The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how th...
Decisions That Made Me: Julian Metcalfe (Itsu and Pret A Manger)
An early passion for the high street meant Julian Metcalfe was determined to get into retail from the get-go. He and his partner Sinclair Beecham founded Pret A Manger when he was just 26. In 2008 Pret was sold to a private equity firm, and Julian no longer had a say in the company’s future. Now Julian is in charge of Itsu, an Asian-inspired fast-food chain. The food entrepreneur talks to Evan Davis about how he is determined not to lose his decision-making role this time around. Production team:
Producer: Eleanor Harrison-Dengate
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: John Scott
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
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Decisions That Made Me: Sonnaz Nooranvary (House of Sonnaz, upholsterer)
Sonnaz Nooranvary thought she’d have to be a doctor or a lawyer to please her parents, but struggled academically thanks to a combination of dyslexia and ADHD. Everything changed when she spotted an advert for an upholstery apprenticeship. She dropped out of college to build yachts from scratch. The upholsterer talks to Evan Davis about how she went against her family’s expectations to follow her instincts. Production team: Producer: Bob Howard
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: John Scott
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Photo credit: Luke David
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Decisions That Made Me: Alan French (Thomas Cook, CEO)
When high street travel firm Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019, it triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation, with 150,000 holidaymakers needing to be brought home. Alan French was the Group Strategy and Technology director at the time and had to preside over the disaster. Despite that, he was determined to revive the company and the next year relaunched Thomas Cook as a digital only brand. The travel executive talks to Evan Davis about how he managed to turn his fortunes around and resurrect the Thomas Cook name.Production team:
Producer: Drew Hyndman
Editor: Matt Willis
Sound: John Scott
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
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Running a Business: The Bottom Line Answers Your Questions
How would you invest £100k? Do entrepreneurs have super-human levels of optimism? How can you keep ownership of a great idea? In a first for The Bottom Line, Evan Davis puts questions like these - sent in by listeners - to a panel of business experts.Evan is joined by:
Sir Kenneth Olisa - chairman, Restoration Partners, and formerly founder and CEO, Interregnum;
Richard Farleigh - angel investor and former Dragon's Den 'dragon';
Jessica Spungin - adjunct professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, London Business School.Production team:
Producers: Simon Tulett and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate
Sound: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis
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Self-checkouts: Have Shops Reached Peak Self-Scan?
Self-checkouts have become a staple in supermarkets, fast food chains and other shops, but now some companies are reconsidering their use. Evan Davis explores the technology's role in the retail landscape and asks whether we’ve reached peak self-checkout, or if they’re just a step on the way to an even more digitised shopping future. With insights from industry leaders and experts, he examines the economics behind un-manned tills, generational differences in consumer acceptance, and their links to a recent rise in shoplifting. Plus, is automation actually making our lives easier, and what's lost if the personal touch disappears from shopping?Guests:
Julian Metcalfe, founder, Itsu;
Robert Elsey, chief digital and information officer, Co-op
Natalie Berg, retail analyst and host of the Retail Disrupted podcastPresenter: Evan Davis
Producers: Simon Tulett and Eleanor Harrison-Dengate
Sound: Rod Farquhar
Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Matt Willis
The definitive business podcast from the BBC. Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how their businesses work, and what it’s like to be in charge. They discuss a big issue, a big challenge, or a big question facing their industry. From managing AI to managing millennials, from supermarkets to supercharging a new product.And our guests will share their stories of success and failure along the way. Podcasts are published every Thursday. And as well as being a podcast, we are also available every Thursday afternoon and Tuesday evening on BBC Radio 4. You can now also listen to The Bottom Line on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Bottom Line”. It works on most smart speakers.The Bottom Line has published a spin off series - Decisions That Made Me - where Evan asks entrepreneurs and business leaders about the most crucial moments in their lives and careers. You can watch these episodes here: https://t.ly/oJ8lW. Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with Evan and the team on email at bottomline@bbc.co.uk.The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University and is an EcoAudio certified production.
UK