Heads Talk ®

Elaine Pringle Schwitter
  • 5.0 (221)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Heads Talk® A Fly on the Boardroom Wall Heads Talk® is a top 0.5% global executive podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with FTSE 100 and S&P 500 CEOs, C-Suite executives, and leaders of global institutions. Each episode examines the nexus rerum of boardrooms and statecraft, where corporate strategy, geopolitics, and global markets converge, and where decisions carry real-world consequence. Through direct dialogue with the heads of leading multinational organisations, Heads Talk® offers a rare, unfiltered perspective on the forces shaping business, finance, technology, and world affairs. Featured guests include CSuite executives from organisations such as Alphabet, AWS, Boeing, Deloitte, EY, HSBC, IBM, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Pfizer, Salesforce, Shell, Siemens, UBS, Verizon, Zurich Insurance, and many more. Join the conversation.  Become #AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall. #HeadsTalk

  1. 285 - Louise Hill, CEO: Power Series, GoHenry - From Literacy to Agency to Power

    3D AGO

    285 - Louise Hill, CEO: Power Series, GoHenry - From Literacy to Agency to Power

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇬🇧From Literacy to Agency to Power🇬🇧 Today we have a guest returning to Heads Talk: Louise, CEO of GoHenry and one of the leading pioneers in ensuring financial literacy is accessible to children. I spotted her recent LinkedIn post on financial education entering the UK school curriculum and jumped at the chance to have her back on the show. It was a pleasure speaking with Louise again. Do check out her first episode #188 on Heads Talk for more on her journey and the foundations of her work. Louise returns to Heads Talk at a pivotal moment. But this conversation goes far beyond curriculum change. We explore a bigger shift: from teaching children about money, to equipping them with the agency and power to navigate, and especially question, financial systems in an AI-driven world. From GoHenry’s evolving role to the global realities of financial behaviour, this episode challenges a simple assumption: is financial literacy enough anymore? Topics Covered: ◽️ UK schools embedding financial education into the curriculum and what this signals ◽️ From literacy to agency to power: redefining financial capability ◽️ The evolving role of GoHenry alongside formal education ◽️ AI and decision-making: does financial literacy need to evolve? ◽️ Teaching children to manage money vs question financial systems ◽️ Designing education for an AI-driven future ◽️ Global perspectives: how attitudes to money differ across markets ◽️ Keeping pace with innovation: digital currencies and AI tools ◽️ Financial inclusion: reaching underserved families and shifting power ◽️ Collaboration between government, schools and industry ◽️ What will define financial empowerment for the next generation So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Great British Cuppa Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 ◽️Episode Sponsored by - Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 Partnership with:  ◽️Money20/20 Europe  Link to Louise's First Episode No. 188 here ABOUT THE HOST GoHenry's Website here Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    51 min
  2. Heads Talk - The Analysis - Professor Simon Evenett's 284 Episode: Dr. Jakob Schaad's Analysis

    5D AGO ·  BONUS

    Heads Talk - The Analysis - Professor Simon Evenett's 284 Episode: Dr. Jakob Schaad's Analysis

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Heads Talk - The Analysis In this inaugural edition of The Analysis, part of Heads Talk®: Nexus Rerum: Boardrooms & Statecraft, we extend the conversation beyond the principal exchange. 1 or 2 consequential questions from the main episode are placed before a second distinguished voice. An individual deeply embedded in the worlds of business, policy, or geopolitics. Their role is not merely to respond, but to interrogate: to examine the framing of the question, challenge its assumptions, and surface the deeper strategic and intellectual currents that may otherwise remain unspoken. This is expert analysis, a companion discussion that offers a more deliberate and expansive reflection, where ideas are tested, perspectives are sharpened, and the dialogue evolves beyond its original bounds. What you will hear is a continuation, not a repetition. A considered counterpoint. A deeper reading of the question at hand, a nuance. We hope you find The Analysis  both illuminating and indispensable as part of the broader Heads Talk experience. In this episode, we feature Dr. Jakob Schaad’s analysis of Episode 284 with Simon Evenett, The Great Upheaval, focusing on Questions 2 and 8. Question 2 — The Corporate–State Merger: Are we moving towards a model in which the distinction between state power and corporate power becomes largely symbolic? Question 8 — Naming the Era Beyond “Isms”: What might historians ultimately call this era? Further enquiries or to connect with Dr Schaad: jakob@schaadadvisor.ch ABOUT THE HOST Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    22 min
  3. 284 - Simon Evenett, Professor, Co-Chair: Power Series, IMD - The Great Upheaval

