This episode with Thomas Barton, founder of the Council for Countering Online Disinformation (CCOD), explores the growing threat of online disinformation, examining how it has evolved from a political and media issue into a systemic risk for markets, institutions, and businesses. We discuss the often-overlooked domestic drivers of disinformation, how false narratives spread through financial…
This episode with David Mora examines the evolving landscape of organised crime in Mexico, moving beyond narratives focused solely on drug trafficking to explore the broader systems of control, violence, and economic extraction that underpin cartel activity. We discuss how criminal groups have diversified across sectors, why strategies targeting cartel leaders have often led to fragmentation rather…
For years, organised crime in Mexico has been framed primarily through the lens of drug trafficking. Cartels are often portrayed as singular entities competing for control over narcotics routes into the United States, with violence understood as a by-product of this competition. Yet this framing obscures a more complex and evolving reality. As David Mora,…
As Senior Analyst for Mexico at the International Crisis Group, David researches organised crime, violence, corruption and conflict in the country, blending fieldwork and investigative reporting tools. He analyses and formulates policy strategies aimed at preventing, mitigating or resolving conflict.Trained as an investigative reporter and documentary producer, David has eight years of journalism experience, working…
In this episode, we host Dr Stanislaw Domaniewski to explore life on Europe’s eastern borders, focusing on Kaliningrad, the Polish-Russian frontier, and the politics of the European Union’s external edge. Drawing on his work on cross-border cooperation, border mobility, and the lived experience of border communities, Dr Domaniewski explains why these regions matter far beyond lines on…
AI is rapidly becoming a central axis of economic transformation, corporate strategy, and geopolitical risk. What began as experimentation with generative tools has evolved into a full-scale reconfiguration of how firms invest, operate, and compete. In a recent episode of the International Risk Podcast, host Dominic Bowen spoke with Craig Unsworth, a portfolio Chief Product…
Today on The International Risk Podcast, we turn to the accelerating transformation of the global economy through artificial intelligence. Firms are making aggressive bets on future demand, and mid-market companies are grappling with rising costs, limited visibility, and mounting pressure to prove ROI. To help us make sense of this, we’re joined by Craig Unsworth, a…
Craig Unsworth is a commercially proven portfolio Chief Product Officer and Non-Executive Director who works at the intersection of Private Equity, AI, and product transformation. With two decades of experience and over 60 transactions under his belt, Craig partners with private equity firms and their portfolio companies to unlock growth, build capability, and accelerate value…
Today on The International Risk Podcast, we turn to Lebanon, where Israel’s invasion, the subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and political fracture are colliding in ways that could reshape Lebanon for years. As the conflict on the Lebanese front deepens, the questions are no longer just about ceasefires or border tensions, but…
Paul Hefel-James is a freelance journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon. He covers migration and refugee issues, the humanitarian sector and conflict in the Middle East region. His previous publications include explorations of labor migration in Lebanon, Syrian archives, Israel’s targeting of civilians, including journalists, and the displacement crisis during the Israel-Hezbollah war. He is the…
