Heads Talk ®

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

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 #AFlyOnTheCabinetRoomWall #HeadsTalk

  1. 288 - Marcel Lukas, Vice Dean: Power Series, St Andrews University - The New Power Equation: Who Thinks, Who Learns, Who Leads

    2D AGO

    288 - Marcel Lukas, Vice Dean: Power Series, St Andrews University - The New Power Equation: Who Thinks, Who Learns, Who Leads

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇬🇧The New Power Equation: Who Thinks, Who Learns, Who Leads🇩🇪 Another wonderful episode of Heads Talk® today for the #HTPowerSeries. At the end of this discussion, I said to my guest that this was one of my favourite episodes of the show, and I sincerely hope we have another conversation together in the future. I genuinely implore you to have a listen. Vice Dean Marcel Lukas of St Andrews University delivered for this series in so many ways. We managed to discuss Kahneman and Tversky’s Prospect Theory, which absolutely delighted me, as the last time I had discussed it in any depth was during my Masters/MSc in Statistics. It was genuinely refreshing to speak with someone who discussed their work with the same enthusiasm and appreciation that I have always held for it. This episode was filled with knowledge bombs and real coal-face insight into higher education, the system, AI, and the challenges institutions are navigating today. We explored the education race and who is really winning it. Due to Marcel’s commercial background prior to academia, we also ventured into the power game, financial markets, incentives, and the realities shaping decision-making today. Fascinating, thought-provoking, and thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. Now, let’s talk about Marcel himself: He is Vice Dean of Executive Education and Senior Lecturer in Banking and Finance at the University of St Andrews. His work explores financial behaviour in a digital world, focusing on how individuals and families engage with money, fintech, and decision-making in increasingly complex systems. Alongside his academic research, which informs policy and regulatory thinking, Marcel advises senior leaders on emerging technologies and the future of financial systems, drawing on a unique career that spans both academia and major global industry transformation programmes. Topics Covered: ◽️ Is Traditional Education Still a Form of Power in the Modern Age? ◽️ Shift from Knowledge to Networks, Capital, Technology, and Algorithms ◽️ Universities, Institutional Purpose, and the Production of Independent Thinkers ◽️ The Meaning of Being “Educated” in a World of AI and Constant Change ◽️ Intellectual Judgement, Ethics, and Discernment in the Age of AI and Misinformation ◽️ Education Race and the Global Competition for Talent ◽️ Illusion of Meritocracy and Unequal Access to Elite Education Systems ◽️ Rise of Interdisciplinary Thinking in Leadership, Strategy, and Policy Formation ◽️ St Andrews as a Case Study in Research, Finance, and Behavioural Insight ◽️ Behavioural Finance and the Invisible Architecture of Economic Influence ◽️ Kahneman, Tversky, and How Humans Actually Make Financial Decisions ◽️ Narratives, Expectations, and Belief as Drivers of Modern Markets ◽️ Central Banks, Forward Guidance, and the Strategic Use of Signalling ◽️ Psychology as a Core Driver of Economic Systems and Global Markets ◽️ Financial Systems, Human Behaviour, and the New Centres of Influence ◽️ Asia, the Knowledge Economy, and the Shifting Geography of Intellectual Power ◽️ From Institutions to Networks: Where Real Influence Will Sit Next ◽️ Whether Future Power Belongs to Institutions, Networks, or Algorithms So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Spicy Marg Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 ◽️Episode Sponsored by - Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 Partnership with:  ◽️Money20/20 Europe  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 15m
  2. 287 - John Amaechi OBE, Professor: Power Series, University of Exeter - Psychological Power and Generational Warfare

    MAY 17

    287 - John Amaechi OBE, Professor: Power Series, University of Exeter - Psychological Power and Generational Warfare

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇬🇧Psychological Power & Generational Warfare🇬🇧 I have been savouring the release of this episode on Heads Talk for quite some time. It was one of those rare conversations that stayed with me long after the recording ended. Thoughtful, confronting, deeply human, and at times uncomfortable in the best possible way. My guest is Prof. John Amaechi OBE, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author, organisational psychologist, former elite athlete, and one of the most respected voices on human behaviour, leadership, and power inside complex systems. We discuss power not in theory, but as it is actually lived, protected, distorted, and inherited across generations. We examine the psychological effects of AI, inequality, institutional fragility, and concentrated wealth, while asking difficult but necessary questions about generational responsibility and whether younger generations are inheriting systems no longer designed for their benefit. John brings clarity, honesty, and humanity to a conversation that became so engaging we completely lost track of time. Many of the insights and reflections in this episode have already become iconic Heads Talk soundbites, and you will certainly hear more from John in the weeks ahead. A conversation about people, dignity, accountability, and the future we are quietly building for those who come after us. Topics Covered: ◽️Psychological power and invisible control systems ◽️Intergenerational responsibility and societal imbalance ◽️AI, automation, and the emotional cost of acceleration ◽️Trust, institutions, and behavioural breakdown ◽️Why algorithms and institutions dilute accountability ◽️Why power reveals character more than it corrupts ◽️Integrity, accountability, and leadership under pressure ◽️Psychology of work, purpose, and dignity ◽️Historical memory and collective behaviour ◽️Whether political systems can realistically govern AI ◽️Societal risks of unchecked technological change So download⏳grab a cup of Bird & Blend Tea Co. - Starry Night Tea ☕️& have a listen🛋 ◽️Episode Sponsored by - Accxia - 𝔼𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖'𝕤 𝕃𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔸𝕥𝕝𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕒𝕟 ABOUT THE HOST #HTPowerSeries Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    1h 17m
  3. Heads Talk - The Analysis - Michael Feller's 286 Episode: Dr. Jakob Schaad's Analysis

