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Big Boss Interview

Big Boss Interview

BBC News 258 Episodes Sep 18, 2026

Big Boss Interview is a podcast where top chief executives and entrepreneurs share their insights and experiences of running major global businesses. Hosted by BBC business journalists Sean Farrington, Felicity Hannah, and Will Bain, each episode explores the daily challenges and opportunities of leading a large organization. The series is produced by BBC News and draws on the hosts' experience from BBC Radio 4's Today programme and BBC 5 Live's Wake Up To Money.

Episodes

INEOS CEO: I Have No Confidence in the UK
INEOS CEO: I Have No Confidence in the UK Sep 18, 2026 1346 Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in Britain and can see no circumstances in the near future in which he would return and reinvest his wealth in the UK.Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s wealthiest businessmen and founder of one of its biggest industrial companies, is now a tax resident of Monaco. He argues that high and frequently changing taxes, energy policy and a lack of long-term politic
Paul Smith Exec Chair: Working From Home Doesn't Work
Paul Smith Exec Chair: Working From Home Doesn't Work Sep 16, 2026 2754 The executive chair of Paul Smith says working from home “just doesn’t work” for young people and has urged the government to stay out of decisions over where employees work.Ewan Venters argues that younger workers risk missing the informal learning and mentoring that comes from being around more experienced colleagues. He traces his own career back to joining Sainsbury’s at sixteen and learning f
Arm CEO: AI Will Cure Cancer
Arm CEO: AI Will Cure Cancer Sep 7, 2026 2339 Artificial intelligence will help cure cancer within our lifetimes, according to Rene Haas, chief executive of Arm, the Cambridge-based company whose chip designs sit inside almost every smartphone on Earth. There are more than 350 billion chips using Arm technology have shipped worldwide.Haas says health is the "killer app" for the technology. Drugs can take 20 years to develop and around 95% of
Veolia CEO: We Can Help Run Thames Water If Govt Nationalise It
Veolia CEO: We Can Help Run Thames Water If Govt Nationalise It Sep 3, 2026 2576 (Episode 52) The chief executive of the world's largest water company has said Veolia would consider running Britain's water infrastructure if it were taken into public ownership, opening the door to a model in which the state owns the assets but private companies operate them.Asked whether that could mean "nationalise the assets, and Veolia comes in to manage them," Estelle Brachlianoff said: "It
Thames Water CEO: We Welcome Greater Public Control, Not Nationalisation
Thames Water CEO: We Welcome Greater Public Control, Not Nationalisation Jul 30, 2026 2869 (Episode 51) Who should control Britain's biggest water company? Chris Weston, the chief executive of Thames Water, says he "completely agrees" with the Prime Minister that the industry, and Thames Water, needs greater public control. But he draws a clear distinction between stronger public accountability and public ownership, arguing that nationalisation or special administration could delay inve
etoro CEO: Our Customers Are Moving Away from Crypto
etoro CEO: Our Customers Are Moving Away from Crypto Jul 22, 2026 2209 (Episode 50) etoro customers are "definitely moving away from crypto," according to the company's founder and chief executive, Yoni Assia. After more than a decade at the forefront of digital assets, Assia says customers are increasingly shifting towards mainstream investing and cash savings, as etoro expands beyond its trading platform into broader financial services. The company, which manages a
Allwyn UK CEO: Britain Risks Losing the National Lottery if it Doesn't Innovate
Allwyn UK CEO: Britain Risks Losing the National Lottery if it Doesn't Innovate Jul 15, 2026 2630 (Episode 49) Andria Vidler, the CEO of Allwyn UK - the operator of the National Lottery - has warned the British public risks losing it, unless it innovates. Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot in 2024, and it had pledged to double the amount if gives to good causes from 33 million pounds to 60 million pounds. But Vidler told Felicity Hannah that its future is at stak
Lloyds Banking Group CEO: The End of Halifax and the Future of Bank Branches
Lloyds Banking Group CEO: The End of Halifax and the Future of Bank Branches Jul 8, 2026 3374 (Episode 48) The Halifax brand is being retired after more than 180 years — and Charlie Nunn says artificial intelligence is the reason why.The chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group told the Big Boss Interview that the way customers discover financial products has fundamentally changed. Increasingly, people are asking AI tools and large language models to find the best mortgage or savings accoun
Lloyd's of London CEO: Autonomous Weapons Are Rewriting War Risk
Lloyd's of London CEO: Autonomous Weapons Are Rewriting War Risk Jul 1, 2026 2883 (Episode 47) AI and drone warfare will force a “complete reimagining” of how conflict risk is calculated and insured, the chief executive of Lloyd’s of London has warned, because traditional assumptions about how wars escalate may no longer hold.Patrick Tiernan, who runs the 337-year-old insurance marketplace, told the Big Boss Interview that autonomous weapons and AI-driven decision-making could
Reed Recruitment CEO: Back Humans, Tax Robots
Reed Recruitment CEO: Back Humans, Tax Robots Jun 24, 2026 2647 (Episode 46) Britain should stop taxing workers and start taxing robots, according to the chief executive of one of the country's biggest recruitment firms, who says the UK's tax system is pointing in entirely the wrong direction at the worst possible moment.James Reed, CEO of Reed Recruitment, told the Big Boss Interview that the government is taxing employers who hire young people "to pick up be
Mondelēz CEO: We're Questioning Our Future UK Investment
Mondelēz CEO: We're Questioning Our Future UK Investment Jun 16, 2026 2730 (Episode 45) Mondelēz International, the company behind Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone and Ritz, has warned that future European investment could bypass the UK if regulatory instability persists.Chief executive Dirk Van de Put says the UK is the company’s second-biggest market globally and contributes more than £2.3 billion to the economy each year, supporting 12,000 jobs and spending £1.3 billion with
TSMC: Humanoid Robots Will Look After the Elderly
TSMC: Humanoid Robots Will Look After the Elderly Jun 11, 2026 1360 (Episode 44) The next great wave of demand for artificial intelligence chips could come not from chatbots, but from humanoid robots caring for ageing populations. That is the prediction of Wendell Huang, chief financial officer of TSMC, the Taiwanese company that manufactures the world’s most advanced semiconductors. As countries grapple with rapidly ageing societies, Huang sees robot carers and a

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