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Big Boss Interview

by BBC News · English · News

Big Boss Interview is where the most high-profile chief executives and entrepreneurs come to give you their insights and experiences of running the world's biggest and well-known businesses. The series is presented by Sean Farrington, Felicity Hannah and Will Bain, who you'd normally hear presentin

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 44 min
Latest: 11 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

11 Oct 2026 · 47 min

Microsoft President: Britain Should Write World's AI Rules

Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than the safeguards around it, and industry self-regulation is "not sufficient any longer". That is according to Brad Smith, president of Microsoft. Speaking to Will Bain on BBC's Big Boss Interview, Mr Smith said the world should worry more about AI safety than about any previous generation of digital technology in his 33 years in the industry. Microsoft is one of the world's largest AI developers and an investor in OpenAI. Mr Smith's comments set out a position that goes beyond the "tremendous self-regulation" praised in a recent White House AI…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

7 Oct 2026 · 52 min
London Stock Exchange CEO: Negative Headlines Drove Firms Away
Negative perceptions of London’s stock market influenced companies’ decisions about where to list, according to Dame Julia Hoggett, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange. Speaking on Big Boss Interview, she acknowledges that companies had delayed or considered listing elsewhere because of the narrative surrounding London, but says that reflected the mood three or four years ago. “Markets do operate on sentiment,” she says. “We need to stop throwing shade at ourselves as a nation and being a bit surprised if it’s a bit dark, a bit chilly and a bit damp.” Hoggett also argues that…
29 Sep 2026 · 40 min
EDF CEO: Another Energy Crisis is Coming
Britain is "walking into a second significant energy crisis", the boss of the country's largest electricity generator has warned. Simone Rossi, chief executive of EDF in the UK, told the BBC's Business Editor Simon Jack on the Big Boss Interview that household bills are forecast to rise by around 20% in January. Customers still owe more than £5bn from the last crisis, four years ago. Gas is driving the rise. Gas prices are up 25%, while the electricity part of the price cap is 4% lower than in January. His advice is blunt: where you can, choose electricity over gas. He blames wars hitting…
28 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Aviva CEO: We're Building Uninsurable Homes
The boss of Aviva, Britain's biggest insurer, has warned that some homes being built today could eventually become impossible to insure because of flood risk. Speaking to Sean Farrington, Dame Amanda Blanc said Britain is continuing to build homes in areas exposed to flooding, despite the growing threat from climate change. Aviva estimates 6.3 million UK homes are already at risk of flooding, a figure it expects to rise to 8 million by 2050. She said insurance works by spreading risk across large groups of people, but once flooding becomes almost certain, cover becomes much harder to…
23 Sep 2026 · 42 min
Sage CEO: Don't Build Data Centres in UK
The chief executive of Britain’s biggest listed technology company has questioned the government’s push to build more data centres, arguing that the UK does not have the scale to become a truly sovereign AI nation. Steve Hare, chief executive of Sage, says Britain should be realistic about where it can compete. He argues that data centres themselves are simply infrastructure and do not give the UK control over the underlying technology. If Britain wants greater technological sovereignty, he believes it would need to work with larger economies rather than try to build the whole AI stack…
18 Sep 2026 · 22 min
INEOS CEO: I Have No Confidence in the UK
Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in Britain and can see no circumstances in the near future in which he would return and reinvest his wealth in the UK. Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s wealthiest businessmen and founder of one of its biggest industrial companies, is now a tax resident of Monaco. He argues that high and frequently changing taxes, energy policy and a lack of long-term political decision-making have damaged Britain’s ability to attract investment. “I don’t have any confidence in the UK, really,” the INEOS founder tells BBC business editor Simon Jack for this episode of…
16 Sep 2026 · 46 min
Paul Smith Exec Chair: Working From Home Doesn't Work
The executive chair of Paul Smith says working from home “just doesn’t work” for young people and has urged the government to stay out of decisions over where employees work. Ewan Venters argues that younger workers risk missing the informal learning and mentoring that comes from being around more experienced colleagues. He traces his own career back to joining Sainsbury’s at sixteen and learning from senior business figures by working alongside them, describing the experience as his “university education”. Venters says he is a “huge fan” of flexibility, but believes individual businesses…
