The Bottom Line

Hear how business leaders react when confronted with unforeseen and awkward crises at work. Presenter Evan Davis reveals three fictional scenarios to his guests. None of them know anything of problems they are about to face. Tackling the dilemmas will involve making tough and unpopular choices. What do they do and can they agree on the best course of action?
Guests:
Nicola Shaw: Outgoing CEO of Yorkshire Water
Will Butler-Adams: CEO of Brompton
Jessica Spungin: Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Sally Abrahams, Nick Holland & Phoebe Keane
Sound: Dave O'Neill & Sam Dickinson
Production Coordinator: Kate Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis

Post-prison businesses. From the board room to a jail cell... and back again? How easy is it to re-build a career after serving time for financial offences?
Riordan Maynard was CEO of mobile phone company Touchbase which he grew from a small business selling mobile phones to a multi-national company with offices in Europe, Australia, Asia, and the USA. After the financial crisis of 2008, though, the company lost hundreds of millions of pounds worth of deals and what Riordan did next landed him in a US jail for five and a half years. His experience in prison, witnessing brutal violence and struggling with his mental health, sparked an idea for a new business.
Sushovan Hussain was CFO of Autonomy, founded by the late Mike Lynch. He helped the business grow into one of Britain’s biggest technology companies. But after the company was sold on, he was convicted of fraud in the US and in 2019 he was sentenced to 5 years in jail. Leaving prison and struggling with getting insurance and bank accounts inspired him to set up a new business helping ex-offendors get back into work.
Producers: Sally Abraham, Nick Holland, Phoebe Keane
Editor: Matt Willis:

'Good economic growth in every postcode' is the ambitious slogan being used by the prime minister, Andy Burnham. His big idea is to devolve decision making and spending powers away from Westminster so towns and cities can, in his words “do more, and in doing more build a new economy.” He’s also talked of re-industrialisation. Previous governments have talked of northern powerhouses, and levelling-up. There has been some success notably in Greater Manchester, but when it comes to the imbalanced economic geography of the UK, despite all that talk, little has changed. Overall productivity across the North of England is still lower than in London and the South East. It’s argued that for too long there’s been underinvestment, regional inequality and a lack of opportunity for many communities. If Andy Burnham marks a renaissance for regeneration, then what’s the plan? How do you get good growth in every postcode in the North of England? Evan Davis looks for answers by speaking to business leaders representing less well-connected parts of the region.
Guests:
Susan Hinchcliffe: Former Labour leader of Bradford Council
Finbarr Dowling: Chairman of The Humber Freeport
Henri Murison: Chief Executive at The Northern Powerhouse Partnership
Dave Fishwick: Entrepreneur and Founder of Burnley Savings and Loans
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Nick Holland & Sally Abrahams
Sound: Dave O'Neill & James Beard
Production Coordinator: Kate Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis

Why buy when you can subscribe? From food boxes to fashion, businesses are increasingly keen to sign us up for regular payments. The attraction is clear – predictable income for companies and convenience for consumers. But what happens when we forget to cancel, keep paying for things we barely use or find it harder to leave than join? Evan Davis and guests explore the appeal and the pitfalls of the subscription economy.
Guests:
Murray Lambell, chief customer officer, Gousto;
Mark Ralea, general manager, Fabletics Europe;
Kate Nightingale, psychologist and founder, Humanising Brands;
and Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?
Production team:
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Nick Holland and Sally Abrahams
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Sound engineers: James Beard and Dave O’Neill
Editor: Matt Willis

What is going wrong with the largest economy in Europe? It accounts for roughly one-third of the continent's total manufacturing output but since 2020 there's been very little growth. Some people suggest the problems facing the country have been brewing for decades. It's argued Germany has been slow to adapt to modern ways of doing business and hasn't kept up with industrial competition from abroad. Evan Davis is joined by a panel of experts to understand how much trouble the German economy is in, why it's struggling and what it can do to revive itself.
Guests:
Verena Pausder: Chair of the German Start-Up Association
Nicola Pinder: Business expansion consultant for the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg
Marcel Fratzscher: President of the German Institute for Economic Research
Wolfgang Munchau: Journalist and Author of Kaput, The End of the German Miracle
Presenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Nick Holland & Sally Abrahams
Sound: Dave O'Neill & Donald MacDonald
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis