The Penta Podcast Channel

This week on the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan sit down with John Dick, CEO and Founder of Civic Science, explore today's trends in consumer behavior, including the latest economic sentiment index from Penta and Civic Science, and private sector growth. The group also discusses what Fed Chair Powell's comments on the Hill mean for a potential "passive tightening cycle" this year, and compares activity from central banks across England, China, and the U.S. What does the Fed's outlook tell us about a potential rate hike? How could the bipartisan RECOUP Act shape the future of the banking industry? Tune in to find out.

Since 2020, there has been a shift in the political dynamics between the U.S., EU, and China. Between increasing tensions over regional security posturing, and upcoming policy in the U.S. and EU dictating outbound investments and ethical sourcing guidelines, the West's relationship with China is becoming increasingly complex. In the U.S., there have been calls for a full decoupling from China, while many in Europe have taken a more measured approach, calling for 'derisking'.On this week's episode of What's at Stake, U.S. Strategy Partners Bryan DeAngelis and K. Stratton Kirton sit down to talk with Penta Advisor Stuart Harbinson on how realistic decoupling is, what Western companies should know about doing business in China, and what he believes is necessary to stabilize the relationship between China and the West.The group also discusses the expected new rule from the Biden administration about outbound investments to China, the diversity of European posturing, and how Taiwan plays a role both economically and in regards to regional security.

Today on What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, partner at Penta based in Washington, D.C., is joined by fellow D.C.-based partner Andrea Christianson and Brussels-based partner Chris Mehigan.  The trio examine the current state of AI regulation in the U.S. and the EU. The AI regulatory framework is complex and evolving, and the group discusses the implications of recent developments, including the EU AI Act and testimony before Congress by CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman. Bryan, Andrea, and Chris offer their predictions and perspectives on the future of this regulation, and highlight opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between the U.S. and EU. 

This week on the Macrocast, Ylan, Brendan, and John dive into the  current global macroeconomic growth, exploring the latest trends in markets and consumer behavior among the world's major economies. The team also breaks down the latest economic sentiment index from Penta and Civic Science. What does the improving outlook mean for banks and homeowners? Should we expect the Fed to respond with another rate hike? Tune in to find out. Read Penta and Civic Science's ESI analysis here.

On today's episode of What's at Stake, Mike Berland, Senior Partner at Penta, sits down with Jonathan Adashek, IBM's Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications and Chief Communications Officer. The duo discusses the role stakeholder engagement has had in Jonathan's career, including how his past work on political campaigns impacted his ability to cater to different groups of stakeholders at IBM. They also talk about Jonathan's current experience leading both the marketing and communications functions at IBM and how the pairing of the functions allows for increased alignment on brand, reputation, and storytelling capabilities across the company.  Mike and Jonathan also break down IBM's use of data and AI, including the company's Watson X product, to give clients and partners, including entertainment and sports sponsors, customized solutions. Jonathan emphasizes how AI will help augment the overall productivity of the workforce and urges companies to adopt the technology. 

On today's Macrocast, hosts Ylan, John, and Brendan are joined by Marc Goldwein, senior policy director at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, to break down the debt ceiling deal and its implications for fiscal and monetary policy going forward. Plus, the group dives into this month's surprisingly strong jobs report. Does the Fed have one more hike in it, or will it finally let up?  Read Penta's May Jobs Day fact sheet here. 

This week on What's at Stake, host Elliott Owensby is joined by Penta experts Andy Whitehouse and Jill Craig to dive into the complicated mergers and acquisitions landscape companies are facing today. With a focus on the crucial role of communications and public affairs, they explore the complexities of completing transactions in today's uncertain macroeconomic environment while effectively managing stakeholder expectations. What are the key developments shaping the M&A landscape in the US and EU? What are the ingredients of a successful M&A public affairs approach? And how can effective communication enhance the success and longevity of deals? Tune in as Elliott, Andy, and Jill share their expertise on these questions and more. 

In this week's episode of the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan tackle the looming issue of the approaching debt ceiling X-date, discussing the Treasury's decision to delay note auctions and the ripple effects the situation has had on the market. What can we expect from the Fed in the back half of this year? Does the White House have an ace up its sleeve in negotiations? And what does the "Taylor Swift economy" have to do with any of this? Tune in to this week's Macrocast to find out. 

In this installment of What's at Stake, we are going to our archives and re-visiting an episode perfect for recent graduates hoping to land a job in D.C. Penta President Matt McDonald spoke with Tom Manatos, Head of Federal Affairs at Block and the mind behind Tom Manatos Jobs, and Mo Elleithee, Executive Director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. The trio break down the D.C. job landscape, explain the importance of building your network, and offer their best advice for young professionals trying to make it in our nation's capital. 

Today's Macrocast is a special one! First, Ylan interviews Raphael Bostic, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, with whom she spoke earlier this week at the 2023 Federal Reserve Financial Markets Conference. The pair discuss how the Fed makes predictions and decisions to tackle economic crises. Bostic explains that the Fed has amended the way they survey the private sector, including engaging local business leaders early, in order to identify coming economic trends, like inflation and lay-offs. During the latter half of the episode, Ylan is joined by her co-hosts Brendan and John from Markets Policy Partners and Bryan DeAngelis, partner at Penta and host of What's at Stake, to recap this week's Macrocast Live panel discussion. The discussion featured Doug Holtz-Eakin, former Director of of the CBO and Chief Economist of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers and current President of the American Action Forum, and Wendy Edelberg, former Chief Economist at the CBO and current Director of The Hamilton Project and Senior Fellow of Economic Study at the Brookings Institution who shared their predictions and perspectives on the debt ceiling, looming default, and more.