Episode 4: Gin and COVID-19

I speak with Sam Wilkin of WillisTowersWatson about how COVID-19 is affecting the political risk of the world. We dive into financial difficulties of the emerging markets, building an index to forecast direct and indirect costs for countries, and where we might be in 2021.About Two LanternsTwo Lanterns Advisory is a political risk consultancy based in Boston, Massachusetts. For information on training courses in political risk, hiring a consultant, or commissioning reports, check us out at http://www.twolanterns.co. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit twolanterns.substack.com

I was fortunate enough to speak with Dr. Nicola Nice, founder and CEO of Pomp & Whimsy, a gin liqueur company focused on women. We spoke about how her business has been affected by social distancing, how she first recognized the impact the pandemic would have, and how her company has adjusted.Pomp & Whimsy are donating to New York City food banks as part of their efforts to help the hospitality industry weather this storm. If you’d like to contribute as well, you can click here.About Two LanternsTwo Lanterns Advisory is a political risk consultancy based in Boston, Massachusetts. For information on training courses in political risk, hiring a consultant, or commissioning reports, check us out at http://www.twolanterns.co. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit twolanterns.substack.com

I’m joined by Price Lowenstein, President and CEO of Sovereign Risk Insurance, to talk about the political risk insurance industry.The history of the industry, how it analyzes risk, and what’s going to happen if COVID-19 and the oil crash send emerging markets tumbling are all discussed.About Two LanternsTwo Lanterns Advisory is a political risk consultancy based in Boston, Massachusetts. For information on training courses in political risk, hiring a consultant, or commissioning reports, check us out at http://www.twolanterns.co. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit twolanterns.substack.com

I spoke with Kerry Boyd Anderson, a Middle East analyst, about why the analytical community was unprepared for the Arab Spring, even after 10 years of intense focus on the region.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to give a 5-star rating!NB: The Beacon has been renamed Inside Political Risk, since there are loads of podcasts already with that name. I wouldn’t want someone looking for the latest on Middle East politics to wind up confused by an “urban fantasy audio drama” or a couple of chiropractors. The content and perspective will be the same as always. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit twolanterns.substack.com

The Beacon is now a podcast!This newsletter will now have an audio component to it. I’ll be interviewing some of the most interesting people working in and around the world of politics, business, and political risk.Episodes will be posted in this feed and also wherever you get your podcasts.In the first episode, I talk with Ben Godwin, Head of Analysis at PRISM Political Risk Management (http://prismlondon.co.uk/) about what is and is not political risk, and what goes into the industry that explains it.Thanks very much for listening. Let me know if there are topics you’d like to hear covered. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit twolanterns.substack.com