After recent corporate scandals like VW's emissions' cheating, Tesco's accounting irregularities, Barclays interest-rate rigging, many asked why company board members failed to act. What happened to the checks and balances designed to curb management excesses? Evan Davis and guests look at how company boards operate and how to make them work effectively. They discuss the role of company directors, the skills and experience required and examine why some say 'Beware the charismatic CEO'.

Guests:

Sir David Walker, Former Chairman, Barclays plc

Michael Jackson, Former Chair, The Sage Group plc

Margaret Heffernan, Former CEO, entrepreneur and author

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Can the Northern Powerhouse solve Britain's North-South economic divide? For now, the Northern Powerhouse is a concept: an idea that towns and cities in the north can unite, forming their own economic hub to rival London and the south east. So how to turn it into a reality? Evan Davis and guests are with an audience at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to discuss what kind of businesses will settle in the north of England and what needs to be done to encourage them to make the move. They'll talk about the frustrations of poor transport links, the joys of green spaces and the reasons why businesses like to cluster.

Guests:

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Rewriting the rules: what does it take to be a non-conformist? Evan Davis is joined by a banker, a brewer and a tech entrepreneur as they discuss how success can mean challenging the orthodox way of doing things.

Guests:

James Watt - Founder, Brewdog Ltd

Sarah Wood - Co-founder, Unruly Media

Anders Bouvin, CEO, Handelsbanken UK.

What does a financial engineer do? A mechanical engineer may design a machine, one that does a task or overcomes an obstacle, but what problems does modern finance solve? Can the clever manipulation of debt, equity or derivatives, really make human beings better off? Some think finance is a bit of a racket, designed to extract money from the enterprise of others; others think modern finance is a miracle that can create value from nothing. Evan Davis and guests try to get to the bottom of this argument on this week's The Bottom Line.

Guests:

John Kay - Economist and writer

From the design desk to the shop window, how do fast fashion brands deliver the latest trends in double-quick time? Evan Davis and guests discuss fabric, factories and a nimble supply chain.

Guests:

Catarina Midby, Sustainability manager, H & M;

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Whether it's high-profile sports events or blockbuster art exhibitions, companies like Adidas and Unilever spend millions of pounds on sponsorship - to get their brand associated with sporting or artistic excellence. The global sponsorship market is worth more than 30 billion pounds a year, but what happens when negative publicity - like Fifa's World Cup corruption scandal - starts to tarnish a brand? Evan Davis and guests discuss whether sponsors should walk away or use their influence to press for change.

Guests:

Peter Mather, Group Regional Vice President for Europe, BP;

Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Companies like Royal Mail, Saga and the AA have recently listed their shares on the stock market. It gives them access to plenty of money to help them grow, but also means they're subject to public scrutiny. Evan Davis and guests discuss why firms decide to float and how they must adapt to becoming a plc.

Guests:

Martin Clarke, CFO, the AA;

Producer: Sally Abrahams.