The Penta Podcast Channel

On this week's episode of What's at Stake, Stratton Kirton hosts Penta Partners Andrea Christianson and Rory O’Donnell, who have both done extensive work on agriculture, food, and trade. With supply chain shocks, Russia's war in Ukraine, and climate change, there is a renewed spotlight on global food production and supply chains. In the U.S., Congress is writing a multi-year farm bill that will help shape what kind of food U.S. farmers grow, how they raise it, and how it gets to consumers. Similarly, in Europe, the agriculture and food sectors have been engaged in long-running initiatives to improve supply chain sustainability practices as pressure on the industry mounts. Penta's experts tackle the questions at the forefront of industry leaders' minds:  Amidst all the competing demands and complex challenges facing the agri-food sector, what should the sector's top priorities be? Which stakeholders have wielded the most influence on food policy topics, and what might be the best strategy to engage them?  Listen now to find out more.

This week on the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan sit down with Jeanna Smialek, Federal Reserve and Economics reporter for the New York Times and author of the book "Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Crisis." The group explores the challenges the Fed tackled  during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has been navigating the political and economic aftermath since. As pandemic-era policy winds down, how can the Fed stay above the political fray? And how will upcoming discussions about the debt ceiling impact markets and federal policy? Tune in to find out. Check out Jeanna's book here. 

On the latest episode of "What's at Stake," Bryan DeAngelis hosts Penta Partner Lauren Wolfson and Managing Director Melissa Manson. With the Biden administration set to officially terminate the COVID-19 public health emergency on May 11, the group reflects on the changes to the way we work that have occurred since the pandemic began over three years ago, and explores the challenges and opportunities this new era brings.  Penta's experts begin by discussing which of their remote work predictions at the start of the pandemic have held up over time and which ones have become irrelevant or outdated. Later, they dive into why business leaders are pioneering the future of "phygital" office spaces and how companies can encourage clearer boundaries and maintain work-life balance for their employees in a remote or hybrid work environment. Questions remain about where this new era will take us: Will client meetings be scheduled in the metaverse? How are labor market forces impacting hybrid work plans across industries? And is your company guilty of "flex-washing?" Listen now to find out. 

On today's Macrocast, Ylan and Brendan host Wendy Edelberg, director of the Hamilton Project and a senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution. They break down this morning's latest jobs day numbers, which signal an optimistic outlook for the labor market, even as the economy shows signs of cooling. On the flip side, the group warns of the impact of inflation expectations on wages as the Fed continues to hike interest rates. Plus, how will political dynamics affect market volatility amidst these shifting tides? Tune in to find out. Take a look at Penta's latest jobs day report here.

On May 6, King Charles will have his formal coronation in London, nearly eight months after he ascended to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The coronation has been highly anticipated by royal watchers around the world, though not without criticism from some. On today's episode, Bryan DeAngelis hosts Louise Stewart, a Penta Strategy partner based in London, to consider the real implications of the new king. They discuss the role of the modern British monarchy socially and economically in the United Kingdom. Bryan and Louise also break down what role the throne plays geopolitically for Great Britain, particularly during the post-Brexit era and with increasing calls for devolution from the regions of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth nations.Finally, Bryan and Louise dive into how they would advise the royal family in navigating strategic communications and what everyone should be looking out for on Saturday when Charles is formally crowned in Westminster Abbey.

This week on the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan sit down with John Dick, CEO and Founder of Civic Science, to dive into the latest economic sentiment index from Penta and Civic Science. The group also explores what the new GDP and PCE figures mean for consumers and the broader economic outlook. Recession fears are rising, but will the Fed tap the breaks or carry out another rate hike? And how do markets' fears of debt ceiling chaos play into the outlook? Tune in to find out.

This week on What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis hosts Penta Partner Meghan Pennington and Managing Director Ylan Mui to dissect the looming battle over the U.S. debt ceiling. With an uncertain "X date" approaching, and President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the "five families" of the Republican caucus at odds, the stakes are getting higher every day. The group navigates the murky waters of debt ceiling negotiations in Congress and discusses whether the divides within the Republican caucus might play into Biden's hands. They also delve into the market's reaction to the looming crisis and explore how companies can engage with policymakers to move things forward in Washington.  As the tension mounts, they ask the key questions: What's the backup plan if McCarthy's strategy fails? Will Democrats budge on their demand for a "clean" debt ceiling hike?" And how can companies position themselves ahead of the inevitable appropriations debate later this year? Tune in now to stay ahead of the game

The topic: the debt ceiling. On this edition of the Macrocast, our host Ylan Mui is joined by John Fagan and Brendan Walsh of Markets Policy Partners, as well as Zach Moller, Director of Third Way's Economic Program. The group delves into the looming debt ceiling, analyzing the political landscape, and predicting how the markets will react. From a hard-to-pin-down X date–the day on which the federal government is no longer able to meet its fiscal obligations–to "break glass strategies," the group draws on its decades of experience observing Congress, the Treasury, and markets to offer their predictions on how McCarthy's majority and the Biden administration will navigate the impending debt ceiling negotiations.

Generative AI is here and here to stay. Opportunities abound for adopters—but businesses need to consider the ways in which they are vulnerable to AI-driven risks, including risks to their brands. On today's episode of What's at Stake, Bryan DeAngelis, Andrea Christianson, Oliver Edelmann, and Blake McGill break down Penta's new framework to help companies assess the brand risks of AI. After describing some of the scenarios when a brand may be at risk from AI, Bryan, Andrea, Oliver, and Blake discuss how Penta is helping companies think through minimizing that risk. The group discusses how companies convening the right group of experts, including staff from legal, HR, IT, communications, and other departments, is crucial to ensure that the company's brand is not negatively impacted by its use of, or policy on, AI technology. Companies must also audit their current and future use of AI to triage areas of potential internal, external, and personal risk. Despite the risks, the group explains that generative AI technology is here to stay, and companies must engage to minimize brand risks. For more on how companies should think about the impact of AI on their brand, read our full AI brand risk framework.

This week on the Macrocast, Ylan Mui, Brendan Walsh, and John Fagan dive into the latest from the Federal Reserve and this week's IMF-World Bank spring meetings, exploring whether the FOMC's predictions and current macroeconomic indicators point to signs of a recession. The group also discusses Speaker Kevin McCarthy's upcoming speech laying out the U.S.'s debt limit plan, as well as their thoughts on the global trend towards an economic downturn and the expanding debt issue in emerging markets.Read Penta's latest ESI report here.