Big Boss Interview

AO Chief Executive and Founder, John Roberts is celebrating 25 years at the helm of of one of the UK's biggest electrical retailers - he speaks to Sean Farrington in the first episode of Big Boss Interview. John says he believes the UK is entering a recession and calls on the Government to do more to allow businesses like his aid growth. Instead he feels the Employment Right Bill - which is currently making its way through Parliament - will make business leaders think twice about recruiting. He also outlines why competition from Chinese firms or Amazon is good for business. Meanwhile, with the budget on the horizon, John warns of the dangers of stealing Murray Mints from pensioners and outlines his lack of sympathy for supermarket chains. Timecodes: 00:00 Intro 02:20 Start of interview with John Roberts 06:40 The current economic climate 10:00 Impact of the Employment Rights Bill on businesses 15:00 How hard it is to be competitive today and the impact of Chinese business 19:30 Competing with Amazon 22:30 Relationship with Mike Ashley 26:50 Prospects for school leavers today 30:00 Increases to the state pension 32:00 Raising taxes on the wealthy 36:00 Sean and Will discuss the interview

A new business podcast speaking to the UK's most successful CEOs and entrepreneurs.

For the very final time, Business Matters on the BBC World Service, Rahul Tandon is joined by many of our regular guests from over the last 12 years, who discuss some of the biggest themes we covered, including, the COVID-19 pandemic, cost of living crisis due to the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Donald Trump becoming President of the United States.

Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to more than twenty-seven years in prison after the Supreme Court found him guilty of attempting a coup when he lost the 2022 election. More than 300 South Koreans who were arrested in the raid in the Hyundai plant in Georgia have now been released from detention and flown to their country. And how can this affect the economic relations between both countries? London's underground rail system – the Tube – has been closed for five days by a strike over pay and conditions for train drivers, and this has been very stressful for commuters, but more than that, it has been very damaging for businesses. And Roger Hearing hears about the use of artificial intelligence to write speeches for politics and business and how you can detect if it's written by AI or a human. Throughout the program, Roger will be joined by two guests on opposite sides of the world – Nga Pham, a journalist and filmmaker based in Taipei, although she will be joining us today from Hanoi in Vietnam - and Stephanie Hare, a researcher on technology and ethics in London.

US tech billionaire Larry Ellison briefly becomes the world’s richest person after shares in his business Oracle soar in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange. We examine how he has built his business empire which is valued at $393bn. We are in Mexico City to hear about protests about the increasing numbers of outsiders coming in and pushing up things like house prices , and the impact this having on local residents. We hear about some of the challenges facing Gen Z, those born in the late 1990’s and early 2000s as they head into the world of work. Presenter Roger Hearing talks to Washington based journalist Rema Rahman from the website The Hill , and Rintaro Nishimura Associate at the Asia Group in Tokyo about these and some of the other major business stories from around the globe.

The number of jobs created in the United States has been revised down. Not as many people got jobs as expected during the last months of Joe Biden's presidency or the opening period of Donald Trump's return to the White House. It suggests the world's largest economy is weaker than expected, but could it also mean Donald Trump will get his way and the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates? We're joined by the CBC's Takara Small in Toronto, Canada, and Stratagraph's Travis Paterson in Jakarta, Indonesia, to discuss how businesses have been impacted by the increasing use of tariffs by both the US and other governments. Roger Hearing finds out about the impact on the Korean community in the US state of Georgia after the detained Hyundai workers are set to be flown home. Elsewhere, there's a new French prime minister, the fifth in two years, to try to pass a budget. It was promised to be awe-dropping - but what has Apple unveiled at its latest event? And how a high murder rate is threatening tourism on a Caribbean island paradise. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Rupert Murdoch has bought out three of his children to finally settle a long running family dispute over the future control of his global media business. The US$3.3bn deal sees the media mogul essentially hand his empire to eldest son Lachlan. Andrew Peach is joined by Peter Morici in Maryland, USA, and Nassim Khadem in Melbourne, Australia, with the ramifications still being felt after French MPs ousted prime minister François Bayrou over plans to deal with the country's deficit by cutting public spending. Elsewhere, we hear why Mexico is considering enacting new tariffs on countries they don't have a trade agreement with, including China. And Donald trump's controversial "gold card" visa, offering the super rich permanent residence in the USA for just US$5m. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

