What next? Leadership conversations for a better future Podcast Por University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership arte de portada

What next? Leadership conversations for a better future

What next? Leadership conversations for a better future

De: University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
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How do we rebuild confidence in the future - and in our collective ability to shape it? How do we reconnect economic growth with social progress, fairness, and stability? And how do we harness innovation without widening inequality or navigate political tensions without retreating from cooperation? Responses to these questions demands new thinking - ideas that challenge assumptions, acknowledge what isn’t working and offer credible paths forward for business, finance and government. That’s the focus of our new podcast series, hosted by CISL CEO Lindsay Hooper, and Investec Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer Marc Kahn. You’ll hear from leaders, innovators and critical thinkers who are grappling with the toughest challenges of our time - and bringing forward important new thinking and practical action. From industrial transformation and AI to philanthropy’s catalytic role, the voices of the next generation and the shifting geopolitics of power, we ask how today’s leaders can bridge divides, unlock innovation and steer economies toward long-term stability and opportunity.University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership Economía
Episodios
  • Backing the Future: Can Philanthropy Drive Systemic Change? with Peter Bennett & Leslie Johnston

    Backing the Future: Can Philanthropy Drive Systemic Change? with Peter Bennett & Leslie Johnston
    Dec 18 2025
    In this episode our hosts explore the role of philanthropy in shaping cleaner, fairer and more resilient economies. Philanthropy funds much of the world’s high-risk innovation, early-stage ideas and new economic thinking — often long before markets or governments are able to act.

    Hosts Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn are joined by two leaders reshaping the field:
    • Peter Bennett — founder of the Bennett Foundation, supporting institutions such as the Bennett Institute for Public Policy and the Bennett Innovation Lab at the Whittle Laboratory
    • Leslie Johnston — founding CEO of the Laudes Foundation, working with more than 300 organisations to accelerate a green, fair and inclusive global economy.

    Together, they explore how philanthropy can move beyond individual projects to spark system change — shaping incentives, narratives and the enabling conditions that determine whether economies become cleaner, fairer and more resilient.
    The guests offer two complementary perspectives on how philanthropy can drive systemic change. Peter reflects on backing exceptional people and strong institutions that can generate ideas with multi-decade impact. Leslie shares how strategic philanthropy works to catalyse market mechanisms, shift mindsets and power dynamics, and create incentives for climate-positive and people-positive outcomes.

    Together, they paint a picture of philanthropy as a crucial part of the wider ecosystem — not replacing business or government, but enabling experimentation, supporting innovation, and helping shape the rules and narratives that accelerate the transition to a sustainable and inclusive global economy.

    In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec.

    “Philanthropy works best when it catalyses the market mechanism—sparking something new, creating momentum, and then letting business, government and civil society take it to scale.” Leslie Johnston
    “I back really smart people in institutions that can still be here in decades or centuries. That’s how you create long-term impact—by investing in ideas that endure.” Peter Bennett

    Key Takeaways
    • Philanthropy’s unique value is the freedom to take long-term, risky and innovative bets
    • System change requires shifting incentives and power dynamics, not just fixing problems at the edges
    • Funding institutions, not only projects, creates lasting impact
    • Blended finance and mission-related investments unlock solutions traditional capital won’t back
    • Progress should be measured by contribution to system shifts, not ownership of isolated outcomes

    Credits
    Presented by:
    • Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL
    • Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec
    Produced by: Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood
    Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett
    In partnership with: Investec

    Listen and Subscribe:
    Available on all major podcast platforms or visit the Leadership Hub on the CISL website or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights.

    Disclaimer:
    The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation. University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership · Investec · CISL Leadership Hub · Investec Focus Radio
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    41 m
  • Rewiring Finance for a better future with Sarah Kemmitt, Nina Seega and Jose Vinals

    Rewiring Finance for a better future with Sarah Kemmitt, Nina Seega and Jose Vinals
    Dec 16 2025
    In this episode, Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn examine a critical question: what will it take to align global capital with a cleaner, fairer, more resilient global economy?

    At a time when sustainable finance momentum has slowed, the discussion looks beyond the ESG “hype cycle”, to the underlying barriers to progress – and the priorities for action now. The guests analyse why finance has struggled to back real-world transition at scale, and outline the shifts needed to connect capital to what should be a huge financing opportunity.

    From addressing the mispricing of climate and nature risk, to correcting market distortions, tackling permitting bottlenecks and supporting coherent policy, the conversation highlights the enabling conditions for capital to flow. The guests share deep, practical insights from the frontlines of banking, regulation and global development.

