Business in Focus

For many organisations, COVID-19 has brought to the fore the discrepancy between the skills people have and those that are needed for the future. Our recent Upskilling Hopes and Fears research - a survey of 32,500 workers across 19 countries - revealed fascinating insights into how people feel about the future of work. In this episode, host Rowena Morris speaks to PwC People and Organisation leaders Fiona Camenzuli and Pete Brown about the practical ways organisations can upskill their people in response to these trends.

Explore our Upskilling Hopes and Fears research here: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/upskilling/hopes-and-fears.html

Last week, on the 18th March, the Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) published its proposals for restoring trust in the UK’s audit and corporate governance regime. This consultation comes at an important time, as the UK seeks to attract foreign investment and to maintain its status as a leading place to do business. To discuss what this means for UK businesses, host Emily Khan is joined by two specialists, Jonathan Lucas-Lucas and Semsi Sonmez, who are closely tracking what’s been happening and working with clients to help prepare their response.

We are delighted to bring you the first instalment in our ‘In conversation with’ series. Over the coming months, our host Teresa Owusu-Adjei, along with members of our Clients and Markets Executive, will speak to our clients about the issues that are front-of-mind for them. You’ll learn how different organisations have responded to the pandemic and hear about their priorities for the future. 

In this episode, Teresa is joined by Susan Armour, Group Ethics and Compliance Officer at Oxford University Press, and Sam Samaratunga, PwC’s EMEA and UK Risk Assurance Leader who discuss their lessons learnt from 2020 and how to draw on these to navigate future challenges. Susan explains how for Oxford University Press, their mission - to change people’s lives through education & research - has guided them through the pandemic. 

Susan and Sam go on to explore how they have worked together with speed, imagination and care to deliver results that make the difference. Visit our website to find out more about what this means for the organisations that work with us.

The need to level up the UK has long been recognised - and COVID-19 has only intensified this challenge. It’s no longer enough to drive growth in the left-behind regions; right now, it’s about tackling deep-rooted inequalities in every part of the UK - even in some of its wealthiest areas. In this episode, host Rowena Morris is joined by Zoe Watters, a corporate finance partner in our Real Assets practice, and Stewart Wilson, our Local Public Services lead partner, to discuss how we can navigate ever-changing restrictions while setting the foundations for a fair, inclusive and sustainable economic recovery.

On the 31st December 2020, the UK left the European Union behind, creating a huge shift in the global order and bringing big changes for British businesses and people. At PwC, we’ve been examining this issue for some time - translating a moving political and policy picture into implications for UK and European businesses. Most recently, at our virtual Trade Summit in November, we convened people from across the public and private sectors to discuss the future challenges and opportunities we’re now facing as a country. In this episode, host Emily Khan and Matt Alabaster, our International Trade lead partner, discuss what the new agenda for UK trade might look like.

2020 was a challenging year for many private and family-run businesses. But it also made leaders pause and think about what they stood for, with many quickly turning their attention to caring for their employees and communities. In this episode, host Emily Khan is joined by Gail's Bakery CEO and co-founder Tom Molnar and PwC's private business leader Suzi Woolfson to discuss what we can carry forward into 2021 to help us navigate the challenges ahead.

Download our report "Private Business: The way ahead" to find out more about the conversations we had with private businesses in 2020.

This year, the importance of cash and working capital has been brought sharply into focus as even the most well-prepared business plans have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the upheaval has revealed longer term opportunities for businesses, they will first need to weather the difficult months ahead. In this episode, host Rowena Morris is joined in our virtual studio by Rob Lewis, PwC’s Mid-Market Restructuring Leader, and Jo Walton, a partner in our Operational Restructuring business. We examine the steps businesses can take now to recover while navigating uncertainty and planning for challenges that are yet to come.