

The International Risk Podcast
Dominic Bowen
Welcome to The International Risk Podcast — the premier destination for high-level insights into global risk dynamics. Hosted by Dominic Bowen, an accomplished senior advisor, each episode delivers expert analysis and actionable intelligence on today’s most pressing international risks. From geopolitical tensions and economic upheavals to cybersecurity threats and environmental challenges, we bring clarity to the complex risks shaping our world.Tailored for CEOs, Board Members, senior managers, and risk professionals, our weekly episodes are essential listening for those making strategic decisions in volatile environments. With distinguished guests from diverse sectors and geographies — including renowned industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders — we provide a multidimensional perspective, equipping you with insights to stay ahead of emerging threats and capitalize on new opportunities.Our host, Dominic Bowen, is a senior business leader, and Partner at 2Secure where he is Head of Strategic Advisory and leads a team of senior management consultants and advisors.Join us for engaging, thought-provoking conversations that go beyond the headlines. Stay informed, stay ahead, and transform the way you perceive and manage international risks. The International Risk Podcast is not just a podcast; it’s is crucial listening for today's leaders.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 9, 2024 • 32min
Ep 171: Copper with Colin Bennett and Krisztina Kalman
The recent thriving in the copper industry is not a surprise. With the high demand in the green energy transition, EV boom production, and Al development which requires copper in its semiconductor production, copper has become one of the most strategically important metals of the century. Top producers of copper are developing world states with unstable domestic situations, such as Peru or the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some of these producers pose a threat to U.S. national interests, such as China, leading to economic or trade wars and instability in the business sector. Additionally, countries like Russia, involved in open military conflict with its neighbour and heavily sanctioned by other states, complicate the landscape. Colin Bennett is an experienced industry and market researcher, a senior and successful leader with many years of combined industry, consulting, communications and management practice. Colin has experience in building and leading teams, and creating highly professional and performing departments. Colin has a proven ability to inspire, build and manage, and with a unique mix of expertise and entrepreneurial spirit. Colin’s expert metal is Copper!Krisztina Kalman is the Director of MM Markets an international management consultancy providing strategy, commercial and technical consulting services for the metals, mining and materials sectors. Krisztina has gathered over 20 years of expertise in strategy and management consulting. Her commodity focus has been copper, nickel, aluminium, chromium, steel, gold, PGMs and diamonds. She developed and led a number of relevant projects for clients including several mining majors, metal producers, junior mining companies, investors, and sector bodies. She has a Bachelor degree from the University of Cologne, Germany, and an MBA from NYU Stern Business School New York, USA. The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international relations. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests around the world to discuss international risk. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Tell us what you liked!

Sep 2, 2024 • 54min
Ep 170: Navigating the Role of UN in the Hamas-Israel War
Rosa Freedman is the inaugural Professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. She received her LLB, LLM and PhD from the University of London, and is a non-practising barrister and member of theHonourable Society of Gray’s Inn. Freedman’s research focuses on the UN and human rights. She has published extensively on UN human rights bodies and systems, and on UN peacekeeping and accountability for human rights abuses. Her published work includes three monographs, five co-edited collections, and articles in the leading international law journals, as well as policy reports commissioned by national and regional bodies and parliaments. She is a visiting fellow at the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. Freedman has served as a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Civil Society Advisory Board on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, a Specialist Adviser on safeguarding to the UK government International Development Committee, and currently sits on a UK FCDO Steering Committee.The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international relations. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests around the world to discuss international risk. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Tell us what you liked!

Aug 28, 2024 • 27min
Ep 169: Israeli and Lebanese Relations with Rabbi Poupko
The conflict between Israel and Lebanon is not new. Here, the recent developments between Israel and Lebanon are discussed with Rabbi Poupko. We delve into Hezbollah and its relation to Lebanon as well as how citizens and businesses can equip themselves regarding the escalation between Israel and Lebanon at their border. Rabbi Elchanan Poupko is an eleventh-generation rabbi, the founding editor of The Lamdan (which is the Wilf Campus Torah Journal) and he is the President of EITAN. Moreover, he is part of the American Israeli Jewish Network, and has been an outspoken supporter of bipartisanship and a strong supporter of the state of Israel. Rabbi Poupko has written dozens of publications on matters relating to politics, religion, and Israel. He holds Master’s degree in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University, and is also a member of the Rabbinical Council of America.The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international relations. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Tell us what you liked!

