In the Know

By Bernstein ResearchBusiness News Investing Business News

In the Know episodes

October 02 Trevor Stirling: Guinness, Diageo’s Black Magic
Global Beverage Analyst Trevor Stirling discusses the enduring success of Diageo’s Guinness brand, from its distinctive liquid and decades of marketing to its recent growth across the UK and Ireland. Trevor explores the international runway for Guinness, the potential of Guinness 0.0, and whether the brand can replicate its success in new markets. He also looks at opportunities across Diageo’s Scotch, tequila and RTD portfolios, and what new CEO Dave Lewis could bring to the business through a sharper focus on costs, marketing and brand fundamentals.
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37 min
September 16 Richard Trainor: This is Not Just a Podcast…
Retail Analyst Richard Trainor, who joined Bernstein in 2025 after five years at Marks & Spencer, joins host Patrick Robinson to explore what separates the winners from the rest in one of Europe's most competitive sectors: food retail. While grocery retail may appear to be a slow-growing, low-margin industry, Richard explains why distinctive business models and disciplined execution can still generate exceptional returns. The conversation examines the importance of scale, the rise of discounters across Europe, and how different markets have developed their own winning retail models. Richard also shares insights from his time at Marks & Spencer, discussing what successful retail transformations look like in practice, why the in-store experience remains the clearest indicator of a retailer's health, and the leadership required to turn around struggling businesses.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 min
September 02 Will Woods: The Death of the Billion-Dollar Brand
Host Patrick Robinson is joined by European Retail Analyst Will Woods to explore “the death of the billion-dollar brand”. They discuss how globalisation, digitalisation and the rise of a middle class helped mega brands dominate, but have now become some of their biggest challenges as consumers move towards more fragmented, niche and targeted products. Will explores the rise of challenger brands, changing consumer demographics, faster product cycles and the growing importance of agility, before revealing how Bernstein put its own research into practice by designing and producing a limited-edition sneaker in just four months.
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29 min
July 15 Alex Irving: European Airlines, Ready for Take Off
European Transport Analyst Alex Irving joins host Richard Moffat to discuss how the European airline industry has evolved from a chronically underperforming sector into one capable of delivering attractive returns. They examine the forces reshaping the competitive landscape, including constrained aircraft supply, disciplined capacity growth and improved capital allocation, and explore what sets the industry's leaders apart – from Ryanair's relentless focus on unit costs to IAG's disciplined deployment of capital. The conversation also considers why today's supply-demand dynamics could underpin stronger profitability across the sector for years to come.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
39 min
July 02 Live from the Nice Conference: Reto Suter, CFO of Siegfried
Richard Moffat sits down with Reto Suter, CFO of Siegfried, for the final instalment of our Live from the Nice Conference series.

As Reto hands over the baton of CFO, he reflects on nearly a decade at one of Europe's fastest-growing CDMOs, discussing the power of long-term compounding, the structural growth drivers shaping the pharmaceutical industry, and why investors often underestimate the value of steady execution. The conversation explores how innovation is increasingly being driven by small and mid-sized biotech companies, the role of AI in transforming drug development and manufacturing, and how trends such as supply chain localisation and the rapid growth of GLP-1 therapies are creating new opportunities for the sector.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
16 min
June 23 Live from the Nice Conference: Gerrit Steen, CFO of AT&S
Is this the most significant demand shock the semiconductor industry has ever seen?

Gerrit Steen, CFO of AT&S, joins host Richard Moffat on the Côte d’Azur for an In the Know special. Gerrit reflects on the unprecedented AI-driven demand reshaping the semiconductor supply chain and what it means for long-term growth, capacity planning, and advanced packaging technologies like CoWoS. He also shares how AT&S is positioning for this structural shift, and whether geopolitical supply chain realignment presents new opportunities for globally diversified players.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
21 min
June 16 Live from the Nice Conference: Ian Malin, CCO of Wizz Air
Recorded live from our Nice Conference, we sit down with Ian Malin, Chief Commercial Officer of Wizz Air, for an In the Know special. Here, we unpack how Wizz has built one of aviation’s youngest, most efficient fleet – and what investors still overlook about its model. We explore whether high fuel prices strengthen its competitive edge, how it deploys aircraft and selects routes to reshape demand, and which markets have driven the most success. We also examine Wizz’s evolving brand, its approach to tech and AI, gaps in the customer journey, untapped marketing opportunities and finally, we look ahead to where the airline sees its biggest growth over the next 3–5 years.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 min
June 03 Nadine Sarwat: A $20+ Cocktail... In This Economy?
In this episode, American & European Beverages Analyst Nadine discusses the hot topic of spirits pricing. Diageo intends to introduce brands at price points it had previously ignored and to selectively execute price repositioning certain brands in certain geographies, Brown-Forman’s pricing power is also in focus as cost pressures are set to intensify, and all of this is against the backdrop of the ongoing cyclical vs. structural debate in US alcohol. So many investors have been wondering… should distillers adopt a tobacco-like strategy of using stronger price to offset volume decline? Or should distillers actually cut pricing to stimulate demand in an environment where affordability is under pressure? Today Nadine rolls up her sleeves and digs into this debate and more!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
32 min
May 19 Annick Maas: Concert Tickets, Who Really Sets the Price?
Media & Internet Analyst Annick Maas joins host Patrick Robinson to discuss ticketing and entertainment. With the experience economy thriving post-Covid, they delve into ticket pricing (including fees and resellers), the power structure between promoters, tickets and capital – as well as questioning whether or not festivals can still be considered the cultural epicentre?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26 min
May 05 Courtney Breen: GLP-1s & the Oral Obesity Era
US Biopharma Analyst Courtney Breen joins host Diana Wood to discuss the evolution of GLP-1 therapies for obesity, focusing on the transformative impact of oral formulations and recent policy changes that expand access. We explore market dynamics, patient demographics, and the future landscape of obesity treatment.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
36 min

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