    6D AGO

    284 - Simon Evenett, Professor, Co-Chair: Power Series, IMD - The Great Upheaval

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇨🇭The Great Upheaval🇬🇧 We kickstart the new series on Heads Talk® with a guest I’ve been wanting on the show for quite some time — and it was absolutely worth the wait. This is also the longest episode we’ve recorded, yet it felt anything but. Early morning recording, sharp thinking, and a conversation packed with insight from start to finish. I’m joined by Simon J. Evenett, Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy at IMD and one of the foremost experts on international trade and investment. Known for cutting through the gap between theory and reality, Simon has spent decades advising governments, global firms, and institutions on navigating economic and geopolitical complexity. This episode sets the tone for the series:- candid, hard-hitting, direct, unfiltered., leaving no stones unturned. We unpack what Simon describes as The Great Upheaval: a world where the narrative of open markets collides with the reality of state-driven strategy, where assumptions about globalisation, risk, and economic order are being rewritten in real time. A strong opening to the series and one that delivers clarity, challenge, and more than a few lines worth revisiting for soundbites. Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Trade and Investment  Topics Covered: ◽️ Everyone talks about open markets… but what if they were never truly open? ◽️ The widening gap between global trade rhetoric and reality ◽️ From hidden protectionism to overt economic confrontation ◽️ “Liberation Day” tariffs: a turning point in modern trade dynamics ◽️ Why the “level playing field” is more aspiration than reality ◽️ The growing entanglement between governments and global firms ◽️ Weaponisation of interdependence:- finance, supply chains, and technology ◽️ Fragility in global systems: risk, resilience, and strategic blind spots ◽️ AI, employment, and the future economic settlement ◽️ The end of specialisation - entering The Great Upheaval So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peach Soda Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 Episode Sponsored by ◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 Journal of International Business Policy here ABOUT THE HOST #AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall #HTPowerSeries #HeadsTalkPodcast Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    1h 45m
  4. 283 - Geoffrey Williams, IH: Howlett Brown - Workplace Culture as a Misunderstood Force

    APR 13

    283 - Geoffrey Williams, IH: Howlett Brown - Workplace Culture as a Misunderstood Force

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see HeadsTalk Monday Audiograms on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇬🇧Workplace Culture as a Misunderstood Force🇬🇧 Everyone claims culture matters… until it starts challenging how things really work Before we kickstart the brand new series on Heads Talk® (coming soon...) , we bring you a special episode today. I had an insightful & wide-ranging conversation with my guest on one of the most talked-about yet often misunderstood elements of modern organisations: Culture. Not just what it is, but how it forms, how it shifts, and whether it can ever truly be engineered or “bottled” in a meaningful way. Geoffrey Williams is a cultural strategist and leadership advisor with over 25 years of global experience across business, fashion, media, and social impact. Having held senior roles at organisations including Burberry, Dr. Martens, and Thomson Reuters, he has worked closely with C-suite leaders to navigate reputation, talent, and organisational alignment, helping them rethink culture as a driver of performance, resilience, and long-term value. In this conversation, we step back from the noise and look at the fundamentals: how culture shapes decision-making, why organisations struggle to align strategy with reality, and what it takes to build environments where people and performance can genuinely thrive. A thoughtful, grounded discussion with practical insight and just enough challenge to reframe how you see the organisations you lead or work within. Topics Covered: ◽️The uncomfortable truth about culture: what organisations say vs what actually happens ◽️Why strategy often looks good on paper but breaks down in practice ◽️Culture as an invisible force shaping decisions, behaviour, and outcomes ◽️The illusion of alignment and why most organisations are more fragmented than they think ◽️Are we losing the human edge in the pursuit of efficiency and scale? ◽️Reputation in the age of transparency: can organisations really hide anymore? ◽️Leadership blind spots: the unintended consequences of decisions at the top ◽️Profit vs responsibility: where should the line really be drawn? ◽️The next generation ready for the workplace, or walking into a system that isn’t ready for them? Sponsored Episode ABOUT THE HOST #HeadsTalk Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    1h 2m
  5. 282 - Erik Solheim, Chief Negotiator, Diplomat, Minister, Political Figure: Special New Years Episode - Norway Government & Multiple Boards - Happy New Year? Not So Greenꪶꪖꪀᦔ on International Law

