The Bottom Line

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan asks his guests whether it's time to declare a state of emergency in the world economy and to adopt extreme measures to sort out the Euro crisis and the lack of economic activity in the West. They also discuss rumours, hearsay and speculation, and the role they play in business.Evan is joined in the studio by Guy Berruyer, chief executive of global business software supplier Sage Group; internet entrepreneur Brent Hoberman, founder of online interior decoration business mydeco.com; Hugh Hendry, co-founder of hedge fund Eclectica Asset Management.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week Evan asks his panel of top executives about the limits of automation. How far can they go in removing human beings from their business? Which processes are beyond automation? The panel also swap thoughts on the benefits of the corporate awayday.Evan is joined in the studio by Mike Lynch, founder and chief executive of the software company Autonomy; Colin Drummond, chief executive of waste management firm Viridor; Douglas Anderson, president and chief executive of the global travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week Evan asks his panel of top executives about the perils and the possibilities of running a fast-growing business. Many a company has spiralled out of control because of a failure to manage rapid growth - but what are the speed limits? They also chew over the role of the business lunch.Evan is joined in the studio by Clive Schlee, chief executive of sandwich retail chain Pret A Manger; Peter Bamford, chairman of SuperGroup, the fashion retailer behind the SuperDry brand; Giles Andrews, founder and chief executive of Zopa, an online lending service.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week Evan's panel of business leaders hail from the worlds of social networking and retail. He challenges them to cast their minds forward and imagine how the Web will look by the year 2020. What will have changed? Will bricks and mortar matter any more, or will everything be in the cloud? They also consider the value of storytelling in business. So many brands these days seem to have a story to tell - but what business benefit really is there in a good yarn?Evan is joined in the studio by Michael Birch, internet entrepreneur and founder of social networking website Bebo; Laura Tenison, founder and managing director of maternity and babywear retailer Jo-Jo Maman Bébé; Justin King, chief executive of supermarket chain Sainsbury's.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week Evan's executive guests hail from the worlds of banking, headhunting and advertising. He asks them about loyalty - or rather the seeming lack of it in business. Are companies generally looking for short-term relationships of convenience, with loyalty gone and promiscuity the rule? Evan also asks them how they measure how well they're performing.Evan is joined in the studio by Michael Morley, chief executive of private bank Coutts & Co; Robin Wight, president of communications agency Engine; Alistair Cox, chief executive of global recruitment firm Hays.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and his guests swap thoughts on contacts and contracts. Is it who you know that counts in business? Are informal networks the way business is allocated? Or do more formal arrangements now apply? Evan also asks his guests to reveal their greatest business regrets. Evan is joined in the studio by Will Butler-Adams, managing director of folding bicycle manufacturer Brompton Bicycle; Charles Cohen, chief executive of mobile gambling company Probability plc; Ralph Oppenheimer, chairman of steel trading company Stemcor.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.With so many people now living in high-consuming industrial nations, and with many commodity prices increasing, Evan asks his business guests how they plan to economise in their use of raw materials. They also discuss building design and appraise the importance of form and function.Evan is joined in the studio by Eugene Kohn, co-founder and chairman of architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Mark Price, managing director of supermarket chain Waitrose; Andy Bond, former chief executive and chairman of Asda.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.With plenty to worry about in the world economy, Evan asks his panel of influential business leaders whether now is a good time for companies to sit tight and play it safe, or to take a risk or two. They also discuss greed - is there anything wrong with a touch of it in business?Evan is joined in the studio by Geoff Cooper, chief executive of builders merchant Travis Perkins; Harriet Green, chief executive of electronic components distributor Premier Farnell; serial technology entrepreneur Sir Terry Matthews.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business, presented by Evan Davis. The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Evan's guests are all top executives from the world of fashion and clothing. They discuss whether normal business rules apply in their world. They also get down to the nitty gritty of the business itself - who makes the money and how do they set the prices?The panel also talks about marketing, and the role of PR in getting their products noticed. Evan is joined in the studio by Jane Sheperdson, chief executive of Whistles; Simon Berwin, managing director of Berwin & Berwin; Kim Winser, fashion and retail expert with private equity group 3i.