The Bottom Line
BBC Radio 4
The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how their businesses work, and what it’s like to be in charge. They discuss a big issue, a big challenge, or a big question facing their industry. From managing AI to managing millennials, from supermarkets to supercharging a new product.And our guests will share their stories of success and failure along the way. Podcasts are published every Thursday. And as well as being a podcast, we are also available every Thursday afternoon and Tuesday evening on BBC Radio 4. You can now also listen to The Bottom Line on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Bottom Line”. It works on most smart speakers.The Bottom Line has published a spin off series - Decisions That Made Me - where Evan asks entrepreneurs and business leaders about the most crucial moments in their lives and careers. You can watch these episodes here: https://t.ly/oJ8lW. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with Evan and the team on email at bottomline@bbc.co.uk.The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University and is an EcoAudio certified production.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 6, 2015 • 28min
Financial Engineering
What does a financial engineer do? A mechanical engineer may design a machine, one that does a task or overcomes an obstacle, but what problems does modern finance solve? Can the clever manipulation of debt, equity or derivatives, really make human beings better off? Some think finance is a bit of a racket, designed to extract money from the enterprise of others; others think modern finance is a miracle that can create value from nothing. Evan Davis and guests try to get to the bottom of this argument on this week's The Bottom Line.Guests:John Kay - Economist and writer
Jessica James - Head of the FX Quantative Solutions Group, Commerzbank
Jon Moulton - Founder, Better Capital.
Nov 5, 2015 • 28min
Fast Fashion
From the design desk to the shop window, how do fast fashion brands deliver the latest trends in double-quick time? Evan Davis and guests discuss fabric, factories and a nimble supply chain. Guests: Catarina Midby, Sustainability manager, H & M;
Carol Kane, Co-founder and Joint CEO, Boohoo;
Kim Winser, Founder and CEO, Winser London. Producer: Sally Abrahams.
Oct 22, 2015 • 28min
Sponsorship
Whether it's high-profile sports events or blockbuster art exhibitions, companies like Adidas and Unilever spend millions of pounds on sponsorship - to get their brand associated with sporting or artistic excellence. The global sponsorship market is worth more than 30 billion pounds a year, but what happens when negative publicity - like Fifa's World Cup corruption scandal - starts to tarnish a brand? Evan Davis and guests discuss whether sponsors should walk away or use their influence to press for change. Guests:Peter Mather, Group Regional Vice President for Europe, BP;
Jan Gooding, Group Brand Director, Aviva;
Jaimie Fuller, Chairman, Skins. Producer: Sally Abrahams.
Oct 15, 2015 • 28min
Going Public
Companies like Royal Mail, Saga and the AA have recently listed their shares on the stock market. It gives them access to plenty of money to help them grow, but also means they're subject to public scrutiny. Evan Davis and guests discuss why firms decide to float and how they must adapt to becoming a plc. Guests: Martin Clarke, CFO, the AA;
Dan Wagner, CEO, Powa Technologies;
Gillian Karran-Cumberlege, Co-Founder, Fidelio Partners. Producer: Sally Abrahams.
Oct 7, 2015 • 43min
Crisis at VW: A Bottom Line Special
Volkswagen is dealing with a corporate crisis following the emissions rigging scandal. Evan Davis and guests discuss. Guests: Sir John Egan, former CEO, Jaguar, former Chairman, Severn Trent Lord Browne, former CEO, BP Lucy Marcus, CEO, Marcus Venture Consulting Arndt Ellinghorst, Senior MD, Evercore ISIProducer: Sally Abrahams.
Oct 1, 2015 • 28min
Art and the Business of Taste
How do you value something like a painting? What makes one artist worth more than another? Who decides what is in vogue and why do they have so much power in the art world? Evan Davis presents a discussion on taste and value in the art world with a panel including the British artist Grayson Perry.Guests:Grayson Perry - ArtistValeria Napoleone - Collector and PatronRalph Taylor - Director, UK Board Contemporary Art, Bonhams.
Jul 23, 2015 • 28min
Supermarkets
Food deflation, the rise of the discount grocers and continuing price wars. Evan Davis and guests discuss who are the long-term winners in the supermarkets' battle to gain market share.Guests:
Mark Price, Managing Director, Waitrose
Steve Murrells, CEO, Co-operative Foods
Kevin Gunter, Chairman, Fulton's FoodsProducer:
Sally Abrahams.
Jul 16, 2015 • 28min
Entrepreneurs and Education
Who needs qualifications for success? Three business leaders tell Evan Davis how they made it to the top after leaving school with just one A'Level between them all. Two of the guests explain how, having dyslexia and being labelled failures at school, made them even more determined to make a success of their lives. And they'll explore whether the skills to be an entrepreneur can be taught in the classroom.Guests:
Jo Malone, CEO, Jo Loves
Gary Grant, CEO, The Entertainer
Mark Featherstone-Witty, CEO, Liverpool Institute for Performing ArtsProducer:
Jim Frank.
Jul 9, 2015 • 28min
Newspapers - to pay or not to pay?
Despite widespread predictions of their demise and amid falling numbers of readers, newspapers are still with us. How are they adapting to the challenges of digital technologies? The industry is split on the issue of whether or not to charge readers for online. What is the best business model for newspapers to survive and prosper? Evan Davis and guests discuss.The guests this week are: John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times; Ashley Highfield, Chief Executive of the Johnson Press and Andrew Miller, out-going Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group.Producer: Jim Frank.
Jul 9, 2015 • 28min
Newspapers - to pay or not to pay?
Despite widespread predictions of their demise and amid falling numbers of readers, newspapers are still with us. How are they adapting to the challenges of digital technologies? The industry is split on the issue of whether or not to charge readers for online. What is the best business model for newspapers to survive and prosper? Evan Davis and guests discuss.The guests this week are: John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times; Ashley Highfield, Chief Executive of the Johnson Press and Andrew Miller, out-going Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group.Producer: Jim Frank.
