Brussels 2024: What to expect from a new EU Parliament and Commission

Today on What's At Stake, we have a special episode hosted by Mark MacGregor, managing director out of Penta's London office, who speaks with four of his strategy colleagues from across the globe: Marykate Maguire, an associate in the Dublin office; Ruairidh Fraser, an associate in the London office; Grace Boyle, an associate in the Washington, D.C. office; and Emily Wilson, an associate in the New York City office. The conversation, spanning several time zones, covers what it's like to be a young professional at Penta, including day-to-day work, how colleagues communicate across offices, and training and mentorship. Marykate, Ruairidh, Emily, and Grace also share their favorite parts about working at Penta and advice for other young professionals starting their career. Tune in here to learn more! Additionally, learn more about and apply to the grad programme Marykate and Ruairidh participated in here.

This week on What's At Stake, tune into another episode of our Artificially Intelligent Conversations series. Each month, Penta Partners Andrea Christianson and Chris Mehigan will dissect the AI latest news and developments from each side of the Atlantic, helping you understand how AI will affect stakeholder management, policy, and more. This week, they host Nicole DeCario, Director of AI & Society at the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) to cover AI literacy, policy, and industry norms.Nicole discusses how AI2's commitment to open-source language models aims to shape a more transparent and collaborative future in AI research, distinct from the closed doors of industry norms. Her insights reveal a pressing need for ethical frameworks and a nuanced understanding of AI technology in order for U.S. regulators to craft effective policy. You don't want to miss this episode!

On this week's episode of What's at Stake, Penta Partner Bryan DeAngelis and Managing Director Elliott Owensby sat down with Ripple's Head of U.S. Public Policy Lauren Belive to discuss all things crypto including Ripple's legal victory against the SEC and the company's recent announcement that it plans to launch a stablecoin later this year. Throughout the discussion, Lauren underscored the importance of crafting clear rules of the road for crypto in the U.S. To help bring that vision to reality, Bryan, Elliott, and Lauren discussed the role of crypto in the 2024 U.S. elections and how they hope their involvement with the crypto PAC Fairshake can make a difference during this pivotal election cycle for the industry. Check out the new episode now!

In 2024, a wave of global elections is shaping the landscape of corporate engagement, increasing partisan contention across virtually every issue. On today's episode of What's At Stake, we drill down on the upcoming European elections. From our Brussels office, Penta Senior Partner Jill Craig and Partner Rory O'Donnell join Andrea Christianson, partner in the D.C. office, to discuss the key players in the EU elections, what issues voters are paying the most attention to, and what businesses around the world can expect from a new European Parliament and Commission. The group also shares insight on how companies should prepare for this new political landscape.If you're a business currently operating in Europe or are considering expanding your operations across the pond, tune in to this must-listen episode.

This week's episode of What's At Stake examines the phenomenon known as the Taylor Swift economy. Host and Senior Partner Kevin Madden sits down with colleagues Isabel Nieves, Runal Patel, Bianca Schwam Auriemo, and Camryn Banks to analyze how Taylor Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poet's Department," demonstrates her impact beyond music and into economic ecosystems across industries and global markets. The group also broke down the album's reception and the work involved in promoting and protecting Swift's brand.The team then dives into the businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals whose livelihoods depend on the entertainment empire Swift has built, including concert venues, endorsing brands, and ultimately, cultural influence.Music, business, and culture are all examined in this exciting episode—centered on the one-and-only Taylor Swift. You don't want to miss it! 

This week on What's At Stake, our host Bryan DeAngelis, partner at Penta and head of the Washington, D.C. office, is joined by Oliver Edelmann, director at Penta, and Ananya Kumar, the associate director for digital currencies at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, to discuss Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Just a few years ago, less than 30 countries were exploring a CBDC—as of this week, over 130 countries are doing so. Ananya, Bryan, and Oliver break down this trend and discuss the increasing digitization of payments and services and highlight the CBDC projects we should be paying attention to.More broadly, Ananya, Bryan, and Oliver discuss U.S. power projection through the dollar in geopolitical conflicts, the role that the Fed should play in CBDCs, and the future of the global financial system. Tune in!

This week on What's at Stake, Kevin Madden, Senior Partner at Penta, hosts Wes Turbeville, Senior Vice President at ID.me, to discuss how ID.me is tackling the evolving challenge of digital identity fraud and making it easier for Americans to access services online.Digital technology has redefined how Americans interact with the government, from veterans managing benefits online to citizens filing taxes electronically. Wes and Kevin start the conversation on the urgent need to protect our identities online. Wes stresses the value of public-private partnerships in fighting fraud – it takes a network of companies like ID.me and government partners to combat the risk posed by increasingly coordinated identity thieves. Wes also delves into how ID.me is closing the digital divide and making it easier for Americans of all backgrounds to access the services they need, showing there need not be a tradeoff between security and accessibility. Listen to the full conversation below!

This week on What's At Stake, our host Penta Managing Director Ylan Mui is joined by CNBC's Senior Media & Tech Correspondent Julia Boorstin to discuss her new book, "When Women Lead." In a world where only around 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and less than 2% of venture capital dollars go to startups with female founders, Julia and Ylan break down what the book can teach us about what women achieve, why they succeed, and what we can learn from them. Beyond recapping some of the stories of successful women in the book, Ylan and Julia discuss what skills, attributes, and attitudes all leaders can implement to progress in their careers and live better. All business leaders can benefit from this episode's conversation on changing the corporate culture, reinventing markets to fit new demographics, and rethinking what success looks like. Listen now! 

This week's episode of "What's At Stake" dives deep into the high-stakes dynamics of the 2024 presidential election. Hosts Bryan DeAngelis and Ylan Mui are joined by Leigh Ann Caldwell, co-author of The Washington Post's Early 202 newsletter and political correspondent for The Washington Post. The crew explores the rematch between former President Trump and incumbent President Biden.Beyond the horse-race coverage, the group scrutinizes the complex policy challenges facing both candidates. Leigh Ann sheds light on the obstacles Biden must overcome, including a narrowly divided Congress and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion also examines Trump's enduring base of support and the pivotal role of swing voters in key battleground states.Stepping back, the group engages in a candid examination of the media's role in covering this high-stakes political landscape. Leigh Ann shares insights into the challenges of reporting objectively in an era marked by deep partisan divides and a pervasive sense of distrust in institutions.The episode also delves into the broader implications of the election, including the shadow of a lame-duck presidency and the potential impact of presidential appointments on the balance of power in Washington. Throughout, Ylan, Bryan, and Leigh Ann provide a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of the critical issues at stake in the 2024 race.

This week on What's At Stake, Penta Partner Andrea Christianson is joined by two executives from Cognizant Technologies: Senior Vice President of Legal and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Tobi Young and Chief Technology Officer for AI Babak Hodjat. The group discusses AI in the context of the workforce and how it could help companies operate more dynamically. Additionally, they highlight how tools like generative AI are bridging knowledge gaps and democratizing tech use.Tobi and Babak also spotlight Cognizant's Synapse Initiative, a global AI upskilling pilot program. Cognizant launched the Synapse Initiative last October with the goal of preparing one million people worldwide over the next three years to become the workforce for the high-tech, AI age. Whether you're an AI skeptic or optimist, this episode promises to offer a fresh perspective on how AI is reshaping industries and empowering the workforce.