Business Bonds
The Bottom Line
BBC
4.6 • 606 Ratings
🗓️ 10 November 2011
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV.
After a week of turmoil in the bond markets, Evan and his panel discuss the importance of bonds in business. The boss of Heathrow talks about the trials and tribulations of running one of the world's busiest airports. And the panel swap thoughts on whether a good business manager can run any company of any type.
Joining Evan in the studio are Mark Elborne, president and chief executive of multinational conglomerate GE (UK and Ireland); Alison Carnwath, chairman of property company Land Securities; Colin Matthews, chief executive of airport owner and operator BAA.
Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Stephen Chilcott.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Thank you for downloading the Bottom Line podcast, Radio 4's weekly conversation program from the world of business. |
| 0:06.9 | This week, Evan Davis and his panel discuss bonds, hubs and stacks. |
| 0:12.1 | Hello and welcome to the bottom line. We can't escape the turmoil in the bond markets this week. I'll ask my guests today. |
| 0:19.0 | What bonds mean for business? If you find using an airport |
| 0:22.4 | stressful, you should try running one. We have the man in charge of Heathrow and other British |
| 0:26.5 | airports with us today. We'll ask him how it's going. And also, we wouldn't expect a good football |
| 0:31.5 | manager to take over a cricket team. So can good business managers run any company of any type. But before we discuss any of that, |
| 0:40.2 | let's briefly meet the guests. And first up is Mark Elborn, president and chief executive of the |
| 0:45.6 | UK and Ireland arm of General Electric, which is of course one of the world's biggest companies, |
| 0:51.1 | everything from light bulbs to jet engines, Mark. What else in particular in the |
| 0:55.4 | UK and Ireland under your watch? Healthcare systems, oil and gas equipment, digital energy products, |
| 1:01.6 | big finance arm. I'd like to say to people, we make everything other than heavy-duty gas turbines |
| 1:06.3 | here. In the UK, you don't just sell American kit. You've got a huge operation, manufacturing, |
| 1:12.3 | researching, it's all here, basically. |
| 1:13.7 | We have about 40 manufacturing and R&D and service sites in the UK with about 20,000 people now. |
| 1:20.5 | So probably the largest integrated manufacturing business, but we also have a very big market |
| 1:25.1 | for products made globally that we said in the UK. |
| 1:28.2 | Okay, also with us is Alison Carnworth, a chairman of the property company land securities. |
| 1:33.8 | And Alison, you've got quite a number of other board positions under your hat. |
| 1:37.5 | What are they? |
| 1:38.4 | Well, I sit on the board of Barclays Bank. |
| 1:40.3 | I sit on the board of a US business in Seattle called PACAR, |
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