The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook: Leadership Special, with Francine Lacqua (Part One)

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**Mia Sorrenti** (1:00)
Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet. I'm producer Mia Sorrenti. Today's episode is part one of our recent Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook leadership special. We were joined live at Smith Square Hall in Westminster by Francine Lacqua, editor-at-large at Bloomberg TV and anchor of Leaders with Lacqua. Few journalists have spent more time questioning the people who shape the global economy. At Bloomberg, Lacqua interviews three to four chief executives every day. And over the course of her career, she has cross-examined many of the heads of state, central bankers and founders who have shaped our world. As the question of leadership dominates British politics, Lacqua sat down with BBC broadcaster Jonny Dymond to shed light on her most surprising interviews, what she learned about the inner workings of power from jogging alongside Saudi oil ministers in Vienna, and what great leadership looks like in times of crisis.
This episode is part of the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook created in partnership with Guinness Global Investors.
Guinness Global Investors is an independent British fund manager that helps both individuals and institutions harness the future drivers of growth to achieve their investment goals. To find out more, just head to guinnessgi.com or see the link in the episode description. But now let's join our host Jonny Dymond with more.

**Jonny Dymond** (2:21)
Welcome, thank you very much. Welcome to this Intelligence Squared event. Tonight's conversation is part of the Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series, which explores the forces shaping global markets, politics and business. I'm Jonny Dymond, as has just been introduced. I'm delighted to be sitting down with Francine Lacqua to discuss leadership in particular and its impact on the global economy. I think you would probably not be here if you didn't know who Francine was. She is an editor at large for Bloomberg TV. She is the award-winning anchor of The Pulse with Francine Lacqua and Leaders with Francine Lacqua. And she has sat down with probably more CEOs, prime ministers and presidents than you can shake a stick at. She has also done this job in considerably more glamorous places than Smith Square. However beautiful this former church is, Davos, the ECB Forum and IMF meetings all around the world. So it is a joy to have you here, Francine. Thank you very much indeed.
Let us dive in, if we could, and talk about, if we can start with the leaders that you have met and interviewed. And just give us an idea of what you look for when you first sit down and you start talking with them.

**Francine Lacqua** (3:47)
Well, good evening, everyone. Good evening, Jonny. I'm so happy to be here in June. I mean, it was raining when I got up at four in the morning and now it's sunny, so there's always an upside to everything that we do. Look, when we first of all decide to interview leaders, so you have the obvious G7, you have the heads of state to try and understand the story, and then a lot of them are chief executives that have gone through a tough time, an easy time and trying to learn from them. So I've been at Bloomberg for 25 years. They've changed considerably just because the news has changed and what they focus on changed. When I interview them, I think it really depends on where the conversation takes place. If it's an evening event, it's a little bit less combative than an early morning pure TV show interview. What I look for is, I mean, if they lie, it's no good.
So I do look for some kind of honesty in the conversations. But also, I think a little bit of stamina. So you won't come on Bloomberg if you don't have much to say. So when we speak before and I always say, look, this is what I'm looking for in the interview, and come prepared to give us real answers. So it could be the state of the world, it could be the state of their company.