
The enduring value of gold, Ireland's infrastructure woes & bumper banking profits
11 August - 48 minsOn this week's Taking Stock Podcast:
Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times explains why mega projects like the MetroLink and the Children's Hospital take so long and cost so much in Ireland. Nigel Doolin, co-founder and managing director at Core Bullion joins Mandy to explain the value of holding your money in gold and why is it one of the most stable assets to have. And the banking sector in Ireland has revealed massive profits in recent weeks, Sean Keyes of the Currency takes us through their latest set of bumper results.

Argentina's new political era, Everton on the brink & Sam Altman returns
This week on the Taking Stock Podcast: Mandy speaks to freelance journalist, Josefina Salomon about the election of Javier Milei, Argentina’s new far-right president; Over the last few days Everton football club was hit by a 10-point deduction after an independent commission’s ruling, Mandy is joined by Martin Lipton, Chief Sports Reporter at The Sun to explore the implications for the club and for the Premier League as a whole; and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman has announced his return to OpenAI just days after he was fired by the board, tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker joins Mandy with the details.
46 mins
24 November Finished

The Less Than Triumphant Return of David.
David Cameron was catapulted back into British politics this week; what does it say about Rishi Sunak/s leadership struggles and what now for the embattled Tory Party? This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Sir John Curtice about the state of the British Government. Ireland is struggling to cut emissions to say the least. But what can be done? David Mc Gee from PwC and Muireann Lynch from the ESRI share their views. And ‘Buying Silence; How Oligarchs, Corporations and Plutocrats use the law to gag their critics’ the author of a new book on the subject David Hooper chats to Mandy about the growing trend of lawsuits designed to censor.
45 mins
17 November Finished

Trump on Trial and the Cult of 'We'.
Trump on Trial; this week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Joe Miller of the Financial Times to hear what it was like in court in NYC this week. Things sound like they are ‘Maxed-out’ at Dublin Airport and likely to stymie airlines’ growth in 2024; Mandy looks behind the facts and figures with Ellie Donnelly of the Business Post Plus, the ‘WeWork’ story; Mandy looks at what it says about the cult of the CEO and about office culture in 2023 when she chats to Elliot Brown Co-author of ‘The Cult of We’.
44 mins
10 November Finished

Deinfluencing, GB News and Far From the End of Fossil Fuels.
This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston asks are we really trying to get away from Fossil Fuels? With news of a Mega Oil deal in the US Mandy asks what does it tell us about the transition to green energy when she talks to Energy Editor at the Financial Times Jamie Smyth. As comic legend John Cleese takes up a role with GB News and Boris Johnson set to become a presenter soon, we look at the people and finance behind the controversial opinion-led station when Mandy talks to Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster Steven Barnett. And finally ‘DEINFLUENCER’ made it to the dictionary this week so Mandy takes a look at the tricks of the trade that make you and me buy stuff you never really wanted and never mind needed when she talks to journalist Brianna Parkins.
45 mins
3 November Finished

Retiring Retirment.
This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston takes a look at the eventful first year in power for Italian PM Giorgia Meloni when she chats to Mark Lowen the BBC News Southern Europe correspondent. Mandy also looks at the use and misuse of social media in the Israel/Palestine conflict when she talks to Sophia Khatsenkova the Tech and Disinformation Correspondent for Euronews. And with more and more people eschewing typical ‘retirement’ Mandy talks to Michael Skapinker a leadership educator and Louisa Meehan a workplace expert about changing the narrative around ‘stopping work’.
47 mins
27 October Finished

RFK, Politicians on the Move and What Tax Does to Society
Last week, a political bombshell dropped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his independent run for the US Presidency in 2024 and this week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Michael Wendling of the BBC about what it means for the race. With businesses all around the world facing many difficult global tensions companies are turning more and more to former diplomats, politicians, and civil servants for advice at the board level. Could this trend be linked to the growing number of politicians choosing to exit the political stage here in Ireland? Mandy talks to Michael Dwyer from the Financial Times. And finally Mandy is joined by Dr Karina Doorley of Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to shed light on Ireland's ever-evolving discussion on our tax system and what kind of society its creating.
45 mins
20 October Finished