January 26, 2021
Susan Lund, partner at McKinsey & Company and leader of the McKinsey Global Institute, and Carl Benedikt Frey, Oxford Martin Citi fellow at the University of Oxford, and author of The Technology Trap, join Ellie Groves, deputy head of programming and Europe manager at OMFIF, to discuss the impact of Covid-19 in accelerating the shift to remote working, the barriers encountered by governments and businesses, as well as potential solutions for an easier transition.
January 21, 2021
In August 2020, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, announced that it would research and test leading technologies to determine design requirements for a US-based central bank digital currency. Jim Cunha, senior vice-president, secure payments and fintech, at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, discusses this initiative as well as the wider impact of distributed ledger technology on the financial system. The meeting also covers national efforts to increase security and reduce payment fraud in the US.
January 19, 2021
Dimitri Demekas, visiting senior fellow at the Institute of Global Affairs at the London School of Economics and special adviser to the Bank of England, and Ludger Schuknecht, former chief economist of the German ministry of finance and deputy secretary-general at the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, join Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist and director of research at OMFIF, to discuss European financial stability. They explore the need for high public spending because of Covid-19 and what comes next, the intricate relationship between the real economy and financial markets, the risks faced by central banks in the current crisis and more. Ludger Schuknecht also discusses his latest book, Public Spending and the Role of the State - History, Performance, Risk and Remedies.
January 14, 2021
With a shifting geopolitical landscape, due to the Covid-19 response, US elections and rise of China, the upcoming election in Germany comes at an interesting time for European politics. Josef Joffe, publisher-editor of Die Zeit, joins David Marsh, OMFIF chairman, to discuss his new book Der gute Deutsche (The Good German). Presenting the case that Germany has gone through a cultural shift, both internally and in the eyes of external actors, the country’s leaders see European stability and unity as priorities. He explains his thinking behind the argument that whoever becomes the new German Chancellor will not change this and challenge the EU status quo.
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
January 12, 2021
Michael Sung, professor in the fintech research centre at Fudan University’s Fanhai International School of Finance, joins Pierre Ortlieb, economist at OMFIF, to discuss the People’s Bank of China’s digital currency project, the broader central bank digital currency ecosystem and China’s efforts to internationalise its currency. They delve into the mechanics of the PBoC’s digital currency/electronic payment and how it would operate with other CBDC projects.
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
December 22, 2020
Join Ellie Groves, deputy head of programming and Europe manager and Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist and director of research at OMFIF on the last podcast of 2020. The discussion touches on key topics from the year, among which include the impact of COVID-19 and the actions taken by central banks, the European Union, and finance ministries. The speakers cover future challenges, be that technological innovation and the growth of the green finance agenda, to geopolitical shifts caused by the change in the US administration and Brexit.
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
December 17, 2020
Raul Rosales, senior executive fellow at the centre for climate finance and investment at Imperial College Business School, joins Danae Kyriakopoulou, chief economist and director of research at OMFIF, to discuss Covid-19’s effects on the renewable energy landscape. Opportunities for investment in infrastructure and renewable energy in Spain, UK and beyond are discussed as well. The podcast also explores the impact of the pandemic in terms of policy response, the importance of a risk-based approach and cautions against overburdening climate change regulation.
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
December 16, 2020
Covid-19 has overhauled working norms, prompting a widespread shift to remote working and testing new areas of operational management. Sofie De Beule-Roloff, chief operating officer of the European Stability Mechanism, and Emmanuel Dooseman, partner and global head of banking at Mazars, join OMFIF’s Kat Usita to discuss the challenges that employers and workers face during this crisis, including how to maintain safe, supportive and inclusive work environments.
Read the blog by European Stability Mechanism here: https://www.esm.europa.eu/blog/teleworking-transforming-insights-progress
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
December 10, 2020
Michael Pettis, professor of finance at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, joins Mark Sobel, US chairman of OMFIF, to discuss China’s macroeconomic outlook and the health of its financial system. They cover the future US-China relationship under President Joe Biden, the lasting impact of Donald Trump’s trade policies, and Chinese monetary and currency policy.
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
December 8, 2020
Vítor Constâncio, former vice-president of the European Central Bank, governor of Banco de Portugal and Portuguese finance minister, joins Christian Kopf, head of fixed income at Union Investment, and David Marsh, OMFIF chairman. They cover the state of the euro area economy and the challenges of Covid-19. They discuss the ECB and European Commission economic policy response to the pandemic, as well as the measures taken by national governments. Finally, they analyse the investment landscape and probable future policy levers.
Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
