In this episode of Do Better Podcast, Senior Researcher and Research Coordinator at EsadeGeo Marie Vandendriessche (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/autor/marie-vandendriessche) speaks with Amrit Singh Deo (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritsinghdeo), Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting and alumnus of the Full Time MBA at Esade (https://www.esade.edu/mba/en/programmes/full-time-mba?utm_source=Web&utm_campaign=mba-awareness-seo_dobetter-prs-articulo&utm_content=ftmba&utm_term=articulo-web), about India’s economic rise and its evolving role in an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape. The conversation explores India’s growth story, its pursuit of strategic autonomy in foreign and security policy, and the renewed momentum behind the long-negotiated EU–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Particular attention is given to the main sticking points in the talks—agriculture, energy and climate policy (including CBAM), and services—alongside the opportunities emerging from closer cooperation on the energy transition, defense (https://dobetter.esade.edu/en/europe-defence-moment), technology, and connectivity. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

China is redefining what it means to be a global superpower—and doing so on its own terms. In this episode of Do Better Podcast, Dr. Yu Jie unpacks Beijing’s economic transition, geopolitical strategy, and shifting global ambitions for the years ahead. The Asian superpower is undergoing one of the most significant strategic transformations in its modern history, and few analysts are better placed to unpack it than Dr. Yu Jie (https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/yu-jie). In this new episode, Professor Angel Saz-Carranza (https://dobetter.esade.edu/en/author/angel-saz-carranza), director of EsadeGeo (https://dobetter.esade.edu/en), sits down with the Senior Research Fellow on China at Chatham House to explore how Beijing understands its role in a rapidly shifting world—and why its economic and geopolitical decisions today will shape global dynamics for years to come. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

A single, public document can prompt thousands of companies to improve their governance practices. In this episode of Risk and Return, we explore a subtle but powerful tool used by some of the world’s largest investors: expectation documents. Rather than engaging company by company, global investors such as sovereign wealth funds and index giants publish portfolio-wide statements that outline the standards they expect from all the firms they own.  In the second episode of Risk and Return, Vicente J. Bermejo, professor in the Master in Finance at Esade (https://www.esade.edu/master-of-science/en/programme/esade-master-in-finance?utm_source=Web&utm_campaign=msc-awareness-seo_dobetter-prs-articulo&utm_content=&utm_term=articulo-web) and member of the Group for Research in Economics, Finance and Accounting (GREF) (https://www.esade.edu/faculty-research/en/group-research-economics-finance) discusses his recent study —which you can read about here (https://dobetter.esade.edu/en/expectation-documents-corporate-influence)— analyzing the impact of a major governance expectations release by Norway’s sovereign wealth fund in 2012.   Hosted by Professor Omar Rachedi, Risk and Return features conversations with leading scholars and practitioners to strip away jargon and explore how markets, businesses, and policies shape our world.   Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

En este episodio de Voces del Consejo, Mario Lara (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/autor/mario-lara), director de Esade Madrid y del Centro de Gobierno Corporativo, conversa con Rita Estévez Luaña, antigua alumna del Programa para Consejeros de Esade (https://www.esade.edu/executive-education/es/programa/programa-para-consejeros?utm_source=Web&utm_campaign=msc-awareness-seo_dobetter-prs-articulo&utm_content=&utm_term=articulo-web) y consejera independiente en empresas del sector financiero y tecnológico. Un episodio imprescindible para quienes buscan entender cómo la tecnología está cambiando la agenda de los consejos y qué competencias clave necesitan los consejeros de hoy.  Juntos reflexionan sobre cómo la inteligencia artificial generativa está transformando las empresas y redefiniendo la función del consejo, que debe asumir un rol cada vez más estratégico y ético en la adopción de nuevas tecnologías. También analiza la creciente relevancia de la ciberseguridad como uno de los principales riesgos corporativos y comparte su experiencia gestionando incidentes críticos.  Entre otros cargos relevantes, Rita Estévez es presidenta de la Comisión de Auditoría de Línea Directa y de la Comisión de Tecnología de MoraBanc. También ha sido la Chief Operations Officer de Deutsche Bank a nivel global.  Esforma parte de la Junta Directiva del Club de Consejeros de Esade Alumni. