Control Risks

The polls closed on 18 June, with conservative figure Ebrahim Raisi securing a landslide and ending reformist President Hassan Rowhani’s eight-year rule. Join Henry Smith for a conversation with Control Risks in-house expert Nicki Siamaki, Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, the founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation and Dr. Farid Sigari-Majd, Partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where they discuss the impact Raisi will have on the ongoing negotiations with the US, Iran’s sanctions environment in the coming year and challenges and opportunities that foreign businesses will be presented with in Iran’s market.

Malaysia’s tumultuous politics has left many asking about the country’s political and economic outlook in the coming months. Dane Chamorro, Partner, discusses with Harrison Cheng, Associate Director and Lead Analyst for Malaysia, about the potential of a political coup in Malaysia, the handling of the Covid-19 situation by the government and its impact on the country’s economy, the human rights allegations in certain sectors in Malaysia and how companies need to manage such reputational risks in their supply chains, as well as his prediction of the political situation until the end of the year.

Stay updated with new episodes by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts and more content can be found www.controlrisks.com. 

The recent unrest in South Africa surfaced underlying tensions and led to significant operational disruption. But it fitted a known pattern of turbulence associated with local political and socioeconomic triggers, and it is best understood as part of a nuanced risk landscape that includes criminality, corruption, crumbling critical national infrastructural and a degree of policy uncertainty. Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with in-house South Africa expert Seamus Duggan about the drivers of instability and the outlook for the business environment in South Africa.

Read the article on our website.

Beijing’s probe into Didi Global has sent shockwaves through investors and multinationals with operations in or exposure to China. Many are left wondering if this is just good data policy poorly executed or a more calculated step to undermine the U.S. financial system and its regulators. Carly Ramsey, Head of Global Risk Analysis for Greater China and Yifei Zhang, General Manager, North China discuss recent events and how they might be viewed in the context of China’s domestic policy and regulatory developments.

Stay updated with new episodes by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts and more content can be found www.controlrisks.com. 

The recent chain of extreme weather events in the US, Europe and China is a stark reminder that now is the time for companies to address the climate crisis. Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry as they speak with Jonathan Wood about how Control Risks is helping clients in this area and why climate change is rapidly becoming the most important factor for domestic policy, foreign policy and business strategy. 

Same sex relations are still prohibited in 32 out of 54 African countries. How do multinational companies support more inclusive workplaces in countries with laws at odds with these values? Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with in-house experts Vincent Rouget and Maria Knapp about how companies can support their employees and communities in a world of asymmetrical human rights. 

Companies affected by modern slavery at any level of their supply chain can suffer significant reputational damage, and for some, investor action or discontent. Join Maria Knapp for a discussion with Juliana Ramalho, a partner at law firm Mattos Filho, and Control Risks expert Kathryn Fletcher about how robust preparation and action against modern slavery can help companies demonstrate commitment in this important aspect of ESG.

South Asia has been hard hit by a second wave of COVID-19 infections over the past few months, with India alone registering at least 150,000 fatalities since April 2021. As the region slowly recovers from the devastating public health crisis, Join Amit Narayan, Partner & Head of India and South Asia and Hemant Shivakumar, Senior Analyst to discuss the prospects and challenges for South Asia’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

Stay updated with new episodes by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts and more content can be found www.controlrisks.com. 

Join Control Risks’ Partner Steve Wilford for a conversation about environmental, social and governance (ESG) in Asia with Reema Bhattacharya, Rosie Hawes and John Bray. Once primarily a reputational issue for business, ESG is now an increasingly integral part of any investment consideration. But what does ‘real ESG’ look like? How can investors truly get a feel for the ESG credentials of a target?

 

Stay updated with new episodes by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts and more content can be found www.controlrisks.com. 

Did the 2021 G7 Summit in Cornwall this past weekend make the world better for business? Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with in-house experts Alexandra Kellert and Jonathan Wood about what the summit tells us about the status and alignment of G7 on four Cs: climate change, commerce, COVID-19 and cyber security.

OPEC+ has started to reverse oil production cuts in expectation of a return to strong oil demand. What does this mean for business? Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with in-house experts Oksana Antonenko and Patrick Osgood about why OPEC+ still matters, the bloc's role in the coming energy transition, and the impact of oil prices amid fragmented pandemic recovery. 

Read the full article here.

 

Covid-19 has fueled inequality in Colombia, leading to violent unrest and a likely shift to the left in the 2022 elections. Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with Raul Gallegos about what this means for businesses operating in the country and the wider region. Raul Gallegos heads the political risk practice in the Andean region for Control Risks. He is a 20-year Latin America expert and the author of Crude Nation: How Oil Riches Ruined Venezuela.  

Read Raul's full outlook for Colombia here.

As the only ASEAN economy to achieve positive economic growth in 2020, Vietnam’s potential as an investment destination is evident. However, Vietnam’s political and business environment remains dauntingly opaque and complex to many foreign businesses and investors.

Listen to our panel of Vietnam experts, Stephen Norris, Linh Nguyen and Edward Blenk, as they discuss the changing dynamics of Vietnam’s relationships with the US and China, the challenges of investing and operating in Vietnam, and legislation developments that could impact the ease of doing business there.

Stay updated with new episodes by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Since Myanmar’s Tatmadaw (military) overthrew the civilian government and took power on 1 February, a civil disobedience movement has rapidly grown. This has seen civil servants and workers in all walks of life, such as banking personnel and medical workers, going on strike, causing significant disruption in daily lives. Weeks of demonstrations and the ensuing military crackdown have roiled the country. 

Join Dane Chamorro for a conversation with Dereck Aw, Senior Analyst at Control Risks about the preliminary and potential impact of the tumultuous past month on duty of care, business continuity and exposure to political and external communications risks for foreign businesses in Myanmar.

Stay updated with new episodes by subscribing wherever you listen to your podcasts.

What will Cuba be like without a Castro at the helm? Join Charles Hecker and Claudine Fry for a conversation with in-house expert Alan Zamayoa about the outlook for Cuba now that Raúl Castro, brother of former Cuban President Fidel Castro has stepped down and handed power over to President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Alan Zamayoa is an Associate Analyst for the Americas at Control Risks’ Global Risk Analysis practice, based in Mexico City.

Read the article here.