7 Sep 2026 · 39 min
Arm CEO: AI Will Cure Cancer
Artificial intelligence will help cure cancer within our lifetimes, according to Rene Haas, chief executive of Arm, the Cambridge-based company whose chip designs sit inside almost every smartphone on Earth. There are more than 350 billion chips using Arm technology have shipped worldwide. Haas says health is the "killer app" for the technology. Drugs can take 20 years to develop and around 95% of research and development efforts fail. He argues AI will shorten both the time it takes to discover new drugs and the time needed to test them, with some human trials eventually supplemented or…
3 Sep 2026 · 43 min
Veolia CEO: We Can Help Run Thames Water If Govt Nationalise It
(Episode 52) The chief executive of the world's largest water company has said Veolia would consider running Britain's water infrastructure if it were taken into public ownership, opening the door to a model in which the state owns the assets but private companies operate them. Asked whether that could mean "nationalise the assets, and Veolia comes in to manage them," Estelle Brachlianoff said: "It could be an option, yes." She described what that could look like in practice: Veolia running drinking water facilities, wastewater treatment plants and network management under contract, as it…
30 Jul 2026 · 48 min
Thames Water CEO: We Welcome Greater Public Control, Not Nationalisation
(Episode 51) Who should control Britain's biggest water company? Chris Weston, the chief executive of Thames Water, says he "completely agrees" with the Prime Minister that the industry, and Thames Water, needs greater public control. But he draws a clear distinction between stronger public accountability and public ownership, arguing that nationalisation or special administration could delay investment, increase uncertainty and ultimately leave taxpayers carrying the financial risk. Thames spent more than £1bn more than it received last year, with the shortfall currently funded by…
22 Jul 2026 · 37 min
etoro CEO: Our Customers Are Moving Away from Crypto
(Episode 50) etoro customers are "definitely moving away from crypto," according to the company's founder and chief executive, Yoni Assia. After more than a decade at the forefront of digital assets, Assia says customers are increasingly shifting towards mainstream investing and cash savings, as etoro expands beyond its trading platform into broader financial services. The company, which manages around $20 billion in customer assets for more than 40 million registered users, is pursuing a UK banking licence, launching a Visa debit card and expanding into everyday banking services. Assia also…
15 Jul 2026 · 44 min
Allwyn UK CEO: Britain Risks Losing the National Lottery if it Doesn't Innovate
(Episode 49) Andria Vidler, the CEO of Allwyn UK - the operator of the National Lottery - has warned the British public risks losing it, unless it innovates. Allwyn took over the running of the National Lottery from Camelot in 2024, and it had pledged to double the amount if gives to good causes from 33 million pounds to 60 million pounds. But Vidler told Felicity Hannah that its future is at stake, if it doesn't continue to change and adapt at speed. Part of this is the UK launch of Powerball, the first time the American lottery has been offered outside the United States. Unlike…
8 Jul 2026 · 56 min
Lloyds Banking Group CEO: The End of Halifax and the Future of Bank Branches
(Episode 48) The Halifax brand is being retired after more than 180 years — and Charlie Nunn says artificial intelligence is the reason why. The chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group told the Big Boss Interview that the way customers discover financial products has fundamentally changed. Increasingly, people are asking AI tools and large language models to find the best mortgage or savings account, making multiple banking brands less relevant in an increasingly digital world. That shift is also reshaping the debate around bank branches. Nunn challenges one of Britain's most politically…
1 Jul 2026 · 48 min
Lloyd's of London CEO: Autonomous Weapons Are Rewriting War Risk
(Episode 47) AI and drone warfare will force a “complete reimagining” of how conflict risk is calculated and insured, the chief executive of Lloyd’s of London has warned, because traditional assumptions about how wars escalate may no longer hold. Patrick Tiernan, who runs the 337-year-old insurance marketplace, told the Big Boss Interview that autonomous weapons and AI-driven decision-making could remove the warning signs and diplomatic pauses that have historically allowed insurers to adjust cover as conflicts intensify. “When we talk about the way war is insured at the moment, it assumes…
24 Jun 2026 · 44 min
Reed Recruitment CEO: Back Humans, Tax Robots
(Episode 46) Britain should stop taxing workers and start taxing robots, according to the chief executive of one of the country's biggest recruitment firms, who says the UK's tax system is pointing in entirely the wrong direction at the worst possible moment. James Reed, CEO of Reed Recruitment, told the Big Boss Interview that the government is taxing employers who hire young people "to pick up beer glasses in gardens" whilst letting AI and automation — the technologies actively replacing those workers — go entirely untaxed. His mantra: "Back humans, tax robots." And he wants the next prime…
