
Gideon Rachman (FT): Can liberal democracy win in the 21st century?
Gideon Rachman on Trump, China, and Europe’s resilience – and why liberal democracy, though under pressure, still has a future....
November 19, 2024 • by Karl Schmedders, Raphaël Grieco in Capital Conversations • Podcast available
Nicolas Dufourcq discusses the pivotal role Bpifrance plays in France's entrepreneurial ecosystem...
Apple SpotifyFrance’s national investment bank, led by Nicolas Dufourcq, finances businesses at every stage of development through loans, guarantees, and equity investments.
In this week’s episode, we explore its pivotal role in fostering entrepreneurship through a grassroots approach to innovation and commitment to supporting diverse communities.
Dufourcq discusses why Bpifrance emphasizes the importance of perseverance and risk-taking among entrepreneurs, and how he works to create a holistic ecosystem of support for them. He promotes accessibility and inclusivity at every stage, and Bpifrance may well serve as a model for other countries that want to drive innovation and economic resilience.
Details on the 2023 results of Bpifrance can be found here.

Professor of Finance at IMD
Karl Schmedders is a Professor of Finance, with research and teaching centered on sustainability and the economics of climate change. He is Director of IMD’s online certification course for structured investment and also teaches in the Executive MBA programs and serves as an advisor for International Consulting Projects within the MBA program. Passionate about sustainable finance, Schmedders believes that more attention needs to be paid to on the social (S) and governance (G) aspects of ESG to ensure a fair transition and tackle inequality.

Research Associate at the IMD Venture Asset Management Initiative
Raphaël Grieco is a former Research Associate at IMD for the Venture Asset Management Initiative, drawing on over 15 years of leadership experience at the intersection of cross-asset wealth management and technology. Raphael specializes in early-stage venture investing, multi-support educational content creation spanning written and audio formats, as well as building entrepreneurial ecosystems focusing on technology (including crypto and web3).

7 hours ago • by David Bach, Felix Zeltner in Podcasts
Gideon Rachman on Trump, China, and Europe’s resilience – and why liberal democracy, though under pressure, still has a future....

October 20, 2025 • by Omar Toulan in Podcasts
At OWP Singapore, IMD’s Omar Toulan speaks with business leader Dan Luo on driving growth and profitability at global brands like Heinz, Lego, and Fonterra....

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October 7, 2025 • by David Bach, Felix Zeltner in Podcasts
Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen bluntly talks about Europe’s energy, leadership courage, and why CEOs must step up in a volatile world....
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