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this podcast we talked to international experts Béatrice Dumont (https://www.coleurope.eu/whoswho/person/beatrice.dumont) (College of Europe), Nils Redeker (https://www.delorscentre.eu/en/team/profile/person/redeker) (Jacques Delors Center) and Juan Moscoso del Prado (https://dobetter.esade.edu/en/author/juan-moscoso-del-prado) (EsadeGeo) on the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (EU seven-year budget). They draw on the conclusions of the event “The Coming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF): Positions and Opportunities” held at Esade Madrid with the collaboration of the MAEC (Ministerio de Exteriores) on October 7th, 2025.  Together, they examined the European Commission’s proposal for the 2028–2034 MFF, which accounts for nearly €1.98 trillion over seven years (€280 billion annually). While the plan represents the most profound reshaping of EU budgetary pillars in decades (reducing and merging agriculture and cohesion funds), participants questioned whether it is ambitious enough to meet Draghi’s call of €800 billion per year to revive Europe’s competitiveness. And most importantly, will Member States accept it?  Nils Redeker pointed out that with roughly 90% of the EU budget locked in for seven years, there’s very little flexibility to shift spending; still, the new MFF proposal is a step in the right direction for competitiveness. Béatrice Dumont argued that the first pillar—cohesion policy and the CAP—will likely remain dominant because it’s politically hard to cut, and she stressed that boosting competitiveness requires European public goods like R&D and modernizing the electric grid. Juan Moscoso del Prado emphasized the need to align the new MFF with private investment by deepening the capital markets and banking unions, creating a true savings-and-investment union, which can help SMEs and companies raise productivity.  The conclusions of the session will be published in a Policy Brief soon at EsadeGeo (https://www.esade.edu/faculty-research/en/esadegeo) .     Activity co-financed by Spanish' State Secretariat for the European Union /Reference: 117-032471  Supported by Ministerio de Exteriores and Hablemos de Europa Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What happens when we move beyond the idea of perfectly rational decision-makers and instead focus on how people really behave? In this episode of Risk and Return, we explore behavioral economics and finance — a field that brings psychology, culture, and social factors into economic thinking. Featuring Esade Associate Professor Anna Bayona, we reflect on how these perspectives are reshaping research, teaching, and real-world applications, from financial crises to public policy and even climate change.   Hosted by Esade Associate Professor Omar Rachedi, member of the Group for Research in Economics, Finance and Accounting (GREF), Risk and Return is a podcast that brings research in economics, finance, and accounting to life. We strip away jargon to explore how markets, businesses, and policies shape our world. Each episode features conversations with leading scholars and practitioners, connecting academic insights with real-world challenges in business, policy, and everyday decision-making.   Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

La sostenibilidad no puede considerarse de forma aislada. El contexto geopolítico, las transformaciones industriales y el marco regulador europeo están configurando un entorno en el que las empresas deben replantearse su papel. Con motivo de la presentación del octavo informe del Observatorio de los ODS, Sostenibilidad, competitividad y disrupción geopolítica (https://www.esade.edu/itemsweb/wi/research/catedra_liderazgos/Esade_ODS2025_CAST.pdf), reunimos a Jordi Torrent (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordi-torrent-baa77130/), jefe de Estrategia del Puerto de Barcelona, i a Jacint Soler (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacinto-soler-matutes-415bb91/), director de Relaciones Internacionales y Asuntos Europeos de Pimec, quienes ofrecieron una mirada experta sobre la intersección entre sostenibilidad, regulación e intereses empresariales.  Presentado por Àngel Castiñeira (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/autor/angel-castineira-fernandez), director de la Càtedra de LiderazgoS y Sostenibilidad de Esade. De acuerdo con Torrent, el modelo internacional surgido tras los acuerdos de Bretton Woods se tambalea. Las tensiones geopolíticas, la fragmentación de las cadenas de suministro y el declive del derecho económico internacional (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/retos-comercio-maria-fernanda-garza) son síntomas de una transformación de fondo. Occidente ha tomado conciencia de su vulnerabilidad tras la crisis de 2008 y la pandemia, y ha reaccionado con proteccionismo y un intento de recuperar soberanía industrial (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/subvenciones-claves-politica-industrial-europea).  