We break down the latest US jobs report, which showed hiring in America stalled last month. We explain what that means for the Federal Reserve which has come under immense pressure from the White House to cut interest rates. Plus: Russia's president Vladimir Putin says he wants to rekindle business relationships with the United States. But does the US president share that view? And will sanctions put a stop to that ambition before it even begins? We talk to a former US diplomat to Moscow for those answers. We're on the ground in the US state of Georgia where immigration agents have arrested nearly 500 people during a raid on a Hyundai battery-production facility. It's the biggest workplace raid of President Donald Trump's second term. Also, McDonald’s is taking a stand on tipping. It says all restaurant workers should get a full minimum wage rather than relying on tips to boost a smaller amount of pay. And we look at a growing list of senior executives who've hidden office romances and lost their jobs because of it. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

The US president's pick Stephen Miran is nominated to serve as governor of the central bank. Will he cut interest rates? And, as the US Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into another Fed governor, is Donald Trump closer to controlling the US Central Bank? Also, we talk to a designer and founder of the Very Creative Agency in New York, who's gone viral on social media after hitting the thrift trip jackpot. Is it the end of the illegally streamed sport programmes? We look at the closure of Streameast - the world’s largest illegal sports streaming site. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.

Nationwide protests sweep Indonesia over police violence and government austerity measures. In the US, artwork once owned by Leonardo DiCaprio and linked to the 1MDB scandal is up for auction. Jamaicans cast votes in parliamentary elections. We examines some of the key issues facing the electorate. A Chilean drinks company takes up a court case against actor Pedro Pascal over the brand name ‘Pedro Piscal’. In the Ivory Coast, UNESCO adds the making of attiéké, a beloved cassava side dish, to the world’s cultural heritage list. Presenter Roger Hearing is joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Katia Dmitrieva is the Asia Economics Correspondent for Bloomberg News and Mike Malone is a Veteran Silicon Valley journalist and host of the Silicon Insider podcast.

US President Donald Trump says Washington DC is a 'safe space' after announcing he will send National Guard troops into Chicago to deal with crime. What do businesses think? Russia and China are working together on a major new gas pipeline deal. Google won a court case meaning it doesn’t have to sell its popular Chrome web browser. In Italy, the Venice film festival is taking place. We hear about the big budgets, CGI debates and new movies. And could you go a month without spending? We hear about 'No Spend September', the social media trend about saving money. Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence in Houston, and Rachel Cartland, author and commentator, in Hong Kong.

Guyana, one of the world's fastest-growing economies, votes on its oil future as tensions rise with neighbour, Venezuela which claims almost half its territory. Is the English Premier League in an inflation spiral? Roger Hearing investigates, as record-breaking transfer fees dominate the headlines. Meanwhile, Swiss food giant Nestlé has sacked its CEO over his romantic relationship. We find out what economic forces are driving the war in Myanmar. And 40 years after the Titanic wreck was discovered, we explore how a tragic shipwreck became a booming global industry, from movies and museums to podcasts. Roger will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Sergio Guzman is Director of Colombia Risk Analysis in Columbia and Jessica Khine is a Business Consultant from Malaysia.

They’ve been a key pillar of President Trump’s second term, but now a US appeals court has ruled that most of his sweeping trade tariffs are illegal. Trump says their removal would be a ‘disaster,’ but the final decision will rest with the Supreme Court. So what next for Trump’s signature policy? Our correspondent in the US explains more. Meanwhile, as Fed governor Lisa Cook fights to block President Trump firing her, a legal hearing on the matter ended without a ruling. But with ongoing tensions and concerns over the bank’s independence, who would want the next Fed chair job when the role becomes vacant next year? We hear from a former regional Fed president who says he’s up for the job. And what are your thoughts on’ blue sky thinking’, ‘circling back’ and’ diarising some thoughtification’? Love it or loathe it, workplace jargon is commonplace in many companies. We speak to authors James Schloefell and Charles Firth about their new book on the subject of workplace speak.

