Jericho Jericho Chambers

In case you missed it, we recently interviewed Erica Benner, as part of our Jericho Conversations series.
Erica is a political philosopher and historian of ideas who has taught at Oxford, the LSE, and Yale. Adventures in Democracy is the title of Erica's new book which offers insights into the complexities of democracy and provides guidance on how individuals and communities can contribute to its vitality and resilience. It was one of The Financial Times ‘What to read in 2024’. It received a glowing review from The Guardian: ‘a sparkling page-turner full of wit, original insight and unassuming erudition’.

Jericho partner Matthew Gwyther spoke to Erica about the challenges and threats to democracy, including inequality, networked societies, heroes of democracy, populism and the responsibility of businesses and their role in democratic processes.
Jericho Conversations is one of a number of initiatives that spontaneously emerged during the first COVID lockdown – part of a determination to use moments of crisis to pivot towards a better, fairer, more equitable and sustainable future for all. By popular demand, we have reignited the series to help find surprising and refreshing solutions and insights into a world in constant flux. Each conversation – led by an expert speaker – is designed to keep Jericho communities engaged and thinking about “what comes next?” for business and society.

We recently interviewed Sir Geoff Mulgan, as part of our Jericho Conversations series.
Geoff Mulgan is one of our smartest thinkers. He was Director of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit (and before that Director of the Performance and Innovation Unit); Director of Policy at 10 Downing Street under British Prime Minister Tony Blair; Co-founder and Director of the London-based think tank Demos (from 1993 to 1998); and Chief adviser to Gordon Brown MP in the early 1990s. Geoff is now a Professor of Collective Intelligence, Social Innovation and Public Policy at University College, London.
When Science Meets Power is the timely title of Sir Geoff Mulgan’s new book, the themes of which were explored in this conversation. Jericho partner Matthew Gwyther spoke to Geoff about big tech and AI, the response to COVID and the future of the relationship between science and politics. 
Jericho Conversations is one of a number of initiatives that spontaneously emerged during the first COVID lockdown – part of a determination to use moments of crisis to pivot towards a better, fairer, more equitable and sustainable future for all. By popular demand, we have reignited the series to help find surprising and refreshing solutions and insights into a world in constant flux. Each conversation – led by an expert speaker – is designed to keep Jericho communities engaged and thinking about “what comes next?” for business and society.

In this conversations episode, Matthew Gwyther and Giles Gibbons discuss where sustainability is now, what non-financial audit is likely to mean for corporates in the next few years, what Giles thinks about the ever-increasing squadrons of ESG consultants selling their wares, why Good Business has remained relatively small and what Giles makes of the Bud Lite Trans blow up.

I have known Giles for twenty years during which time I’ve watched corporate responsibility morph into corporate social responsibility and then sustainability and ESG with a bit of “purpose” shoe-horned in. 
Good Business has been running for almost three decades and Gibbons bears the scars of many campaigns - from the ill-fated but interesting Big Society project with David Cameron through all his interesting work in the food and hospitality industry and work with big corporates like GSK, Disney, Coca Cola and The Gates Foundation. 
Giles knows what he’s talking about which is why I must have interviewed him half a dozen times. He's normally my first port of call as a journalist writing about these issues. He gives great, authentic and uncompromising quotes which are always free of word salad flannel with a greenwash dressing.
But he is still pushing and has recently written "We’ve gone from pushing water uphill to a time where social and environmental issues are an essential part of the mainstream business landscape".
We’re now reaching a point where delivering the change becomes much harder. Businesses have taken the (relatively) easy steps. The actions they need to take next are harder. They require more substantive change and in some cases significant capital expenditure. At the same time, the buffer put in place by the relative success of their sustainability action so far is protecting the business from the kind of exposure and criticism that would galvanise decision-makers. So action is stalling. 
In our conversation about where sustainability is now, we discuss what non-financial audit is likely to mean for corporates in the next few years, what he thinks about the ever-increasing squadrons of ESG consultants selling their wares, why Good Business has remained relatively small and what he makes of the Bud Lite Trans blow up.
Jericho Conversations is one of a number of initiatives that spontaneously emerged during the first COVID lockdown – part of a determination to use moments of crisis to pivot towards a better, fairer, more equitable and sustainable future for all. By popular demand, we have reignited the series to help find surprising and refreshing solutions and insights into a world in constant flux. Each conversation – led by an expert speaker – is designed to keep Jericho communities engaged and thinking about “what comes next?” for business and society.

The latest podcast in the Ahead of the Curves series, supported by Stifel Europe, is on the subject of Experts and Expertise.

Responding to an AI enthusiast who had Tweeted a picture of 'what the rest of the Mona Lisa looked like'  the picture above appeared as a response with the caption - "Ever wonder what Venus de Milo's Arms look like? With the power of AI our team has recreated it."

AI promises many things, most of which involve taking over from experts, professionals, and even great sculptors. Is it getting too smart for its own good? And is our judgment - borne of years of sometimes bitter experience - going to see it heavily regulated?

How can you tell when you’re dealing with a genuine expert? Real expertise must pass three tests. First, it must lead to performance that is consistently superior to that of the expert’s peers. Second, real expertise produces concrete results. Brain surgeons, for example, must be skilful with their scalpels but must also have successful outcomes with their patients. A chess player must be able to win matches in tournaments. Finally, true expertise can be replicated and measured in the lab. As the British scientist Lord Kelvin stated, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.”

