Forum Radio

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Jessica Fellowes is delighted to be joined by Forum 500 member in New York, Frances Simowitz, co-founder and CEO of QUAY Acceleration. Frances works with ambitious businesses looking to grow, develop and break into new markets. We hear about her path to start ups, which began in opera (!), what inspired her to set up QUAY, and what it actually takes to help a young business get off the ground and succeed. We’ll also be exploring what acceleration really means, and how the right support, connections and advice can make all the difference to an entrepreneur. And we start planning a Forum 500 night out to watch Frances perform as part of an onstage musical improv group!This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailThis is a special arts edition of Forum Radio, part of our regular London arts salons. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton (London) is a Forum 500 member but is also the author of an astonishing debut, in the vein of William Boyd or Sebastian Faulks, with 'Beyond the Edge of Light' (Penguin). Opening in Munich 1938, the book follows the star-crossed lovers, Missie, who is English (and inspired by Jamie's mother, who worked for MI5), and a German soldier, Conrad as war devastates Europe and their lives. It is heart-rending but full of spectacular detail from hearth and heart to frontline. Jamie has already had two careers of success and intrigue, with 20 years in the army, starting with Irish guards and ending with nine years in SAS as a troop and squadron commander. For ten years until 2014, he was private secretary to then-princes William and Harry, and latterly, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. In this episode, Jamie and Jessica Fellowes discuss the book, the (sometimes painful!) process of writing and how it feels, after a lifetime of discretion, to be on the public stage. The episode ends with a short reading from the book. This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailFor this episode of Forum Radio, we return to one of our early guests, Justin Peimani (London), to talk about his new business venture, Relace. Relace helps companies adhere to regulation, which can be complex and bewildering, but Justin is able to draw on his lawyer training as well as his extensive experience working with tech start ups. "What was consistently surprising to us is when you think about how core regulation is to your business, you simply can't operate as an asset manager, you can't manage money, you can't provide services if you're not adherent. But a lot of the practices that exist to manage that are quite antiquated. They either rely on outside consultants or internal teams and the knowledge waxes and wanes, depending on whether people leave the business or join the business. And certainly the technology supporting them is not up to date. In an environment that's constantly changing, that becomes more and more and more challenging for firms. So we founded Relace really to do three things, which is to help firms understand what rules apply to them, help them implement the requirements and the obligations across the entirety of the organization, and while doing that, to embed appropriate governance."This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailHow do brands build trust in an age of AI, automation and endless content? In this episode of Forum Radio, Jessica Fellowes speaks to Kristian Alomá (Chicago), a narrative psychologist and brand strategist, about the stories that shape the way customers connect with organisations.Kristian explains why successful brands begin not with what they sell, but with the problems and aspirations of their customers – and why trust is built in much the same way as it is between people: through authenticity, fulfilled promises and meaningful relationships. He explores why brands must make the customer the hero of their story, the danger of scripted ‘authenticity’, and what companies can learn from campaigns such as Avis’s ‘We try harder’.The conversation also turns to AI and its impact on marketing. As technology makes content ever more abundant, Christian argues that something else will become increasingly valuable: the human touch.“We will move towards the imperfect because the imperfect feels real, and away from what looks like the perfect because the perfect feels empty.”This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailFor the start of our fourth season of Forum Radio podcasts, we are thrilled to open with a trio of members: Sonya Bekkerman, Sara Bengur and Ivana Tagliamonte. Sonya and Sara, based in New York, work together in their interiors practice, Vastu Puja, which brings together their deep knowledge of art, design and spiritual practice. Simon introduced them to Ivana (who moves between Lake Como in Italy and New York), who works in real estate, and together the three of them worked on turning around Ivana's beautiful boutique hotel, Bellport Inn, on Long Island. This is a lively, fun interview, in which the three discuss how their backgrounds aligned so well to create not only a personal friendship but professional growth and respect. It's a great testament, too, to the trust and warmth that springs between Forum 500 members. There are also, contained within, some very useful tips to improve your own home and work spaces. vastuandpuja.combellportinn.comThis episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailFor our 20th and final episode of the third season, Jessica Fellowes, co-founder of Forum 500, talks to Charlotte Holl, our member with a foothold in New York, LA and Munich. President and co-founder of First Growth Brands, a French sparkling wine brand and family business that Forum 500 members in America have been lucky enough to taste. Produced using the 'méthode traditionelle,' Charlotte is very interesting to hear on the challenges of building an alcohol brand in America, with even today's distribution channels rooted in post-Prohibition laws. Charlotte began her working life in executive search, and will be launching her own search company in the new year. We particularly enjoyed her advice for young people seeking employment today, who find the AI bots making it difficult to stand out in a crowd. "I think that people are starved for human real connection. And I start the statement by saying that because if I'm hiring a manager, I am so sick of getting my AI generated report of who telling me who my best optimized hire is, right? If I'm a candidate trying to stand out at this point, I am writing my resumé myself. I am printing out copies