The International Risk Podcast

Dominic Bowen
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Welcome to The International Risk Podcast — the premier destination for high-level insights into global risk dynamics. Hosted by Dominic Bowen, an accomplished senior advisor, each episode delivers expert analysis and actionable intelligence on today’s most pressing international risks. From geopolitical tensions and economic upheavals to cybersecurity threats and environmental challenges, we bring clarity to the complex risks shaping our world. Tailored for CEOs, Board Members, senior managers, and risk professionals, our weekly episodes are essential listening for those making strategic decisions in volatile environments. With distinguished guests from diverse sectors and geographies — including renowned industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders — we provide a multidimensional perspective, equipping you with insights to stay ahead of emerging threats and capitalize on new opportunities. Our host, Dominic Bowen, is a senior business leader, and Partner at 2Secure where he is Head of Strategic Advisory and leads a team of senior management consultants and advisors. Join us for engaging, thought-provoking conversations that go beyond the headlines. Stay informed, stay ahead, and transform the way you perceive and manage international risks. The International Risk Podcast is not just a podcast; it’s is crucial listening for today's leaders.

  1. 6H AGO

    Episode 331: Hypersonic Missiles, Nuclear Deterrence and the New Arms Race

    In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Ankit Panda, Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon. The conversation moves beyond the hype to examine the structural drivers of today’s nuclear competition, ranging from missile defence and deep precision strike capabilities to AI-enabled intelligence systems and shifting alliance politics. Find Ankit Panda’s book The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon here: https://www.amazon.com/New-Nuclear-Age-Precipice-Armageddon/dp/1509557466 Tell us what you liked!

    28 min

  2. 2D AGO

    Episode 330: Current State of Sudan in 2026

    This episode with Hamid Khalafallah examines the current state of Sudan’s civil war beyond shifting battlefield developments. We explore how patterns of territorial control have altered the structure of authority across the country, why governance capacity remains limited even where military advances have occurred, and how elite bargaining and the “political marketplace” logic have become further militarised. The discussion considers how prolonged conflict has reshaped civilian survival strategies, how grassroots organisations continue to sustain humanitarian response amid institutional collapse, and what Sudan’s trajectory suggests about fragmentation, regional spillover, and the risks of reconstruction without political settlement. Hamid Khalafallah is a PhD researcher at the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester, where he focuses on grassroots movements and political transitions across Africa. He has worked extensively in Sudan with international organisations on governance and development and has been an active participant in Sudan’s pro-democracy movement. His research examines participatory governance, elite bargaining, state fragility, and the political economy of conflict in Sudan and the wider region. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Conducttr offers crisis exercising software for corporates, consultants, humanitarian, and defence & security clients. Visit Conducttr to learn more. Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates! Tell us what you liked!

    33 min

  3. 5D AGO

    Episode 329: Inside Russia's War: Strategy, Technology and the Future of Security with Elizabeth Bullock

    This episode with Elizabeth Bullock examines the lived reality of Russia’s modern warfare, drawing on her three years working in frontline Ukraine.From evacuating civilians under fire to navigating the evolving threats of drones, hypersonic missiles, and weaponised infrastructure, Elizabeth provides an unflinching look at how war shapes both society and strategy and what it reveals about the future of global security. Tell us what you liked!

    36 min

  4. FEB 25

    Episode 328: Food Security and Systemic Resilience: National Preparedness in Globally Integrated Food Systems with Tim Lang

    In this episode of The International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Professor Tim Lang about food security as a systemic risk embedded within highly interdependent global supply, trade, and governance networks. The conversation explores how deeply integrated supply chains, energy dependency, trade regimes, and regulation shape national food resilience in an era of climate volatility and geopolitical disruption. Find out more about how efficiency-driven “just-in-time” models prioritised cost reduction over redundancy, leaving food systems exposed to cascading shocks. The discussion explores how export controls, regulatory divergence, and concentrated supply chains redistribute risk rather than contain it, and why national governments remain accountable for outcomes they no longer fully control. The episode also examines the tension between sovereignty and shared governance, particularly within the EU, and considers whether existing risk assessment tools are calibrated for systemic disruption rather than isolated supply failures. Finally, the conversation turns to civil preparedness and strategic exposure: whether food is treated as critical infrastructure, how geopolitical competition is reshaping access to staples and inputs, and which indicators policymakers should monitor as climate stress and political fragmentation intensify pressures on global food governance. Tell us what you liked!

    23 min

  5. FEB 23

    Episode 327: Hypersonic Missiles and Global Strategy: Implications for Hegemony, Arms Control, and Systemic Security with Dr Jacob Parakilas

    This episode of the International Risk Podcast explores hypersonic missiles through the lens of global strategy, defense policy, and international security. Host Dominic Bowen interviews Dr. Jacob Parakilas from Rand Europe about what makes hypersonic weapons strategically significant beyond their speed. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Conducttr offers crisis exercising software for corporates, consultants, humanitarian, and defence & security clients. Visit Conducttr to learn more. Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates! Tell us what you liked!