We’ve interviewed three experts in their fields - three individuals at the top of their professional game. They are intentionally diverse: psychology, investment banking and paediatric surgery. If - for whatever reason - you venture into their fields - they come heartily recommend. (I must apologize that they are all men. It just worked out like that. And it won’t happen again)  What I’ve asked all three of them is first, what the nature of their expertise consists of, secondly how they acquired that superior competence and thirdly if they feel that the advent of Artificial Intelligence - Chat GPT and its spawn - will mean that their like becomes redundant in years to come. Will their like get chucked onto the scrap heap of history?

Dr Tomas Chamorrow-Premuzic is a psychologist and professor of Business Psychology at Columbia University. His new book I Human is about AI and questions what makes us Homo sapiens unique.

Gareth Hunt is an investment banker at Stifel and leads their Law Firms and Litigation Finance advisory team in Investment Banking. He’s especially interested in how artificial intelligence might erode the status and need for professionals including lawyers.

Bruce Richard is a retired paediatric surgeon who specialised in the repair of cleft lip and palate in children. It took him a long while to become an expert in his field. He talks about robotics in surgery and the difficulties of passing on that expertise to coming generations of surgeons in training. We even get to discuss the medical ethics and in and outs of The Brazilian Butt Lift. 
Jericho Conversations is one of a number of initiatives that spontaneously emerged during the first COVID lockdown – part of a determination to use moments of crisis to pivot towards a better, fairer, more equitable and sustainable future for all. By popular demand, we have reignited the series to help find surprising and refreshing solutions and insights into a world in constant flux. Each conversation – led by an expert speaker – is designed to keep Jericho communities engaged and thinking about “what comes next?” for business and society.

Time stamps:
Martin Wolf 1.35
Nouriel Roubini 27.37
Ben Page 51.10
Eithne O' Leary 66.14
The latest podcast in this series supported by Stifel is on the subject of the crisis of democratic capitalism. This is the title of the new book by The Financial Times’ lead economics commentator Martin Wolf. His book analyzes in great detail what he thinks has gone wrong with the system used by most of us in the free West. It’s a great read and he shows us how citizenship and a shared faith in the common good are not just romantic slogans but the only ideas that can sustain political and economic freedom. There’s plenty of Abraham Lincoln in there from “of the people, by the people, for the people” to his wonderful expression about using “the better angels of our nature.” 
These themes are also discussed with star economist, Nouriel Roubini aka Doctor Doom. His recently published book Megathreats - the ten trends that imperil our future and how to survive them isn’t a barrel of laughs and not for those of an anxious disposition. But he did come up with an extraordinary explanation for why China will own Siberia in years to come - Siberian women prefer Chinese guys because they’re not permanently drunk and have better financial prospects.
To balance these commentators we have some real world wisdom from someone who has to run a European business in 2023. Eithne O'Leary, the President of Stifel, Europe is more optimistic that with some Abe Lincolnesque spirit our system can pull through before it tears itself apart. And old friend of Jericho, Ben Page, now the global CEO of Ipsos-Mori tells us what the world is thinking at ground level. 72% of his global survey group think their government will "let them down" in the future. (And that includes people polled within authoritarian regimes like China.) Almost 6 out of ten think yesterday was better than today.  Oh, dear. Oh, dear.


Jericho Conversations is one of a number of initiatives that spontaneously emerged during the first COVID lockdown – part of a determination to use moments of crisis to pivot towards a better, fairer, more equitable and sustainable future for all. By popular demand, we have reignited the series to help find surprising and refreshing solutions and insights into a world in constant flux. Each conversation – led by an expert speaker – is designed to keep Jericho communities engaged and thinking about “what comes next?” for business and society.

An Interview with Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, US Business Editor at the Financial Times

This latest conversation is part of Jericho’s work to launch a new Business and Democracy Commission in 2023. We will ask difficult questions, break new ground, explore whether there is a new consensus and set out practical steps for a more effective corporate and business role in this fast-changing democratic and political context. Please do get in touch if you would like to find out more. 
Until 2018, Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson was US news editor, directing all US coverage and helping steer the FT’s strategic evolution to a digital-first newsroom. In his reporting and commentary, Andrew has charted the emergence of a new corporate consensus around the role purpose-driven businesses should play in society, and the pushback from sceptics worried about corporate overreach, greenwashing and “woke capitalism”. His past roles over 24 years with the FT in New York and London include global media editor, deputy news editor and editor of its management features section.

The business community can no longer avoid engaging with the thorny issue of democracy, both in terms of whether democracy functions in ways helpful to social and environmental developments and how businesses themselves should behave as democratic actors. The two are clearly linked. Matthew Gwyther asked Andrew about Business’ unique relationship to Democracy.
Jericho Conversations is one of a number of initiatives that spontaneously emerged during the first COVID lockdown – part of a determination to use moments of crisis to pivot towards a better, fairer, more equitable and sustainable future for all. By popular demand, we have reignited the series to help find surprising and refreshing solutions and insights into a world in constant flux. Each conversation – led by an expert speaker – is designed to keep Jericho communities engaged and thinking about “what comes next?” for business and society.