Teneo Insights Podcast

The political landscape of the United Kingdom and the country’s post-Brexit path seems more uncertain than ever. With a domestic leadership crisis and an evolving geopolitical environment characterized by the return of great power rivalry, how is the United Kingdom positioning itself for the challenges yet to come? Lord Hague of Richmond, former British Foreign Secretary and Teneo Senior Advisor joins Kevin Kajiwara for an important discussion on the future of British politics, Britain’s place in the world post-Brexit, the foreign policy issues of the day and the ramifications for global businesses.

Next year promises to be full of political and policy challenges in the United States as the legislative phase of the Biden administration gives way to the regulatory phase. With mid-term elections looming in the fall, the effects of COVID-19, inflation, monetary policy, Supreme Court rulings on "culture war" issues, and international events will be amplified in a polarized and market-sensitive environment. Steve Clemons, Editor-at-Large of The Hill and former Editor-at-Large of The Atlantic, and Orson Porter, Teneo Senior Managing Director and government affairs expert, join Kevin Kajiwara for an important discussion on what to expect on the U.S. political scene heading into the new year.

Teneo’s global team of experts join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an important discussion on critical issues to watch in key regions around the world in 2022. We are pleased to be joined by Jon B. Alterman, Teneo Senior Advisor and Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Antonio Barroso, Teneo Managing Director and expert on Europe; Anne Frühauf, Teneo Managing Director and expert on Southern Africa; Bob Herrera-Lim, Teneo Managing Director and expert on Southeast Asia; Nicholas Watson, Teneo Managing Director and expert on Spanish-speaking Latin America; and Gabriel Wildau, Teneo Senior Vice President and expert on China.

Momentum in the clean energy transition is rising worldwide as governments and corporations attempt to curb their carbon footprint and reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. In the transition to sustainable energy, the supply of critical minerals brings new challenges to energy security. For example, the global race is on to secure steady supplies of lithium, a key component in  electric vehicle manufacturing. As the world’s leader in the electric vehicle market, China currently processes over 50% of the world’s lithium, increasing the urgency for the U.S. to secure indigenous sources of lithium to effectively compete with China and meet electric vehicle targets. Jonathan Evans, CEO and President of Lithium Americas Corp., and Orson Porter, Teneo Senior Managing Director and government affairs expert, join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an important discussion on the renewable energy revolution and the steps the U.S. and other nations must take to become self-sufficient and outmaneuver China in the race to zero.

Few industries have faced greater disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic than the commercial airline industry. As carriers recover and rebuild, they are navigating significant financial and organizational challenges related, in part, to evolving health and safety protocols, technology outages, labor shortages and changes in customer behavior. At the same time, the industry is taking a hard look at its environmental footprint and is actively identifying ways to establish and invest in sustainability priorities – no small feat for an industry that accounts for 3% of global carbon emissions. Amelia DeLuca, Managing Director of Sustainability for Delta Air Lines, and Calin Rovinescu, Teneo Senior Advisor and former President and CEO of Air Canada, join Kevin Kajiwara for a discussion on the future of the global aviation industry, including its post-pandemic recovery, sustainability considerations heading into COP26, and what it all portends for related industries and consumers.

The world has placed vast importance on the COP26 meetings in Glasgow for their role in setting a considerably more ambitious and urgent global climate agenda. But the approach both to this event and emissions reduction more broadly remains fragmented with disparate interests spanning across participating governments, institutions, and corporations. With little consensus on how targets should be set and incentivized, and vast inequality in distribution of resources to achieve these targets, there are many loops to close and hurdles to clear before the world can arrive at a truly impressive and obtainable pathway to zero emissions. Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, joins Monica Frassoni, Teneo Senior Advisor, former MEP and Co-President of the European Green Party, Sarah Ladislaw, Head of the US program at Rocky Mountain Institute, and Michal Meidan, Director of the China Energy Programme at Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, for a lively discussion that addresses three of the most influential markets in the climate debate. Our guests focus on policy and regulatory implications surrounding global climate change literature and COP26, and assess how deeper commitments and greater scrutiny of companies, investments, and government action can shape the path forward.