on really nice, beautiful cardstock, and I am walking in the front door and handing my resume personally. I'm dressed well. Put on a shirt with a collar, comb your hair, be prepared to meet an executive, walk into the office and have the guts to do that. Especially if you're in the US, if you are trying to stand out and someone gets a handwritten letter from you, you show up, you actually have the opportunity to shake a hand because they're so stunned because nobody comes into their office anymore. Do that."This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailThis is a great discussion with maths-fiend, Mensa member Rachel Pether (Abu Dhabi), who trained as a journalist before switching to finance. She packed her bags aged 21 and moved from New Zealand to London, to pursue her dream of working for the BBC. Now settled in the UAE, where she has been for almost twenty years, Rachel combines her journalism skills with finance in a number of ways. She is a host on FinTechTV, Managing Director of 3iQ Assets and runs the Speakeasy Club, to help others find their own public speaking confidence. "What I found as the number one top tip was about mindset. So much of it can be down to nerves, and the mindset trick that I use can work with every single audience. So it's not specific to any situation, but instead of thinking: 'Oh my gosh, I'm so nervous.I have to speak in front of X,' or 'I'm so nervous. I have to go and ask my boss for a raise,' whatever it might be. If you just change your mindset and tell yourself, 'I'm so excited for the opportunity,' it really changes everything. If you are hosting an event, rather than thinking, 'I have to get on stage in front of 300 people who are all finance CEOs or successful entrepreneurs,' you think: 'I am so grateful that I get to be in a room with great finance leaders and entrepreneurs.'"This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailForum 500 member Manoj Gursahani (Mumbai) started India's first e-commerce travel portal, the beginning of a long career in which a blend of technology with entrepreneurial vision has been the hallmark. Chair of Tiger 21 in his home city, Manoj is an established mentor and coach of high networth leaders, and as co-chairman of the India Business Group, he strengthens India's role in internationa trade and partnerships. An established speaker, author and currently working with Vira Healthcare on AI-led health diagnostics, Manoj is also a dedicated father. This is a very enjoyable and relaxed conversation with a high achiever! However, Manoj is honest about the fact it took an intentional step to achieve this balance. "Personally, for my side, it was tough for me to be vulnerable. It was very tough. When my daughters were growing up, I did not give them enough time. And I was busy working and largely focusing only on the work aspect. And then I realized what I've been missing out on. I started ten years back deciding that, listen, we need to stop and smell the roses kind of thing... And then it was initially very tough to adapt that. When I'm working, I try to work with less distractions. And in today's world of constant pinging, I also try during the weekend to sometimes put my phone on airplane mode."This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailThis episode sees Jessica Fellowes talking to Sarah Anderson (Boulder), the founding partner of Vault Fund, which principally invests in company builders. Sitting in her round home office – a converted silo – where she lives on 100 acres with her family, Sarah talks with great enthusiasm about the world she works in, one that is very different from the enormous corporations she worked with when at J.P.Morgan (Proctor & Gamble, Facebook, Electronic Arts). With a great sense of humour and an ability to describe complex ideas simply, Sarah discusses A.I and the current concerns/hopes around it, as well as drawing nice comparisons with her former pole vaulting achievements! There's also a great moment discussing the number of women and people of colour in finance (not enough, less than there were five years ago...). "We definitely do still have women that are able to be successful against all odds. But I think when we start seeing large funders roll back, that's when it starts to hurt. And we have made so much progress. So to me, it's quite sad. I think that there are so many capable women. There are so many capable people of color. And to be honest, I don't know that a white man would have started this. It's too different. You have to have a very unique perspective to see it, to do it. And I think that there's just a natural hunger there to prove it out. Not that a white man couldn't have done it. They have so many more opportunities that someone like you or me may not have. "I tend to think that women and diverse people in this category actually have a huge advantage. Because we're remembered. There aren't many of us."This episode was produced by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers

Send us Fan MailFor this episode, we welcome a longstanding friend of Forum 500, James Arroyo, OBE. James is the Director of the Ditchley Foundation, an organisation established to strengthen democratic relations, to help sustain peace, freedom and the rule of law. The Foundation is based in the magnificent setting of Ditchley Park, a Georgian Palladian masterpiece, one of the last surviving country houses of James Gibb and where this interview took place. One of James's special interests has always been in technology – previously he was director for data at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office – and he has been looking at ways in which fast-developing tech can be aligned to the Foundation's purpose. "I think one of the things that's going to evolve is going to be an alliance...what do we build together? What supply chains do we have together? [Rather than] about what do we do diplomatically. You can think in some ways of the good old days, the unipolar moment, where it looked like serious questions were going to be settled in the UN. Then, it was important to coordinate between powers as to who would vote for this resolution, the drafting of this, who could find compromise. And that wasn't wrong, because it really was influential. But if very few things are being decided in that kind of forum, and instead things are being decided more combatively, then it changes the terms of trade. I think how are we relevant in Europe to the counterpower that America is now trying to build towards China is going to be really important."This episode was edited by Vanessa Heaney.Music by Alex Vickers