    Hosts Lindsay Hooper (CISL) and Marc Kahn (Investec) are joined by:
    • José Viñals, former Group Chairman, Standard Chartered
    • Dr Nina Seega, Director, CISL Centre for Sustainable Finance
    • Sarah Kemmitt, former lead of the UN Net Zero Banking Alliance
    In partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) and Investec.

    Key Takeaways
    1. Leadership must focus on system design, not just pledges. Good intentions do not mobilise capital; rules, incentives and market structure do.
    2. Finance has become too focused on what to stop, rather than what to build: The biggest opportunities lie in infrastructure, resilience and emerging markets, but outdated financial architecture blocks capital from reaching them.
    3. Leaders must drive a shift from short-term, narrow financial modeling to real-world, system-level risk assessment: This means pricing in physical, transition, and social risks—and recognizing that the cost of inaction is far higher than the cost of action.
    4. Unlocking accelerated transition requires modernising financial models, standardising transactions and removing structural barriers—supported by clear national policies and stable incentive frameworks.

    Quotes
    “The opportunity is huge, but unless we redesign the system so the incentives point in the right direction, the capital will never flow at scale.” José Viñals

    “If we don’t price climate and nature into our core models, we’re building the entire financial system on a version of reality that no longer exists.” Dr Nina Seega

    “We don’t need to cling to the language of net zero — what matters is moving the transition forward in ways that are fair, science-based and achievable.” Sarah Kemmitt

    Credits
    Presented by:
    • Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL
    • Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec
    Produced by: Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood
    Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett
    In partnership with: Investec

    Listen and Subscribe:
    Available on all major podcast platforms or visit the Leadership Hub on the CISL website or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights.

    Disclaimer:
    The views in this podcast are those of the contributors, and don’t necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge, or Investec, and should not be taken as advice or a recommendation. University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership · Investec · CISL Leadership Hub · Investec Focus Radio
    Más Menos
    49 m
  • The New Fault Line: How U.S. Polarisation Is Reshaping Global Sustainability with Gillian Tett and Professor Bob Eccles

    The New Fault Line: How U.S. Polarisation Is Reshaping Global Sustainability with Gillian Tett and Professor Bob Eccles
    Dec 11 2025
    The U.S. has become the centre of a global sustainability fault line: it hosts the world’s most advanced innovation ecosystem and deepest pools of private capital—yet remains locked in intensifying political polarisation, regulatory rollbacks, and an anti-ESG backlash. These tensions are reshaping climate policy, capital flows, and global markets.

    To understand this moment, Lindsay Hooper and Marc Kahn speak with two globally respected interpreters of political economy and corporate purpose:
    Gillian Tett, Provost of King’s College Cambridge and acclaimed FT journalist, and Professor Bob Eccles, leading thinker on corporate reporting and political consensus-building. Together they explore how the U.S. arrived here, how companies are responding on the ground, what this means for global action, and how leaders can navigate the fragmented landscape.

    Key Quotes
    “Most people aren’t extreme. They’re exhausted. The challenge is creating a narrative that speaks to the middle again.” — Bob Eccles

    “Many companies are simply carrying on as before; the rhetoric has changed more than the practice.” Gillian Tett

    Key Takeaways
    1. Despite the political backlash, most companies continue advancing sustainability quietly because the underlying economic and risk drivers remain strong.

    2. The real divide is not left versus right, but public rhetoric versus on-the-ground reality, where pragmatic climate action is still progressing.

    3. Reframing sustainability through language around nature, resilience, stewardship and cost savings can rebuild common ground.

    4. Leaders must clearly separate material value creation from virtue signalling to regain trust and reduce polarisation.

    5. Adaptation and shared local impacts offer a unifying entry point that resonates across political and social divides.

    Credits

    Presented by:
    Lindsay Hooper, Chief Executive, CISL
    Marc Kahn, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer, Investec

    Produced by: Carl Homer (Cambridge TV) & Alexa Sellwood
    Executive Producer: Gillian Secrett
    In partnership with: Investec

    Listen and Subscribe:
    Available on all major podcast platforms or visit the Leadership Hub on the CISL website or Investec Focus for more episodes and insights.

    Disclaimer:
    The views in this podcast are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of CISL, the University of Cambridge or Investec and should not be taken as advice. University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership · Investec · CISL Leadership Hub · Investec Focus Radio
    Más Menos
    40 m
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