In just a few days, German voters will decide who will lead the EU’s most powerful economy. With this watershed Bundestag election, Angela Merkel’s 16 years at the chancellery will come to an end. Her story is nothing but extraordinary. Trained as a research chemist in the country’s formerly communist East, Merkel became Germany’s first female chancellor and then rose to Europe’s undisputed leader. How have Germany, the EU and, in fact, the Western alliance changed during the era of her chancellorship? And as Merkel is about to hand over to a yet-to-be-determined successor and a new government, where is the country going domestically, in Europe and as a global power? Award-winning journalist and Merkel biographer Kati Marton and Teneo Managing Director and German political affairs expert Carsten Nickel join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an engaging discussion on the rise, rule and legacy of Angela Merkel -- and what lies ahead for Germany, Europe and the West in the wake of her departure.

The importance of cybersecurity risk management for organizations is being amplified by a stunning tally of highly disruptive and expensive breaches, whether through criminal deployment of ransomware, nation-state actors, hacktivists or insider threat. The pandemic and the subsequent work-from-home environment around the globe has further widened the attack surface, providing a fertile playground for attackers. Cybersecurity must be front-and-center on the agenda for all organizations, not just critical infrastructure. However, many companies are grappling with how to prioritize cybersecurity risk mitigations in the face of a constantly morphing set of threat actors and tactics. Conrad Prince, former Director General for Operations and deputy head of the UK Government’s signals intelligence and cyber security agency (GCHQ), and Rhea Siers, Teneo Senior Advisor and former US National Security Agency’s Deputy Associate Director for Cybersecurity Policy, join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an engaging discussion on the current and evolving state of global cybersecurity risk and the role of the private sector in combating these threats to business operations.

China continues to make business and political headlines as a key influencer on the world stage. One month ago, China celebrated the centennial of the founding of the CCP. Meanwhile, China President Xi Jinping continues to aggressively position an authoritarian China on the international stage – from vaccine diplomacy to the Belt and Road Initiative; posturing over Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea; trade wars and Chinese companies’ access to international capital markets; cyber and data security; and the upcoming 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Teneo’s experts Paul Haenle and Gabriel Wildau joined Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for a wide-ranging discussion on what is at stake for the U.S. and its allies politically, economically and militarily when it comes to negotiating with the juggernaut that is Communist China.

Julia Gillard, the 27th Prime Minister of Australia, joins Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, on the Teneo Insights Webinar Series. Prime Minister Gillard is a seasoned politician, philanthropist, and lawyer by training, and has been a champion throughout her life of women’s empowerment issues on topics ranging from educational equity and access to capital, to supporting women on their journey towards leadership roles.

Following the pandemic-induced shutdown, performing and fine arts organizations across the country are returning. While these institutions are essential elements of cultural and civic life in America, they face daunting logistical, financial, and mission-oriented challenges. Our distinguished panel featuring actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith; Jujamcyn Theaters President Jordan Roth; and American Ballet Theatre Executive Director Kara Barnett, join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an important discussion on the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Michèle Flournoy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Teneo's partner firm WestExec Advisors, Chair of the Center for a New American Security, and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under President Obama, joins Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an in-depth discussion on U.S. national security and defense policy – where we’ve been, where we’re headed and where we need to be.

Ginni Rometty, Teneo Senior Advisor, Co-Chairman of @OneTen and former Chairman, President and CEO of IBM, joins Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for a wide-ranging discussion on the global outlook, from economic growth to the workforce of the future, emerging technologies and the evolving role of corporate leaders in today’s dynamic landscape.

William J. Bratton, Executive Chairman of Teneo’s Risk Advisory practice and former New York City Police Commissioner, and Charles H. Ramsey, Co-Chair of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing and former Philadelphia Police Commissioner, join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an important conversation on the current landscape and the role of corporate America in responding to current events and shaping national policing reforms, including standards around accountability, training, community engagement and transparency.

Juliette Kayyem, Teneo Senior Advisor, faculty Chair of the Homeland Security and Security and Global Health Projects at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and President Obama’s former Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, and Rhea Siers, Teneo Senior Advisor and former Deputy Associate Director for Policy and Senior Representative to the FBI within the National Security Agency, join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an important discussion on the current risk landscape including national security, crisis preparedness and response, and cybersecurity.