    JAN 12

    282 - Erik Solheim, Chief Negotiator, Diplomat, Minister, Political Figure: Special New Years Episode - Norway Government & Multiple Boards - Happy New Year? Not So Greenꪶꪖꪀᦔ on International Law

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see HeadsTalk Monday Audiograms on LinkedIn Episode Title:🇳🇴Happy New Year? Not So Greenꪶꪖꪀᦔ on International Law🇳🇴 Heads Talk® is currently on a scheduled break, but this episode was released out of necessity. The timing, severity, and geopolitical significance of recent events made this a conversation that could not wait. My guest, Erik Solheim, is no stranger to the Executive Podcast. A statesman, former Norwegian minister, chief negotiator, and diplomat, Erik has led peace processes, shaped global environmental policy, and worked at the highest levels of international governance. Few voices are better placed to offer clarity at this moment. This episode is a candid  analytical debate about where the world is heading, what has changed, and what we should realistically look forward to. It examines geopolitics as it is, not as we wish it to be, and how nations, institutions, and citizens navigate an increasingly uncertain global landscape. Serious questions, serious counsel, but also clarity, perspective, and a reminder that understanding is still our first line of defence. Topics Covered: ◽️Greenland's Strategic Importance and Arctic Question of Sovereignty, Self-Determination and Great-Power Pressure ◽️Greenland, a Systemic Stress Test. What It Reveals About the Resilience of the Global Order ◽️Cracks in the Post-1945 System, Weakening of Territorial Integrity and Non-Interference ◽️Decline of Soft Power. Why Reputational and Normative Deterrence No Longer Restrain States ◽️Disruption in US Foreign Policy, Reshaping of Global Norms Through Power Projection ◽️Psychological Signalling in Geopolitics, How Fear, Symbolism and Messaging Shape Outcomes ◽️International Law, Borders and Sovereignty as Foundations of Global Stability ◽️Venezuela as a Test Case for Intervention, Resources and Regional Power Dynamics ◽️Multipolar Reality as the US, China, Russia and India Recalibrate Influence ◽️Arctic Dimension, Russia’s Strategic Interests in a Warming, Contested Region ◽️US Strategy in Latin America and China’s Expanding Influence Across the Global South ◽️LATAM’s Reassessment of External Engagement in a Shifting Global Landscape ◽️Institutional Hollowing and Whether NATO, the UN and Others Still Constrain Power ◽️Europe at a Strategic Crossroads. Challenge of Autonomy, Confidence and Global Relevance ◽️Future of the World Order and Whether the Erosion of the Current System Is a Risk, a Reset, Welcomed or an Inevitable Evolution Erik's recent post discussed here:-  NB: Audio quality varies slightly: recorded from different locations across the globe. Given the urgency, it was a conversation worth having now. Series Sponsored by: ◽️Accxia ABOUT THE HOST #HeadTalks #He Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    1h 17m
  6. 281 - Chris Gant, Craig Walker, Eddie Short, ex-Big 4 Partners & CSuites: Veles Consulting - Economics of Advice - The Changing Role of Management Consultants in the Professional Services Industry