    MAY 13 ·  BONUS

    Heads Talk - The Analysis - Michael Feller's 286 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 The Analysis is part of Heads Talk®: Nexus Rerum: Boardrooms & Statecraft. Here 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 286 with Michael Feller, Illusion Statecraft: Inside Power, Hidden Architecture & Strategic Deception, focusing on Questions 5 and 6. Question 5 — Multipolarity: Is what we describe as a “multipolar world” a genuine rebalancing of power or a fragmentation in which coordination is breaking down? Question 6 — Myth of Strategic Autonomy: To what extent is so-called strategic autonomy, particularly among Gulf and mid-tier powers, real and to what extent is it constrained by dependencies that remain deliberately unspoken?  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

    23 min
  4. 286- Michael Feller, fmr Diplomat, Gov Minister, Chief Strategist: Power Series, Geopolitical Strategy - Illusion Statecraft: Inside Power, Hidden Architecture and Strategic Deception

    MAY 10

    286- Michael Feller, fmr Diplomat, Gov Minister, Chief Strategist: Power Series, Geopolitical Strategy - Illusion Statecraft: Inside Power, Hidden Architecture and Strategic Deception

    Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedIn Episode Title: 🇦🇺Illusion Statecraft: Inside Power, Hidden Architecture & Strategic Deception🇦🇺  In this episode of Heads Talk, a continuation of the #HTPowerSeries, we have Michael Feller, former Australian diplomat turned geopolitical strategist, with experience across government, diplomacy, and financial markets. Michael served in Australia’s foreign service, including diplomatic postings in Singapore, led Australia’s bilateral relationship with India, and advised the Prime Minister on Asia from within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Having operated inside the system at the highest levels, he brings a rare, inside-out perspective: not how power is described, but how it is actually exercised. This is not a conventional geopolitical discussion. We interrogate the growing gap between narrative and reality:- what you might call illusion statecraft. The idea that the global order still functions through rules, alliances, and cooperation is increasingly at odds with what’s playing out beneath the surface. From economic warfare and financial fragmentation to the quiet shift of power into systems - payments, energy, data, this episode strips back the theatre of diplomacy and asks a more uncomfortable question: Who actually holds power and who is simply performing it? This is a conversation designed to challenge, to corner, and at times, to expose. Because in today’s world, understanding geopolitics is no longer about what is said, but what is deliberately left unsaid. A sharp, grounded discussion where diplomacy meets reality, and where power is analysed not as it’s described, but as it’s actually deployed. Topics Covered: ◽️ Illusion statecraft & the widening gap between narrative and operational reality ◽️ Performative diplomacy & the difference between signalling and substance ◽️ Rise of personalism and the shift from institutions to individuals ◽️ Economic warfare as the new frontline of geopolitical competition ◽️ Who really controls the rails of power across payments, energy and data ◽️ Financial fragmentation and the challenge to dollar dominance ◽️ Infrastructure targeting and the shift towards civilisational pressure points ◽️ System fragility and how local shocks cascade into global instability ◽️ Difference between real and performed power and who is gaining leverage ◽️ Whether multipolarity represents stability or a fragmentation of order ◽️ Reality behind strategic autonomy and its hidden dependencies ◽️Collapse of geopolitical language as a reflection of shifting realities ◽️ Whether cooperation still holds or opportunism now dominates ◽️ Decision-making without a master plan in an increasingly uncertain world Episode Sponsored by Accxia - Europe's Largest Private Cloud for Atlassian ABOUT THE HOST Download⏳grab a cup of Bird & B Support the show Follow, Support, Contact Heads Talk® - A Fly On The Boardroom Wall LinkedInWebsiteTwitterEmail at info@elainepringle.com

    1h 27m
  5. 285 - Louise Hill, CEO: Power Series, GoHenry - From Literacy to Agency to Power

    MAY 3

    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  Check to Heads Talk - The Analysis for this episode here 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
  6. Heads Talk - The Analysis - Prof Simon Evenett's 284 Episode: Dr. Jakob Schaad's Analysis

    MAY 1 ·  BONUS

    Heads Talk - The Analysis - Prof 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
  7. 284 - Simon Evenett, Professor, Co-Chair: Power Series, IMD - The Great Upheaval

    APR 30

    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
  8. 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
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221 Ratings

About

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 #AFlyOnTheCabinetRoomWall #HeadsTalk

Information

  • Creator
    Elaine Pringle Schwitter
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    291
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Elaine Pringle Schwitter
  • Show Website
    Heads Talk ®

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