Esto ha tenido su reflejo también en Europa, donde la Comisión Europea ha pasado de priorizar la sostenibilidad medioambiental a centrarse en la autonomía estratégica (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/europa-defensa-momento), la seguridad económica y la competitividad (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/europa-competitividad-2025). Esto no implica una renuncia a los compromisos climáticos, pero sí un reequilibrio de prioridades.  Soler subraya el cambio de tono en las instituciones europeas. “Venimos de una legislatura marcada por un tsunami regulatorio. Ahora se abre una etapa más favorable a la competitividad y a los incentivos”, explica. En su opinión, el énfasis en prohibiciones y obligaciones ha supuesto un gran esfuerzo para muchas pymes, que necesitan ahora estímulos fiscales y financieros para seguir invirtiendo en sostenibilidad. “Son necesarias más zanahorias y menos palos”, resume.  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Can we clean up carbon without reinventing the global energy system? In this episode of Do Better podcast we talk to Samantha Gross (https://www.linkedin.com/in/grosssamantha/), director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution. She breaks down the reality behind carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology often hailed as a climate game-changer. We separate what is hype from practicality and lay out the conditions under which CCS can make a real difference. This conversation is part of a series of initiatives by the Observatory EsadeGeo-Fundación Repsol on the Geopolitics of Energy Transition. (https://www.esade.edu/faculty-research/en/esadegeo/key-initiatives/observatorio-esadegeo-fundacion-repsol-de-geopolitica-de-la-transicion-energetica)  Hosted by Omar Rachedi (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/autor/omar-rachedi), Senior Fellow at EsadeGeo and Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting at Esade. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Can carbon pricing be made fair across global markets? And how will this affect developing countries, trade relationships, and the EU’s own industrial base? As climate policy becomes a defining force in global trade, the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has sparked debate across industries and borders.   In this episode of Do Better podcast, we meet Andrei Marcu (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrei-marcu-571b66b), founder and executive director of the European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST (https://ercst.org/)). Marcu breaks down the logic behind CBAM, its implications for EU competitiveness, and the challenges it poses for international cooperation. This conversation is part of a series of initiatives by the Observatory EsadeGeo-Fundación Repsol on the Geopolitics of Energy Transition. (https://www.esade.edu/faculty-research/en/esadegeo/key-initiatives/observatorio-esadegeo-fundacion-repsol-de-geopolitica-de-la-transicion-energetica)  Hosted by Omar Rachedi (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/autor/omar-rachedi), Senior Fellow at EsadeGeo and Associate Professor in Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting at Esade.  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Sara Baliña (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-bali%C3%B1a-vieites-62775657/), directora de la Oficina Nacional de Prospectiva y Estrategia de la Presidencia del Gobierno, ofrece una visión optimista sobre cómo enfrentarse a un mundo aparentemente marcado por la incertidumbre (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/liberation-day-estados-unidos). Frente a la coyuntura, defiende la importancia de identificar las grandes tendencias de fondo —como el envejecimiento demográfico, la digitalización, la transición ecológica o la urbanización— que avanzan de forma más lenta pero sostenida.   En este podcast, exploramos junto a Baliña el debate sobre la erosión del comercio internacional (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/retos-comercio-maria-fernanda-garza), la fragmentación tecnológica global y los desafíos de la UE para impulsar la innovación (https://dobetter.esade.edu/es/europa-competitividad-2025). Más allá del debate regulatorio, Europa tiene una oportunidad clara para atraer talento e inversión que debe combinar con el impulso a la transferencia de conocimiento y el fortalecimiento de su ecosistema tecnológico.  Baliña participó recientemente en la sesión Tecnología, innovación y autonomía estratégica (https://www.esade.edu/es/noticias/sara-balina-oficina-nacional-de-prospectiva-y-estrategia-europa-se-va-a-convertir-en-un), organizada por el Centro de Gobierno Corporativo (https://www.esade.edu/faculty-research/es/centro-gobierno-corporativo) y EsadeGeo (https://www.esade.edu/faculty-research/en/esadegeo).  Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.