16 Jun 2026 · 46 min
Mondelēz CEO: We're Questioning Our Future UK Investment
(Episode 45) Mondelēz International, the company behind Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone and Ritz, has warned that future European investment could bypass the UK if regulatory instability persists. Chief executive Dirk Van de Put says the UK is the company’s second-biggest market globally and contributes more than £2.3 billion to the economy each year, supporting 12,000 jobs and spending £1.3 billion with more than 1,000 UK suppliers. But he is sharply critical of food and drink being left out of the government’s industrial strategy, despite representing around a quarter of industrial turnover. He…
11 Jun 2026 · 23 min
TSMC: Humanoid Robots Will Look After the Elderly
(Episode 44) The next great wave of demand for artificial intelligence chips could come not from chatbots, but from humanoid robots caring for ageing populations. That is the prediction of Wendell Huang, chief financial officer of TSMC, the Taiwanese company that manufactures the world’s most advanced semiconductors. As countries grapple with rapidly ageing societies, Huang sees robot carers and autonomous vehicles as major commercial frontiers beyond the current boom in AI data centres. TSMC is already struggling to keep pace with demand. Huang says the company is expanding as fast as it…
9 Jun 2026 · 38 min
Debenhams Group CEO: Our Fightback Against China's Fast Fashion
(Episode 43) Debenhams was once one of the biggest names on the British high street. Founded in 1778, it collapsed into administration before being rescued in 2024 and rebuilt as a digital-only marketplace. Now, under chief executive Dan Finley, Debenhams Group is back to growth after reporting a £350 million loss in the year to February 2025. Finley argues the business is now one of the biggest turnarounds in recent UK retail history, with the Debenhams brand generating £654 million in annual revenue and a marketplace model built around 25,000 brands across fashion, home and beauty. But his…
3 Jun 2026 · 58 min
Hinge CEO: The Cost of Living Crunch Is Changing How We Date
(Episode 42) Jackie Jantos, CEO of Hinge, says the cost of living is reshaping dating habits, with daytime meet-ups becoming more common and traditional drinks dates becoming less popular as younger people look for cheaper ways to meet in person. She argues that AI should help users express themselves rather than speak on their behalf, rejecting suggestions that AI is making online dating less authentic. Hinge has introduced a range of AI-powered tools, including features that help users improve profiles, start conversations and reconsider potentially offensive messages before sending them.…
27 May 2026 · 48 min
Barratt Redrow CEO: Bricklaying Robots & Echoes of 2008
(Episode 41) David Thomas, the outgoing chief executive of Barratt Redrow, says bricklaying robots are already being deployed on commercial building sites and predicts a revolution in how homes are built over the next decade. Factory-built timber frames, off-site manufacturing and “brick-simulation” cladding are beginning to reshape the construction industry, reducing the amount of labour required on site and changing how developments are assembled. Thomas believes the biggest transformation will come beyond ten years, as automation and factory production become increasingly embedded across…
25 May 2026 · 30 min
Next CEO: The Crisis Facing Entry-Level Employment
(Episode 40) Lord Wolfson, Chief Executive of Next and a Conservative peer, warns Britain is facing a crisis in entry-level employment. Applicants for every shop vacancy at Next have almost doubled from 10 to 19 in just two years — a trend he describes as “indicative of just how big the crisis is in youth unemployment.” Across retail and the wider economy, he says there has been “a dramatic fall in entry-level employment opportunities” as rising National Insurance and National Living Wage costs push up the cost of hiring younger and less experienced workers. UK youth unemployment has now…
21 May 2026 · 50 min
Amazon UK Boss: Make Work Experience Mandatory for Over-16s
(Episode 39) Amazon's UK boss has called for work experience to be made mandatory for everyone aged sixteen and over, describing it as "the most transformative thing" he has seen for young people entering the workforce. John Boumphrey argues that the education system is not producing work-ready school leavers and that the blame should fall on the system rather than on young people themselves. The cost of living crisis and its effect on retail pricing is a constant theme. Just this week the govenment called on supermarkets to cap the price of some goods to help consumers. Boumphrey - who is…
14 May 2026 · 45 min
Raspberry Pi Founder: People Overestimate What AI Can Do
(Episode 38) Eben Upton, founder and chief executive of Raspberry Pi, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss artificial intelligence, British manufacturing, semiconductors and why he believes there is a growing tendency to overestimate what AI tools can currently do. AI tools are “genuinely incredible”, Upton says, and he uses them regularly himself. But he warns against assuming they remove the need for human judgment, engineering skill or technical understanding. His concern is that the current enthusiasm around AI risks creating the impression that deep technical understanding is…
