The Persuaders podcast
New episode of the Persuaders Podcast! Episode 2 of season 4. In this episode we talk to Thea Utoft, who is a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting in Brussels. She leads Financial Services Public Affairs across EMEA for FTI Consulting. In 2023 Thea was recognized as one of the 40 top influencers in Brussels by Politico. So how do you become a "super lobbyist"? What skills or mindset do you need? In the first half of this episode we get Theas views on these questions, and we learn more about her way to becoming one of the most...
info_outline Trends in Public Affairs in 2024 - with Anders Kopp JensenThe Persuaders podcast
The Persuaders Podcast is back with season 4 - with more insights from the world of Public Affairs! We have entered a new year and traditionally we kick off the year with an episode about trends in Public Affairs. This year is no exception! So in this first episode of 2024, Sosun Sendi, Public Affairs Director at Ulobby, takes on the role as a guest host of the podcast, as she quizzes the normal host, Anders Kopp, about the trends in Public Affairs for 2024. In the conversation, Anders points to three trends in Public Affairs in 2024: #1...
info_outline Maria Teresa Scardigli, Managing Director, Kellen Europe - A new reality for trade associations?The Persuaders podcast
Episode 3, season 3 of the Persuaders Podcast - with Maria Teresa Scardigli, Managing Director, Kellen Europe. Maria has more than 20 years of experience in European Public Affairs, advocacy, and management of trade associations. From Brussels she heads Kellen on a European level and manages a team of about 40 professionals serving +30 trade associations. In the episode I talk to Maria about a new trend influencing the world of Public Affairs: More companies join forces and establish their own interest or trade association. This development can be seen as...
info_outline Assistant Professor Wiebke Junk - Is There a First Mover Advantage in Lobbying?The Persuaders podcast
Episode 2, season 3 of the Persuaders Podcast - with Assistant Professor Wiebke Junk. This time we talk to Wiebke Junk, who is an Assistant Professor at the University of Copenhagen. The starting point for our conversation in this episode is Wiebke's paper from 2022 "Is There a First Mover Advantage in Lobbying? A Comparative Analysis of How the Timing of Mobilization Affects the Influence of Interest Groups in 10 Polities", co-authored with Michele Crepaz and Marcel Harnegraaff. Among other things we cover: - The effect of timing in lobbying - Who can benefit from...
info_outline Trends in Public Affairs in 2023 - with Anders Kopp JensenThe Persuaders podcast
The Persuaders podcast is back with season 3! We kick off this third season with a special episode about trends in Public Affairs in 2023. At the beginning of each year Anders Kopp Jensen shares his thoughts about trends in Public Affairs, exclusively on the podcast. Again this year, Ulobby Public Affairs Director, Sosun Sendi, takes on the role as guest host for this special episode and interviews Anders about what will happen in Public Affairs in 2023. In the episode Anders answers: Why he thinks PA pros are often underperforming, and what they can do to get out of the...
info_outline Assistant Professor Ellis Aizenberg - Drivers of corporate lobbyingThe Persuaders podcast
This time we talk to Ellis Aizenberg, Assistant Professor at the Faculty Governance and Global Affairs at the University of Leiden (time of recording Ellis was working at Aarhus University in Denmark). Ellis conducts her research in relation to interest representation, lobbying and perceived legitimacy. We talk to Ellis about her recent article in Governance called “Conflict and salience as drivers of corporate lobbying? An elite survey experiment" In the episode we cover: - How conflict can motivate companies to lobby alone instead of...
info_outline PhD Alan Hardacre - the internal side of Public AffairsThe Persuaders podcast
This time Alan Hardacre swings by the studio and shares his perspectives on the state of Public Affairs as well as the importance of the internal side of Public Affairs. Alan has a PhD in international relations from the Loughborough University. Alan has many years of experience both in public administration as well as on the corporate side. He has been practising, teaching and writing on advocacy and Public Affairs for over 20 years. Among other publications, Alan has authored the book “How the EU Institutions Work and... How to Work with the EU Institutions”. In...
info_outline PhD Marko Kovic - Digital AstroturfingThe Persuaders podcast
In this episode 4 in season 2 of the Persuaders Podcast we talk to Marko Kovic. Marko has a PhD in communication and media studies from the University of Zurich. He is now a researcher, author and podcaster. Marko co-authored the paper "Digital astroturfing in politics: Definition, typology, and countermeasures", which is the basis of our conversation. In the episode we cover: - What is digital astroturfing - How common is this phenomenon - How is it performed - by governments, IO's and corporations - What it does to our brains We also talk about misinformation, fake news and...
info_outline Mark Dober - Dober Partners & Best in BrusselsThe Persuaders podcast
In this episode I talk to Mark Dober, Managing Director of Dober Partners and also the man behind Best in Brussels. The Public Affairs job market is on fire at the moment. The demand for skilled Public Affairs pros is by far exceeding the supply. The COVID-19 pandemic has played a big role as a catalyst for this, but also as Public Affairs is no longer just considered a defensive discipline - it has become a business enabler. Mark unfolds these new tendencies and also talks about which skills are in demand currently. He also spills the beans on...
info_outline PhD Maiken Røed - When do political parties listen to interest groups?The Persuaders podcast
Episode 2, season 2 of the Persuaders Podcast - with PhD Maiken Røed. This time we talk to Maiken Røed, who recently defended her PhD thesis, at the department of political science at Lund University. In her research Maiken primarily focuses on interest groups, political parties as well as the EU. In this episode we discuss when political parties listen to interest groups - in the light of Maikens recent paper “When do political parties listen to interest groups?” - published in January 2022. In our discussion Maiken - among other questions - answers: - Which type of parties...
info_outlineIn the first episode of the Persuaders we are joined by Kristian Agerbo who is VP of Public Policy & Market Development at the scooter company VOI Technology. We talk about Kristians experiences from Uber, how PA can support business objectives, and how VOI works with regulators and politicians. Kristian even mentions how he has implemented SCRUM in the PA team!