Friday sees the US Customs and Border Protection agency scrap tariff exemptions, known as de minimis, for millions of small international postal items arriving from abroad that are valued below US$800. Roger Hearing is joined by Sinead Mangan in Perth and Tony Nash in Houston to discuss the White House's claims that ending the loophole will curb the movement of drugs and provide US$10bn of revenue. But what does it mean for small traders around the world? We catch up with the saga engulfing the Federal Reserve after governor Lisa Cook filed a legal case against US president Donald Trump over his efforts to fire her. Elsewhere, police raids have taken place across Brazil as authorities try to close down a US$10bn money laundering operation. Just days after South Korean president Lee Jae Myung visited Washington DC, we hear from David Kim, the man at the centre of a multi-billion dollar investment from the east Asian country into US shipbuilding. And how old is too old when it comes to being a commercial pilot? Former flyer Kit Darby shares his thoughts. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Californian computer chipmaker Nvidia has reported record revenue figures of almost US$47bn for the second quarter of this year, surpassing all market expectations after being boosted by big tech firms eager to expand their artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The Santa Clara-based business claims its likely grow to $54bn, but its positioning in China appear somewhat uncertain as executives said they "continue to work through geopolitical issues" due to the ongoing international tariff wars. Meanwhile Donald Trump's steep 50% tariffs on India have kicked in after Washington's window for a trade deal lapsed and the US president issued an order imposing an additional 25% penalty on New Delhi over its purchases of Russian oil. While India prime minister Modi has criticised the levies as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", Roger Hearing will be joined by Karen Percy in Melbourne and Walter Todd in South Carolina to discuss what this could mean for both countries and who will be picking up the extra costs? Elsewhere Donald Trump has threatened the billionaire financier, George Soros, with an indictment for racketeering. We hear about the challenges endured by professional golfers trying to survive in Africa. And keep it down - a campaign has begun in London after a growing number of people said they felt aggravated by headphone-dodgers who broadcast music and entertainment for all passengers to hear on the city's trains and buses. Global business news, with live guests and contributions from Asia and the USA.

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook will file a lawsuit challenging her removal by President Donald Trump, marking a major escalation in the president's battle with the US central bank. So does President Trump have the power to fire the governor? Roger Hearing hears from a legal expert and former Cleveland Federal reserve President, to Loretta Mester. And in just a few hours’ time, unless there's a last-minute change of heart, Indians will be dealing with 50% tariffs on most exports to the United States. It's punishment for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, which Washington argues helps finance Moscow's war in Ukraine. Roger will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Andy Xie, an independent economist normally in Shanghai but currently in Kamamoto, Japan on holiday - and Takara Small, National Technology Columnist, CBC, in Toronto.

US President, Donald Trump welcomes the South Korean leader to the White House to discuss trade. He believes a deal can be done. The South African government has warned young women against taking up unverified foreign job offers promoted on social media campaigns. And make a big noise – why movie theatre audiences now seem to love singalong shows. So, we will look at why singalong movie showings are taking off in cinemas. Roger Hearing will be joined throughout the programme by two guests on opposite sides of the world - Sushma Ramachandran, consulting editor at The Secretariat - who's in Delhi, and Rema Rahman, White House & Legal Affairs Editor at The Hill, and Adjunct Professor at American University, in Washington.

As Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signals a move to a rate cut in December, we find out what it means for the US economy and the financial markets. Also, friends again? Canadian PM Mark Carney calls a halt to some of the retaliatory tariffs imposed on the US. We find out what Canada's businesses think of the thaw in trade relations. And, amid US tariff uncertainty is there still a slice of the US market available to UK artisan cheese exporters? And why California is reaching out to African economies.

Federal Chair Jerome Powell takes centre stage at Jackson Hole in the US to deliver his final speech. It comes at a time when tensions are high between him and President Trump. We look ahead to this important speech. Details emerge of a tentative deal between the European Union and the US .Some sectors will see smaller-than-expected tariff hikes. We hear from a representative of the German automotive industry And Ecuador is home to the Galápagos Islands, towering volcanoes, and the Amazon rainforest. But how did one of South America’s most peaceful countries become one of the most violent? We take a look at how this surge in crime has affected the tourism sector.

The Chair of the Federal Reserve chair are under scrutiny from Donald Trump after fraud allegations emerge about Governor Lisa Cook. How will it affect the interest rate decision? The authorities in Pakistan's commercial capital Karachi have declared an emergency and a public holiday after monsoon rains paralysed the city. We hear from the local business owner. Sony PlayStation increased the price on its console. Is it one of the consequences of the trade war? And we look at Denmark's decision to tax cow and sheep burps for greenhouse gas reasons. You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.