    33 min

  6. FEB 20

    Episode 326: Iran Under Pressure: Economic Strain, Political Stability, and Regional Risk with Professor Djavad Salehi-Isfahani

    This episode with Professor Djavad Salehi-Isfahani examines how prolonged sanctions, inflation, and structural economic stagnation have reshaped Iran’s political economy. We explore how comprehensive sanctions since 2011 constrained oil revenues and fiscal capacity, why inflation and currency depreciation have reinforced one another over time, and how these pressures have affected poverty, middle-class security, and youth prospects. The discussion considers why sustained economic hardship has not translated into political collapse, how ideology and fear of instability contribute to regime resilience, and what the Iranian case suggests about the limits of economic coercion as a tool of statecraft. Professor Salehi-Isfahani is Professor of Economics at Virginia Tech. He received his PhD from Harvard University and has previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania. He is Managing Editor of the Middle East Development Journal and a Research Fellow at the Economic Research Forum in Cairo. His research focuses on labour markets, inequality, youth unemployment, and the economic consequences of sanctions and policy reform in the Middle East. The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Conducttr offers crisis exercising software for corporates, consultants, humanitarian, and defence & security clients. Visit Conducttr to learn more. Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Follow us on LinkedIn and Subscribe for all our updates! Tell us what you liked!

    31 min

  7. FEB 17

    Episode 325: BRICS and the Economic Role of Emerging Global Powers with Mihaela Papa

    In this episode host Dominic Bowen unpacks the growing influence, and mounting challenges, facing BRICS as the bloc expands and expectations rise with Mihaela Papa. From Brazil’s 2025 presidency and AI regulation to climate finance, payment systems, and the realities of de-dollarisation, the discussion cuts through the headlines to examine what BRICS+ is actually delivering, and where structural risks remain. The episode also explores cooperation among expanded members, tensions around UN reform, and what meaningful success could look like in 2026. Mihaela Papa is Director of Research and a Principal Research Scientist at the Center for International Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she leads the BRICS Lab. Previously, she led the Rising Power Alliances project and taught sustainable development and global governance at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. She has published extensively on geopolitics, BRICS convergence, BRICS-US relations, and questions of global leadership, and climate diplomacy. Her analysis and commentary have appeared in World Politics Review, Foreign Affairs, and The Conversation, as well as on Bloomberg, BBC, CNN, News 24, the South China Morning Post, and other media outlets.  The International Risk Podcast brings you conversations with global experts, frontline practitioners, and senior decision-makers who are shaping how we understand and respond to international risk. From geopolitical volatility and organised crime, to cybersecurity threats and hybrid warfare, each episode explores the forces transforming our world and what smart leaders must do to navigate them. Whether you’re a board member, policymaker, or risk professional, The International Risk Podcast delivers actionable insights, sharp analysis, and real-world stories that matter. The International Risk Podcast is sponsored by Conducttr, a realistic crisis exercise platform. Conducttr offers crisis exercising software for corporates, consultants, humanitarian, and defence & security clients. Visit Conducttr to learn more. Dominic Bowen is the host of The International Risk Podcast and Europe’s leading expert on international risk and crisis management. As Head of Strategic Advisory and Partner at one of Europe’s leading risk management consulting firms, Dominic advises CEOs, boards, and senior executives across the continent on how to prepare for uncertainty and act with intent. He has spent decades working in war zones, advising multinational companies, and supporting Europe’s business leaders. Dominic is the go-to business advisor for leaders navigating risk, crisis, and strategy; trusted for his clarity, calmness under pressure, and ability to turn volatility into competitive advantage. Dominic equips today’s business leaders with the insight and confidence to lead through disruption and deliver sustained strategic advantage. The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge. Subscribe for all our updates! Tell us what you liked!

    27 min

  8. FEB 15

    Episode 324: Syria’s Shifting Identity and Political Landscape with Ola Rifai

    In this episode of the International Risk Podcast, Dominic Bowen speaks with Dr Ola Rifai about the evolution of Syrian identity and how competing narratives of nationalism, sectarianism, and statehood have shaped the country’s political trajectory before and after 2011. Find out more about how identity was managed under the Assad regime, how sectarianisation unfolded differently in cities such as Homs and Damascus, and why collective memory, displacement, and institutional weakness continue to influence Syria’s fragile post-conflict landscape. The conversation also examines citizenship, state formation, and the structural challenges of rebuilding trust between communities after prolonged violence. Dr Rifai explores whether a unified Syrian national identity can be reconstructed, and what role education, transitional justice, and institutional reform will play in that process. Finally, they discuss the regional and geopolitical dimensions of Syria’s transformation, the risks posed by unresolved identity fractures, and the indicators policymakers and risk professionals should monitor as Syria navigates its next phase. Tell us what you liked!

    29 min
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5
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About

Welcome to The International Risk Podcast — the premier destination for high-level insights into global risk dynamics. Hosted by Dominic Bowen, an accomplished senior advisor, each episode delivers expert analysis and actionable intelligence on today’s most pressing international risks. From geopolitical tensions and economic upheavals to cybersecurity threats and environmental challenges, we bring clarity to the complex risks shaping our world. Tailored for CEOs, Board Members, senior managers, and risk professionals, our weekly episodes are essential listening for those making strategic decisions in volatile environments. With distinguished guests from diverse sectors and geographies — including renowned industry experts, policymakers, and thought leaders — we provide a multidimensional perspective, equipping you with insights to stay ahead of emerging threats and capitalize on new opportunities. Our host, Dominic Bowen, is a senior business leader, and Partner at 2Secure where he is Head of Strategic Advisory and leads a team of senior management consultants and advisors. Join us for engaging, thought-provoking conversations that go beyond the headlines. Stay informed, stay ahead, and transform the way you perceive and manage international risks. The International Risk Podcast is not just a podcast; it’s is crucial listening for today's leaders.

Information

  • Creator
    Dominic Bowen
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    332
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The International Risk Podcast
  • Show Website
    The International Risk Podcast

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