    12/14/2025

    281 - Chris Gant, Craig Walker, Eddie Short, ex-Big 4 Partners & CSuites: Veles Consulting - Economics of Advice - The Changing Role of Management Consultants in the Professional Services Industry

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see Heads Talk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇬🇧Economics of Advice - The Changing Role of Management Consultants in the Professional Services Industry🇬🇧 🌎PLEASE NOTE HEADS TALK HAS TAKEN A BREAK AND WILL BE BACK EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR.  This special end-of-year episode of Heads Talk® I am joined by three gentlemen I’ve known for decades, former colleagues, industry peers, and each a respected voice in the evolution of consulting. In the spirit of the season, you might even say I’ve gathered three wise men to help us navigate where professional services go next in the age of AI. Craig Walker, Chris Gant, Eddie Short: Between them, they’ve led major global transformations, shaped technology strategy in the Big 4 (KPMG, EY, Deloitte), and held C-suite, board and leadership roles across organisations such as Shell, O2, Capgemini, Salesforce, and more. Now, they’ve come together to build a new kind of consulting firm: lean, senior-led, and AI-era ready:- Veles Consulting. This conversation isn’t about automation or incremental efficiency. It’s about reinvention - the new economics of advice, the erosion and rebuilding of trust, and whether agile boutiques are truly challenging the Big Firm model… or simply rewriting the rules with smarter tools. As one of my final episodes of 2025, with Christmas around the corner, it felt only fitting to close the year in conversation with three people I’ve known, respected, and collaborated with for years. It’s a sharp, lively, insider discussion about what consulting was, what it is, and what it must become in the age of agentic AI. Stay tuned. This one lands with impact!! Topics Covered: ◽️ Is the Traditional Consulting Model Broken? What Changed from the 80s, 90s, 2000s? ◽️ Why Trust Is the Defining Issue of AI Adoption and Has Consulting Lost It? ◽️ Reinvention vs Redefinition: What AI Truly Means for Professional Services Today ◽️ Eight C-Suite Commandments for AI-Powered Consulting ◽️ How AI Changes the Economics of Consulting including Margins, Fee Models, Staffing and Scope ◽️ Rise of Senior-Led Boutiques: Myth or Material Shift? ◽️ Case Studies Where Boutiques Have Outperformed Big Four Incumbents ◽️ Should Global Banks, Energy Majors and Others Trust Boutiques with Critical Systems? ◽️ Agentic AI and Accountability: Who Owns the Chain of Risk? ◽️ Continuity and Scalability When the Delivery Model Relies on Senior Operators ◽️ What Does a Consulting Firm Become When AI Reasons, Designs and Decides for Clients? So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Mulled Cider Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 Episode Sponsor ◽️Accxia ABOUT THE HOST Contact the Veles Consulting Team HERE Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    1h 31m
  7. 280 - Felipe Schwartzmann, SVP: BRICS Series, Genesys - As Intelligence Anchors into Infrastructure the Real Power of Cloud and AI Emerges

    11/30/2025

    280 - Felipe Schwartzmann, SVP: BRICS Series, Genesys - As Intelligence Anchors into Infrastructure the Real Power of Cloud and AI Emerges

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇨🇱As Intelligence Anchors into Infrastructure the Real Power of Cloud and AI Emerges🇨🇱 As we close this year’s BRICS & Geopolitics Series on Heads Talk®, I’m delighted to introduce a conversation with a guest who is right at the centre of one of the most urgent themes of recent months: keeping a true ‘Human in the Loop’ as technology accelerates around us. It was an incredibly fluid and engaging exchange, and I encourage you to listen closely to the insights he shared. Felipe Schwartzmann is the Senior Vice President for LATAM and the Caribbean at Genesys, where he has led the region to standout performance and earned recognition as the company’s Global Sales Leader of the Year. With more than two decades of experience, Felipe brings a rare blend of commercial acuity, technological depth, and a real commitment to customer-centred innovation. Earlier in his career, he held senior commercial and sales leadership roles across the region, building sophisticated go-to-market models, launching cloud CX platforms, and steering large-scale enterprise transformations. Topics Covered: ◽️ The evolution of cloud as the new intelligence layer of business ◽️ Agentic AI and the shift toward autonomous, context-aware decision systems ◽️ LATAM’s accelerated cloud and AI adoption and its distinct innovation patterns ◽️ Financial-sector cloud transformation and the new foundations of digital trust ◽️ Data localisation, AI governance and the geopolitics of distributed cloud ◽️ BRICS-aligned cloud and AI ecosystems and the race for technological independence ◽️ AI as the new electricity: everywhere and nowhere at the same time ◽️ Trust, explainability and human oversight as core pillars of enterprise AI ◽️ The future of cloud and AI in 2035 and the co-evolution of humans and digital agents So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peppy Mint Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 Episode Sponsored by ◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 ABOUT THE HOST Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    44 min
  8. 279 - Christiano Branco, International Trade Specialist: BRICS Series, Indo-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce - Business Diplomacy and the Trade Diplomat Mindset

