shares the real events that inspired her book, drawing on her own work opposing a proposed $43 billion Chinese-backed gas pipeline deal in Alaska, and explains why economic dependence on foreign capital, technology and infrastructure can constrain a nation's sovereignty just as effectively as military force.We discuss:How a 2017 agreement between Alaska and a Chinese state-linked company for a $43 billion LNG project became the basis for a speculative novel about foreign occupationWhy economically unviable infrastructure deals can still attract foreign investment, and what predatory lending terms reveal about the true intent behind themHow debt-trap dynamics that have played out in Sri Lanka and Djibouti could realistically unfold within a U.S. stateThe accumulation risk of individually rational investments in energy, agriculture and finance, and how they can combine into a national security threatWhy Alaska's abundance of rare earths, oil, gas and proximity to Russia make it strategically indispensable, and strategically vulnerableThe structural disadvantage democracies face when competing against authoritarian states that plan in decades rather than election cyclesHow economic leverage translates into political influence, from campaign financing to land use regulationWhat current developments, including foreign interest in U.S. data infrastructure, reveal about where these risks are heading nextThe International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!

In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Stephanie Wolters about security, governance, and stability across the Democratic Republic of Congo. Stephanie Wolters unpacks why the DRC cannot be ignored, and why the roots of the conflict stretch far beyond its own borders.The discussion examines the international intervention in DRC, including MONUSCO, and what daily life actually looks like for communities living under armed group control. It also explores Rwanda's influence in the crisis.The conversation explores: -The regionally-driven roots of the conflict and why it's about power more than resources-Rwanda's role in the crisis-The impact and limits of international intervention on the ground-What daily life is actually like for communities in areas controlled by armed groups-The challenge of managing outbreaks like Ebola in conflict-affected areasStephanie Wolters is a Senior Research Fellow at the South African Institute of International Affairs and founding director of Okapi Consulting, with over 25 years of experience researching conflict and political economy across the Great Lakes region.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage. Subscribe for new episodes every week Tell us what you liked in the comments belowShare this episode with colleagues in risk, policy, and security #Geopolitics #DRC #GreatLakes #MONUSCO #Congo #Rwanda #PoliticalRisk #InternationalRisk #Strategy #AfricaTell us what you liked!

In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Kirtan Pandit, conservation researcher and co-founder of GeoSutra, an environmental intelligence company whose team deployed drones within 24 hours of the catastrophic Nepal flood to carry out rapid damage assessments in Nuwakot district. Kirtan shares a firsthand account of the disaster response, drawing on his work using drones to assess and deliver aid to flood affected communities, and explains why this event, and Nepal's growing exposure to glacial hazards, must be understood as a climate risk issue with global implications.We discuss:What triggered the flood, and how a glacier collapse near the Nepal-China border unleashed one of the deadliest disasters in Nepal's modern historyHow GeoSutra's team accessed the affected area and used drones to assess damage and deliver aid across a river with no remaining crossingsThe scale of destruction to critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, the Rasuwagadhi border crossing and hydropower stationsThe ongoing search for workers trapped in a hydropower tunnel and the mounting challenge of managing the deadWhy the flood is directly linked to climate change and global warming's effect on Himalayan glaciersThe limitations of Nepal's current early warning systems and what stronger, climate resilient infrastructure would requireWhy Nepal and other low emitting mountainous nations are demanding climate finance and loss and damage funding as grants rather than loansWhat this disaster reveals about the growing risk facing mountain communities across the Himalayas and beyondThe International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!

In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Vincent Maitre, Swiss lawyer and political representative in Switzerland's National Council. Vincent examines Switzerland’s changing political and economic landscape and explains what the country’s controversial 10 million referendum reveals about immigration, housing, direct democracy, and political stability. Drawing on his experience as a Swiss National Councillor and lawyer in Geneva, he explores the tensions between population growth and economic competitiveness, the role of consensus politics, and why Switzerland’s approach to democracy and neutrality matters in a rapidly changing Europe.We discuss:Why Switzerland’s system of direct democracy has endured and how referendums shape political decision-makingWhat the 10 million referendum reveals about public concerns over immigration, housing, infrastructure, and quality of lifeWhy Switzerland remains dependent on foreign workers despite growing concerns about population growthHow housing shortages, regulation, and lengthy planning processes are affecting Swiss citiesWhy consensus politics and compromise have helped make Switzerland politically and economically stableHow Switzerland balances military neutrality, international sanctions, and its wider moral and diplomatic responsibilitiesWhy Europe needs greater cooperation and solidarity as global power becomes increasingly competitiveThe risks of major powers losing their ability to negotiate, communicate, and work togetherThis is a timely conversation on Swiss direct democracy, immigration, political stability, European cooperation, neutrality, and the changing nature of geopolitical risk.The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen hosts The International Risk Podcast and is Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!