7 May 2026 · 37 min
Standard Life CEO: British Aren't Sufficiently Financially Literate
(Episode 37) Andy Briggs, chief executive of Standard Life, joins the Big Boss Interview to discuss the war in Iran, pension reform,and the growing risk that millions of people are not putting enough aside for later life. Briggs says pension savers should not panic about the conflict in the Middle East, arguing that most economists expect short-term volatility rather than lasting structural damage to investments. Standard Life, which looks after 12 million customers and manages more than £300 billion in assets, believes pensions should be viewed over decades. Workplace retirement saving…
27 Apr 2026 · 24 min
Bank of England: Private Credit Has Echoes of Great Financial Crisis
(Episode 36) Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England for financial stability, joins Big Boss Interview to discuss risks in the global financial system, the rapid growth of private credit, and whether markets are prepared for the next economic shock. She tells BBC Business Editor, Simon Jack the private credit market has grown to around $2.5 trillion in less than two decades, and says the BoE is watching the sector closely. She warns it has “never been tested at this scale” and that aspects of the market carry echoes of the period leading up to the 2008 financial crisis —…
22 Apr 2026 · 49 min
Pret CEO: Inflation From War Starting to Bite
(Episode 35) Pano Christou, CEO of Pret, joins Sean Farrington for this episode of Big Boss Interview to discuss fuel volatility, salads, and subscriptions. Pret is starting to see inflation from the war in the Middle East, with fuel price volatility affecting the business. Prices aren’t currently set to rise, but he says they may have to if disruption continues. Some exports into the Middle East business are taking longer, but that’s not hampering Pret’s growth ambitions in the region. He says Pret’s revised £5-a-month drinks subscription has grown by close to 25% over the past year, after…
8 Apr 2026 · 41 min
Autotrader CEO: Chinese Car Growth is "Mind-boggling"
(Episode 34) Nathan Coe, CEO of Autotrader, joins Sean Farrington for this episode of Big Boss Interview to discuss how rising fuel prices, the rapid growth of Chinese carmakers and advances in AI are reshaping the UK car market. Coe says the recent spike in petrol prices has triggered an immediate shift towards electric vehicles, with enquiries on Autotrader up 30% month-on-month. He says higher fuel costs are pushing more buyers to reconsider the total cost of ownership, accelerating interest in EVs. He also highlights the rapid rise of Chinese manufacturers in the UK market, describing…
29 Mar 2026 · 42 min
Octopus CEO: Energy Bills Likely to Rise From July
(Episode 33) Wholesale gas prices have roughly doubled in three weeks amid instability in the Middle East, and Greg Jackson, co-founder and Chief Executive of Octopus Energy, the UK's biggest household energy supplier, says it is "very likely" that energy bills will rise from July. The energy price cap is set to fall in April due to government tax cuts on electricity, but Jackson warns that fixed tariffs and business tariffs are expected to climb in the summer quarter. He compares the situation to Groundhog Day — just three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a fossil fuel…
25 Mar 2026 · 35 min
BlackRock CEO: Global Recession Looms if Iran War Continues
(Episode 32) Larry Fink, is Chairman and CEO of BlackRock - the world’s largest asset manager, overseeing more than $14 trillion in investments on behalf of governments, pension funds and individual investors globally. He tells BBC Business Editor Simon Jack that oil prices could remain above $100 a barrel for years — and rise to $150 — if the Iranian conflict is not resolved, a scenario he says would trigger a “stark and steep recession”. Higher energy costs would ripple through agriculture, fertiliser, and global supply chains, acting as a regressive tax that disproportionately affects the…
16 Mar 2026 · 36 min
Mountain Warehouse CEO: Middle East Conflict Impacts UK Retail
(Episode 31) Mark Neale, founder and chief executive of Mountain Warehouse - the outdoor clothing company - joins Will Bain for this episode of Big Boss Interview to discuss how conflict in the Middle East, tariff volatility and UK economic policy are affecting retailers and the wider economy. Disruption to global shipping routes is already pushing up costs for businesses importing goods from Asia. Prior to the latest US/Isarael war against Iran ,attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea had effectively closed the Suez Canal to many freight ships for nearly a year, forcing cargo to travel…

About Big Boss Interview

Big Boss Interview is a English news podcast from BBC News. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: BBC News
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 44 min
Latest episode: 11 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id654973306
Rights: (C) BBC 2026

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