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business, presented by Evan Davis. The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Evan's top executive guests include two hoteliers and a soft drinks manufacturer. They discuss recent events in Japan, and explore to what extent companies can really prepare for major disasters. They also reveal how much they know about life on the shop floor and where the problems lie.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Stephanie's top executive guests hail from the worlds of mobile energy, sanitary fittings and business services. They discuss how businesses cope in a "slow growth" environment. Could years of slow growth be more challenging than a short sharp shock? And not so long ago, the slow coach economy in Europe was Germany - now it's steaming ahead of everyone. What's gone right for Germany - and what lessons could other countries learn?Stephanie is joined in the studio by Rupert Soames, chief executive of mobile energy group, Aggreko; Neal Gandhi, chief executive of international business services company Quickstart Global; David Haines, chief executive of German bathroom fittings company Grohe.Producer: Caroline Bayley.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Stephanie's top business guests hail from the worlds of retail, IT and pizza. They swap thoughts on the business of timing. Are modern businesses now so obsessed with doing things quickly that they fail to do it well?And as political turmoil continues in the Middle East, the panel debate whether it's important for businesses to keep up with what's happening around the world. How isolated from current events can they be?Stephanie is joined in the studio by David Wild, chief executive of car accessories company Halfords; Mike Norris, chief executive of IT services firm Computacenter; Chris Moore, chief executive of Domino's Pizza UK & Ireland.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Evan's top business guests hail from retail and advertising. They swap thoughts on consumer research. Companies spend lots of money to find out how their customers spend theirs, but do they learn anything useful?They also debate what purpose business awards serve. Can they actually help a company be more successful?Evan is joined in the studio by Ian Cheshire, chief executive of home improvement retail company Kingfisher. And from the world of advertising, Cilla Snowball, group chief executive and chairman of Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, and David Jones, global chief executive of Havas Worldwide.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Stephanie and her panel of top executives discuss hyperconnectivity - the idea that there are more devices in use around the world than there are people actually using them. How do the panel cope with the sheer mass of incoming information, and devices to carry it? Does more technology mean better communication, or just less time to think?They also talk about the role of intuition in making important decisions. Is there still room in modern business for the good old-fashioned hunch, or do decisions these days always need to be backed up by solid analysis?Stephanie is joined in the studio by Dominic Taylor, chief executive of payment services company PayPoint; Rita Clifton, chairman of branding consultancy Interbrand; Sir Michael Rake, chairman of telecoms company BT Group.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented this week by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Stephanie and her panel of top executives discuss the impact of political instability on the way they do business.They also talk about their employees - many chief executives will say their workers are the company's "most valuable asset", but is it really true?Stephanie is joined in the studio by Tim Watkins, vice president of the western arm of Chinese telecommunications company Huawei; Richard Fenning, chief executive of global security consultancy Control Risks; Vineet Nayar, chief executive of Indian IT services company HCL Technologies.Producer: Caroline Bayley.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Evan asks his panel of top business executives how they manage to adapt their companies and remain relevant in the modern world. What do you do when technology changes, or fashions move against you? What are the challenges of rejuvenating and transforming a mature business to keep ahead of the curve?The panel also discusses which laws get in the way of running a business smoothly and reveal which ones they would most like to scrap.Evan is joined in the studio by Anne Murphy, UK managing director of frozen foods company Birds Eye; Norbert Teufelberger, chief executive of online gaming firm Bwin; Efrat Peled, chief executive of the fund Arison Investments.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan consults the oracle by asking his panel of top executives to fast-forward five years and forecast how they see the economic landscape in 2016. They discuss raw materials and inflation, and debate who will look stronger - will it be China or India?The panel also discusses the value of networking - both real and virtual - for your business and your career.Evan is joined in the studio by Andy Street, managing director of high street retail chain John Lewis; Nicola Horlick, founder of Bramdean Asset Management; Simon Woodroffe, entrepreneur and founder of YO! Company.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.In the week that Facebook launched its own new messaging service, Evan and his panel of top business guests discuss the role of email at work, amid the many different ways of messaging and communicating.And location, location, location. It's a cliche that location can make or break a business, but how true is it really? And what are the advantages of being next door to the competition?Evan is joined in the studio by Chris Grigg, chief executive of property company British Land; Andrew Horton, chief executive of insurance company Beazley; Raghav Bahl, founder of Indian television news group Network 18.Producer: Ben CrightonLast in the series. The Bottom Line returns in January 2011.