The Green Room: Questions that matter most in business

You might have a great idea, but how do you gain supporters?   The strongest innovations don't always succeed. They require commitment from those with the resources to take it to the next level.   So, what does it take to turn "this will work" into "I'll back it"?   In this episode, Sir Danny Alexander, CEO, HSBC Infrastructure Finance and Sustainability, joins Radhika Patel, Healthcare M&A and Corporate Finance Advisor, Deloitte UK, to discuss what turns a promising idea into an innovation worth backing.   Listen to find out:  Why the best ideas don't always win How investors and decision-makers really think Why evidence matters, but judgement still counts   How the wrong supporter can hold you back  Enjoyed this episode? Visit our website to learn more: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts  Find out more about our social impact partner, Groundwork: groundwork.org.uk  Guests: Sir Danny Alexander and Radhika Patel Hosts: Hannah Gowen and Jenny Haskel Recording date and location: London, 14.09.26 

How much certainty do you really need to make a good decision? It might feel easier to wait for clarity before acting, but perhaps opportunity lies in embracing the unknown? Maybe the confidence to do so doesn't mean knowing you'll be right but trusting your decisions along the way. So how can leaders judge decisions by the thinking behind them, rather than the outcome alone?  In this episode, Alex Edmans, professor of finance and author, joins Debo De, chief economist at Deloitte UK, to discuss how businesses can confidently navigate uncertainty.  Listen to find out: Why a good decision can still lead to a bad outcome How leaders can avoid overconfidence Why flexibility beats perfect planning How embracing adversity can unlock opportunity Enjoyed this episode? Visit our website to learn more: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Find out more about our social impact partner, Trussell. Guests: Alex Edmans and Debo De Hosts: Oli Carpenter and Hannah Gowen Original music: Ali Barrett Recording date and location: London, 07.09.26

It's not always the grandest idea or loudest voice in the room that shapes the future.   Breakthroughs often begin with someone willing to see possibilities others overlook. Someone who questions the status quo and is curious about why things happen. But do businesses create the conditions to support those pioneers and allow their ideas to become progress? In this episode, Anne-Marie Imafidon, co-founder and CEO of Stemettes, joins Scott Campbell, AI Advantage partner at Deloitte, to challenge the myth of lone visionaries and explore what truly makes a pioneer.   Listen to find out:  Why curiosity needs discipline   Why pioneers aren't always lone mavericks How to keep going when an idea feels impossible How to get your idea heard   Enjoyed this episode? Visit our website to learn more: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts  Find out more about social impact partner, Teach First: teachfirst.org.uk   Guests: Anne-Marie Imafidon and Scott Campbell  Hosts: Steph Dobbs and Gerry Popova   Original music: Ali Barrett  Recording date and location: London, 19.08.26 

Artificial intelligence is changing how we work, how businesses grow and how countries compete. When you look back at history, every generation has a technology that changes everything. Steam. Electricity. The Internet. So technology transformation isn't new. But as we face the latest challenge, is the UK ready? In this series finale of The Green Room, we bring together experts from past episodes to explore what readiness really means. For people, for organisations and for the country as a whole. From skills and trust to energy, infrastructure and investment, this episode looks beyond the hype to the choices that will shape the UK's AI future. Tune in to find out: Why AI readiness is about more than technology How businesses can move from experimentation to adoption at scale Why trust, leadership and skills could decide how much value AI creates Why compute, energy and infrastructure are central to the UK's AI ambitions What it will take for people, businesses and regions across the UK to benefit This episode is the finale of The Green Room's series exploring the AI opportunity for the UK. Listen back to the full series wherever you get your podcasts, starting with our 100th episode: What will be the last job on earth? Visit our website to learn more about this topic and find suggestions for other episodes: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Featuring guests: Anne-Marie Malley, Ben Legg, Bruce Daisley, Kate Sweeney, Sharon Hague, Oliver Seal, Mike Manby, Kate O'Neill, Julia Lo Bue-Said, Tom Astill, Simon McDougall, Avtar Benning, Caroline Brown, Tom Cope, Carol Yan and Tom Harris. Host: Jenny Haskel Original music: Ali Barrett This episode was recorded in London on 13 July 2026. Featuring clips from episode 94 (recorded November 2025) and episodes 100 to 106 (recorded between February and July 2026) – all recorded in London.

We use AI in a digital world - but its future may depend on the physical one. Behind every prompt, agent and model, sits a system that needs to be built, funded and powered. And as organisations and countries race to adopt AI, the demand for access is accelerating. So could a technology that's built to allow limitless thinking, end up limited by a country's network and ability to build? Because the future of AI depends on compute capacity. That depends on infrastructure. And that depends on energy. And it's those elements which determine the price we all pay to use it. Tune in to find out: Why AI is creating a new race for energy and infrastructure Why data centres could become a strategic resource How energy-intensive AI could also help solve sustainability challenges Why the future of AI depends on decisions being made today This episode is part of The Green Room's series exploring the AI future for the UK. Listen to the full series now, starting with our 100th episode: What will be the last job on earth? Visit our website to learn more about this topic and find suggestions for other episodes: deloitte.co.uk/greenroompodcasts Secure your place at Deloitte's crucial national conference, UK Energy Transition: Building Resilience, Accelerating Delivery. Find out more about AbilityNet, one of Deloitte's Social Impact partners: abilitynet.org.uk  Guests: Caroline Brown, Partner in AI for Infrastructure and Sustainability at Deloitte, and Tom Cope, Partner in Deloitte's Infrastructure and Capital Projects team Hosts: Oli Carpenter and Hannah Gowen Original music: Ali Barrett Recording date and location: London, 01.07.26