Aug 27, 2024 • 43min
Ep 168: Iran and the Atlantic Council with Jonathan Panikoff
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international relations. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests around the world to discuss international risk. Many of our recent guests have posited that we are witnessing the rise of a new ‘axis of evil’ in international relations, forming between Russia, China, and Iran. Whilst Russia and China are rarely out of the mainstream media, Iran’s role in this rising anti-west military and ideological front remains more nuanced. Whilst the death of President Raisi on May 19th, and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas have brought Iran into the news more, many questions still go unanswered, and more importantly, unasked. That is why we are thrilled to have been joined by Johnathan Panikoff today. Jonathan Panikoff is the director of the Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Program. A former career US intelligence officer, who served as the deputy national intelligence officer for the Near East at the National Intelligence Council (NIC) from 2015 to 2020. Jonathan Panikoff's Linked In and Atlantic Council pages.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Tell us what you liked!

Jun 10, 2024 • 44min
Ep 167: Exploring the Coups in Africa with Professor Nic Cheeseman
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international risk. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Since the 1950s, there have been at least 106 coups in Africa, and even more unsuccessful attempts.In recent years, Africa has been marked by a series of political upheavals, with coups emerging as a recurring theme across the continent. Coups in Gabon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, Mali, Sudan, and several other countries have shaken the continent and raised fears of inspiring and emboldening military groups in neighbouring states. These coups reflect a complex interplay of historical legacies, socio-economic challenges, political dynamics unique to each country, as well as a significant number of international risks. Frustrations over corruption, economic inequality, and governance failures have often fuelled popular discontent, providing fertile ground for military or civilian actors to seize power through force and to tell us more about this worrying trend, and the risks associated with it, we are thrilled to be joined by Professor Nic Cheeseman.Nic is Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham, and the Director of the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR). He was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. Dr Cheeseman mainly works on democracy, elections and development, including a range of topics including election rigging, political campaigning, corruption, “fake news”, and presidential rule.Tell us what you liked!

Jun 3, 2024 • 34min
Ep 166: The Failures of the Rwanda Bill, EU Migration Policies, and the Geopolitics of Libya with Tarek Megerisi
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international risk. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Recently, we heard from Mireia Faro Sarrats, and we had a fascinating discussion about Europe's externalisation of its refugees, and the UK’s recently passed Rwanda Bill. Under this bill any asylum seeker entering the UK ‘illegally’, from a ‘safe’ country, such as France, could be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there rather than in the UK. If these claims were successful, they could be granted refugee status and allowed to stay in Rwanda. If not, they could apply to settle in Rwanda on other grounds or seek asylum in another safe third country. Today, we are thrilled to be able to continue the discussions surrounding this controversial bill with Tarek Megerisi Tarek Megerisi is a senior policy fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His work mainly addresses how European policymaking towards the Maghreb and Mediterranean regions can become more strategic, harmonious, and incisive – with a long-term focus on Libya.Read some of Tarek's latest article on Rwanda here.Tell us what you liked!

May 27, 2024 • 29min
Ep 165: The Rwanda Bill and the Externalisation of EU Migration Policies with Mireia Faro Sarrats
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international risk. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Recent statistics show the UK’s migration is at a record high. In April 2022, the British government stated that any asylum seeker entering the UK ‘illegally’, from a ‘safe’ country, such as France, could be sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there rather than in the UK. If these claims were successful, they could be granted refugee status and allowed to stay in Rwanda. If not, they could apply to settle in Rwanda on other grounds or seek asylum in another safe third country. Despite being deemed unlawful by the UK Supreme Court in November 2023 as a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, the safety of Rwanda Bill was passed on April 22nd of this year, meaning the first deportation flight to Rwanda could take off as early as July 1st. Now this bill remains extremely contentious with many experts claiming the bill is doomed for failure. We are thrilled to be joined by one of these experts today, Mireia Faro SarratsMireia Faro Sarrats is the communications officer at the European Council on Foreign Relations.Previously, she worked as a communications officer at the European Institute of the Mediterranean, a public affairs officer at the United States Consulate General in Barcelona, and in the communications department of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights in Vienna.She holds a BA degree in journalism from the Universitat Ramon Llull – Blanquerna and an MA in human rights, democracy and globalisation, from the Open University of Catalunya.Read her latest article about Rwanda.Tell us what you liked!