In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen is joined by Tal Kollender, former military cyber specialist, cybersecurity expert, and CEO of Remedio. Tal explores the rapidly evolving cyber risk landscape and explains why businesses must rethink cybersecurity as a strategic and geopolitical risk—not simply an IT problem. Drawing on her experience working with global enterprises and at the intersection of cybersecurity, operational resilience, and geopolitical risk, she examines how nation-state attacks, AI, zero-day vulnerabilities, configuration drift, and increasingly autonomous AI tools are changing the threat landscape.We discuss:Why geopolitical tensions and hybrid warfare are increasingly reaching into businesses, supply chains, networks, and cloud infrastructureHow nation-state attackers differ from conventional cybercriminals and why their objective can be to disrupt or control critical functionalityWhy organisations are still fighting 2026 cyber threats with a 2010 security mindsetHow AI is changing the balance between attackers and defenders, including the growing challenge of zero-day vulnerabilitiesWhy visibility and detection are not enough, and why businesses need to prioritise proactive, machine-speed remediationThe emerging risks of AI agents, shadow AI, risky MCPs, malicious skills, and uncontrolled access to business systemsWhy cyber resilience needs to account for persistent, cascading, and politically motivated attacks rather than treating incidents as isolated eventsWhat boards and executives should be asking about cyber risk, AI governance, resilience, and remediationWhy “hope is not a strategy” when organisations are facing an accelerating cyber threat landscapeThe International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical instability and organised crime to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter.Dominic Bowen hosts The International Risk Podcast and is Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage.Tell us what you liked!

The International Risk Podcast with Lucy WarkIn this episode, we explore how artificial intelligence is actually reshaping labour markets, not the headline version where everyone loses their job overnight, but the messier, still-unfolding reality visible in the data so far. We break down what economists mean when they say a job is "exposed" to AI, why that word gets misread as a prediction of job loss, and why the real question isn't whether AI is powerful but whether it's being used to replace workers or make them more productive. From junior employees in software engineering and customer support to freelancers on gig platforms, we look at who is actually losing ground right now, and what career strategies still hold up in a labour market being rewritten in real time.We discuss:Why "AI exposure" doesn't mean what most headlines imply, and the real difference between automation and augmentationWhy we're still in the "first innings" of understanding AI's impact on labour marketsThe five things to track separately: capability, exposure, adoption, economic impact, and people impactWhy adoption of AI tools is "a puddle, not an ocean," despite near-universal awarenessWhy AI's economic impact is still barely visible in GDP, productivity, and wage statisticsThe "canaries in the coal mine": emerging evidence that junior workers in AI-exposed fields are already losing employment"Seniorization" — why entry-level roles increasingly expect mid-level outputEarly signs of decline in freelance marketplaces, and why freelancers may be hit firstWhich career strategies, like corporate ladder-climbing and credentialism, no longer hold upWhat's replacing them: platform building, proximity, and leverageWhat AI is doing to critical thinking, and how educators are respondingHow Lucy Wark uses AI in her own research and writing process, and where she still insists on doing the work herselfAbout the guest: Lucy Wark is a former McKinsey consultant and serial entrepreneur, co-founder of career-skills company Fuzzy and sexual wellness brand Normal. She writes the Substack series How Not To Lose Your Job, which examines the evidence behind AI's impact on labour markets and recommends career strategies for building an AI-resilient career. She studied Politics, Psychology and Sociology at Cambridge and Social Science at the University of Chicago. In this conversation, Lucy draws on labour market research and her own experience coaching career strategy to break down what's actually happening in the data, and what individuals should do about it.Lucy's Substack: https://lucywark.substack.com/About the host: Dominic Bowen is Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. He advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives on crisis management, geopolitical risk, operational resilience, and strategy, drawing on decades of experience across government, humanitarian operations, and corporate leadership.🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week 💬 Tell us what you thought in the comments below 📩 Share this episode with colleagues thinking about AI, careers, and the future of workSee more at www.theinternationalriskpodcast.com#AI #FutureOfWork #LabourMarket #CareerStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #Careers #Employment #Automation #WorkplaceTrends #BusinessRisk #RiskManagement #InternationalRiskPodcastTell us what you liked!

The International Risk Podcast with Federico SaleriIn this episode, we explore how Europe’s rapidly changing security environment is reshaping the risks facing businesses, why geopolitical disruption can no longer be treated as a temporary shock, and how companies can build resilience against an increasingly unpredictable threat landscape. From Russia’s war in Ukraine and hybrid warfare to sabotage, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and supply-chain disruption, geopolitical risk is increasingly something boards and executive teams must actively prepare for and govern.We discuss:- How Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has transformed the risk environment for European businesses- Why geopolitical shocks are becoming persistent operating conditions rather than exceptional events- Russia’s hybrid and grey-zone activity across Europe- Sabotage, critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and the growing threat to European companies- Which sectors are most exposed, including energy, logistics, telecommunications, transport and defence- Why businesses can be affected even when they are not directly targeted- What companies can learn from the preparedness of Finland and the Baltic states- Who should own geopolitical risk within an organisation- How boards and executives can use scenario planning and exercises to prepare for high-impact events- How businesses can build greater resilience in an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment- The international risks that concern Federico Saleri mostAbout the guest:Federico Saleri is Associate Director in the European Geopolitical and Country Risk team at Control Risks, where he advises organisations on geopolitical and security risks across Europe. His work includes helping multinational companies understand emerging threats, assess geopolitical scenarios and strengthen their preparedness for disruption. In this conversation, Federico draws on his work with businesses across Europe to examine how organisations are responding to hybrid threats, geopolitical volatility and the growing demands of corporate resilience.About the host:Dominic Bowen is Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. He advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives on crisis management, geopolitical risk, operational resilience, and strategy, drawing on decades of experience across government, humanitarian operations, and corporate leadership.🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week💬 Tell us what you thought in the comments below📩 Share this episode with colleagues working in international business, geopolitics, security, risk management, and corporate strategySee more at www.theinternationalriskpodcast.com#Geopolitics #GeopoliticalRisk #Europe #Ukraine #Russia #HybridWarfare #BusinessRisk #RiskManagement #BusinessResilience #CriticalInfrastructure #CorporateSecurity #InternationalBusiness #InternationalRiskPodcastTell us what you liked!