    11/23/2025

    279 - Christiano Branco, International Trade Specialist: BRICS Series, Indo-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce - Business Diplomacy and the Trade Diplomat Mindset

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇧🇷Business Diplomacy and the Trade Diplomat Mindset🇮🇳🇮🇩 Another engaging episode in the BRICS & Geopolitics Series on Heads Talk®. This week, we take a look into the Brazil/India/Indonesia axis, exploring how trade corridors across the Global South are accelerating, recalibrating influence and quietly reshaping the global economic order.  It is a conversation about shifting sands, strategic alignments & the emerging power of South-South cooperation. We look at the evolving architecture of BRICS, the role of the new entrants and how business diplomacy is becoming a central instrument of economic statecraft. We also touch on digital payment systems such as Brazil’s PIX and India’s UPI, and what these innovations signal about where financial leadership may be heading. Christiano Branco joins me for this discussion. He is a senior international trade and investment specialist, currently serving as Commercial Director at both the Indo-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Indonesia-Brazil Chamber. His work spans key sectors and major markets, helping businesses navigate market entry, investment flows and bilateral partnerships. He has previously served at the Consulate General of India in São Paulo and is the founder of ENKEI Consultancy, advising organisations on Brazilian market strategy. Christiano’s experience extends across major multilateral forums including BRICS, the G20 and the Global Agribusiness Forum. Topics Covered: ◽️ Brazil’s evolving role in the new Global South growth corridor ◽️ Business diplomacy as a catalyst for trust, trade, and strategic influence ◽️ The rising importance of the Brazil-India economic axis ◽️ Innovation-led South–South trade in fintech, agri-tech, and digital services ◽️ The future of BRICS trade architecture and financial independence ◽️ Southeast Asia’s growing influence in Latin America - Asia cooperation ◽️ Supply-chain resilience and risk management across emerging markets ◽️ Sustainability as an economic differentiator for the Global South ◽️ The trajectory and challenges of next-generation Global South alliances So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Peppy Mint Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 Episode Sponsored by ◽️Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 ABOUT THE HOST Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    53 min
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About

Heads Talk® A Fly on the Boardroom Wall Heads Talk® is a top 0.5% global executive podcast, featuring in-depth conversations with FTSE 100 and S&P 500 CEOs, C-Suite executives, and leaders of global institutions. Each episode examines the nexus rerum of boardrooms and statecraft, where corporate strategy, geopolitics, and global markets converge, and where decisions carry real-world consequence. Through direct dialogue with the heads of leading multinational organisations, Heads Talk® offers a rare, unfiltered perspective on the forces shaping business, finance, technology, and world affairs. Featured guests include CSuite executives from organisations such as Alphabet, AWS, Boeing, Deloitte, EY, HSBC, IBM, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Pfizer, Salesforce, Shell, Siemens, UBS, Verizon, Zurich Insurance, and many more. Join the conversation.  Become #AFlyOnTheBoardroomWall. #HeadsTalk

Information

  • Creator
    Elaine Pringle Schwitter
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    287
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Elaine Pringle Schwitter
  • Show Website
    Heads Talk ®

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