May 20, 2024 • 43min
Ep 164: Social Media, Misinformation, and the Risks to Elections in 2024 with Professor Leticia Bode
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international risk. Our host is Dominic Bowen is Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.As we heard from Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, misinformation is a growing problem both in everyday life, and particularly in the political sphere. With more than 2 billion participating in democratic processes this year, it is indisputable that the risks of misinformation are higher than ever; and nowhere will this be more evident than in the upcoming US presidential elections. To discuss the risks of misinformation in the US elections, as well as its impacts on the United States more broadly, we are really pleased to welcome Professor Leticia Bode to the podcast today. Professor Bode is an associate professor in the Communication, Culture, and Technology master’s program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and her bachelor’s degree from Trinity University. Her work lies at the intersection of communication, technology, and political behaviour, emphasizing the role communication and information technologies may play in the acquisition and use of political information. This covers a wide area, including projects looking at incidental exposure to political information on social media, effects of exposure to political comedy, use of social media by political elites, selective exposure and political engagement in new media, and the changing nature of political socialization given the modern media environment. Work on these subjects has appeared in Journal of Communication, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, New Media and Society, Mass Communication and Society, Journal of Information Technology and Politics, and Information, Communication, and Society, and other journals. She also sits on the editorial boards of Journal of Information Technology and Politics, and Social Media + Society. Tell us what you liked!

May 13, 2024 • 52min
Ep 163: Exploring the Crisis in Haiti with Professor Rosa Freedman
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.At the International Risk Podcast, we aim to highlight key risks and global issues from all over the world, particularly those that fall through the cracks of mainstream media; and today’s podcast is no different. Since 2010, earthquake, Haiti has been the site of an ongoing crisis. At various points, key moments have broken through into global media — such as the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the latest devastating earthquake, both of which took place within weeks of each other during the summer of 2021 — and more recent events about escalating gang violence in the capital of Port-au-Prince.However, there is much more at stake beyond the headlines, and the burden of this protracted crisis is being felt by Haiti’s most vulnerable citizens, 5.5 million of whom require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Despite the increased needs, humanitarian funding has lagged for years, creating even more dire circumstances. To help us unpack this ongoing and enormously under reported crisis, we are privileged to be joined by Professor Rosa FreedmanRosa Freedman is the inaugural Professor of Law, Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. She received her LLB, LLM and PhD from the University of London, and is a non-practising barrister and member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. Her research focuses on the UN, human rights, and international law. She has published extensively on UN human rights bodies and systems, and on UN peacekeeping and accountability for human rights abuses.Tell us what you liked!

May 9, 2024 • 46min
Ep 162: Russia's Global Positioning, The EU, NATO, and What Happens After the War with Oleg Ignatov
The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with risk management specialists from around the world. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk management consulting firms. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests from around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.We have spoken about Russia a lot so far on the international risk podcast, from its ongoing aggression in Ukraine, to the Presidential elections in March, to most recently discussing Russia’s current position within Europe, and the risks this poses to both state actors and businesses. Today, we will continue this discussion, extrapolating Russia's european positioning to a global one; and to join us in this discussion, it is a pleasure to welcome Oleg Ignatov onto the international risk podcastAs Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Russia, Oleg Ignatov focuses on the country’s domestic affairs as well as Moscow’s role in conflicts around the world. Oleg has previously worked as a leading expert at the Center for Current Policy in Moscow, as a political consultant, and in various roles at the United Russia party. He also holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Moscow State University. He specialises in Russia’s foreign and domestic policy, Russian elites, Russian policy and conflicts in the post-Soviet space, and Russian-Ukrainian relations.Tell us what you liked!