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.In the week that former BP boss Tony Hayward admitted the company had been unprepared for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in April, Evan and his panel of top business executives consider how companies plan for unexpected events. How prepared actually are they for a crisis or a disaster?And dressing up, dressing down, power dressing, smart casual - they also discuss what to wear at work.Evan is joined in the studio by Neil Gaydon, chief executive of set-top box maker Pace; Sara Weller, managing director of retail chain Argos; Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and a panel of top guests from the worlds of online retail, investment and utilities examine how young upstart companies can outsmart their well-established incumbent opponents, and how those opponents can defend themselves.The panel also discusses company names. What makes a good one? And why the business obsession with changing them?Evan is joined in the studio by Katherine Garrett-Cox, Chief Executive of Alliance Trust, an investment trust; Brent Hoberman, serial internet entrepreneur and founder of web-based furniture company made.com; Phil Bentley, Managing Director of utility company British Gas.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of spirits, security and digital publishing discuss the special relationship between the two people at the top of a company: the chairman and chief executive. Is it a recipe for tension, or a sensible balancing of responsibilities?The panel also discusses the merits of youth versus experience in the workplace. What qualities do young people bring to a business compared with their older colleagues - or is there no difference?Evan is joined in the studio by Séamus McBride, President and Chief Executive of spirits company Bacardi Ltd; Nick Buckles, Chief Executive of security company G4S; Anthony Habgood, Chairman of digital publisher Reed Elsevier and the hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company Whitbread.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of farming, packaging and investment discuss the importance of raw materials - and how the price of commodities affects their companies. The panel also discusses emotion. Evan asks his guests how 'touchy feely' they are, as they consider whether business is a place for emotion and sentimentality. Evan is joined in the studio by William Chase, farmer and entrepreneur; Miles Roberts, chief executive of FTSE250 packaging company DS Smith; Colin Melvin, chief executive of Hermes Equity Ownership Services.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of electronic components, online groceries and information technology discuss the exacting science of business logistics. The panel also discusses customer service. Just how high should a company aim in trying to satisfy its consumers?Evan is joined in the studio by Tim Steiner, co-founder and chief executive of online supermarket Ocado; Nick Wilson, managing director of Hewlett-Packard UK; Ian Mason, chief executive of electronic components company Electrocomponents.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of advertising, branding and lifestyle management discuss viral videos, social networking and some of the other methods companies now employ to reach out to their customers. The panel also discusses positive thinking. Is better to be optimistic in business, or realistic? Evan is joined in the studio by Alex Cheatle, chief executive of the lifestyle management company Ten Group; Jasmine Montgomery, co-founder of branding consultancy Seven Brands; Robin Wight, president of communications group Engine.Producer: Ben Crighton.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan and a panel of guests from the worlds of civil engineering, hedge funds and investment discuss the art of staying ahead of the competition.The ruthless former chief executive of General Electric, Jack Welch, often held up as a model of business leadership, pursued a strategy to establish each of GE's businesses as either number one or number two in the market. Without this approach, he believed the company's prospects would be bleak. Some companies will do anything to be big, even if it means cutting prices and making less money. Other businesses are happy to be smaller and more profitable. Which strategy wins?The panel also discusses corporate claptrap. Silly jargon, faddish ideas and vacuous concepts - why is the business world so keen on nonsense?Evan is joined in the studio by Deborah Meaden, entrepreneur and business investor; Keith Clarke, chief executive of FTSE 250 civil engineering and design consultancy Atkins; Hugh Hendry, hedge fund manager and co-founder of Eclectica Asset Management.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.Evan Davis is joined by a panel of chief executives to discuss the US economy. There was concern over the summer that the world's economic powerhouse could be about to enter a double-dip recession, dragging rest of the world down with it. Those fears might may have now subsided, so how is the US economy actually faring? And can the rest of the world thrive without a booming America? The panel also discusses sponsorship - how companies decide which events to back, and how much to spend.Evan is joined in the studio by Nani Beccalli-Falco, President and Chief Executive of GE International; Trevor Matthews, Chief Executive of Friends Provident; Mike Lynch, founder and Chief Executive of Autonomy.