Trading Up

Every successful economy is built on the foundations of a good education system. So what happens when education standards begin to fall and what can Northern Ireland learn from what works elsewhere?In this episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick is joined by columnist and commentator Newton Emerson to examine the state of education in Northern Ireland. While it has historically prided itself on strong academic outcomes, recent international PISA rankings reveal falling standards that hit disadvantaged pupils hardest.Newton breaks down why Michael Gove’s evidence-based reforms in England delivered surprisingly progressive outcomes for low-income and immigrant students by reintroducing knowledge-rich curricula, high-stakes exams, and strict discipline. The discussion unpicks Education Minister Paul Givan’s current reform efforts at Stormont, contrasting them with trends in the Republic and England under a new Labour government.Focusing on what a business audience truly needs, they discuss whether employers require basic academic rigour over vocational qualifications, how AI is altering coursework, and how declining pupil numbers will force structural change across Northern Ireland’s school sectors. Tune in to explore what works for schools, skills, and economic growth.

In this latest episode of Trading Up, host Jim Fitzpatrick explores why traditional top-down central control holds scaling businesses back. Featuring business leaders across tech, retail, and travel, the episode reveals how delegating real authority to local teams drives performance and innovation.Steven McKeown, running Allstate’s European operations in Belfast, explains how shifting from rigid "on time and on budget" management to a product mindset earned them the global Tony Hsieh Award for radical culture change. Sandra and Scott Corkin of Oasis Travel discuss how handing over leadership after 40 years and investing £60,000–£70,000 annually sending staff around the world builds irreplaceable, authentic customer experiences. Finally, Trevor Magill of Musgrave - a €5 billion group - shares why giving independent SuperValu and Centra store owners the freedom to stock local dairies and bakeries is critical to community success.Tune in to discover why sustainable growth requires leaders to stop making every decision and empower their people.

In this episode of Trading Up, hosts Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey tackle a sobering trifecta of global economic challenges. First, escalating Middle East conflicts and drone strikes on vital maritime choke points - such as the Bab-el-Mandeb strait - have disrupted major crude pipelines, pushing oil prices above $107 a barrel. Rising fuel, gas, and home heating costs threaten to reignite inflation and trigger central bank interest rate hikes. Next, top tech executives are unexpectedly calling for AI safety regulations, prompting debate over whether ethics or market overinvestment and infrastructure hurdles are driving the slowdown. Finally, the latest OECD PISA survey reveals a concerning slump in educational performance across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. With smartphone distractions and AI reliance raising fears of cognitive decline, increased education spending has failed to stop falling scores. Can Northern Ireland leverage its cybersecurity sector to navigate these headwinds?

In this episode of the Trading Up podcast, host Jim Fitzpatrick talks with chef, media entrepreneur, and restaurateur Nathan Sno to explore his personal and professional journey. Nathan discusses his three "rules of the game." These are life principles forged through his own experiences. He opens up about his early struggles with unhealthy habits, a pivotal realisation during a trip to Australia at age nineteen, and his subsequent rise in the Michelin starred culinary world, which included working at Clare Smith's three Michelin-starred restaurant, Core. He explains how experiencing professional rejection fuelled him to found Food Story Media, a highly successful social media agency. Finally, he shares how studying neuro linguistic programming and shifting his own view of himself, helped him overcome lifelong health struggles, leading him to launch Vine, his new healthy eating restaurant venture in South Belfast. This inspiring conversation reveals how choice, perspective, and private beliefs ultimately shape success.

The global bond market is a $200 trillion beast, and it’s turning up the heat on our political masters. In this eye-opening episode of Trading Up, hosts Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey expose how global investors known as "bond vigilantes" are intimidating the world’s most powerful leaders.From the UK, where Andy Burnham’s government is squeezed by £120 billion in annual interest payments, to a booming US economy choking under Donald Trump’s $40 trillion debt bomb and a costly six-month conflict in Iran, the era of endless debt rollovers is having real world consequences.Most shockingly, the tables have turned: former bailout nations like Greece and Ireland now manage their debt better than the US or UK.With Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s bond-buying band-aids failing and skyrocketing interest costs now eclipsing entire defence budgets, this episode explores the sense that a global financial day of reckoning is looming, and there is nowhere left to hide.

Jim Fitzpatrick brings together three extraordinary stories of entrepreneurial grit and resilience. First, former Ford executive Lyle Waters reveals how facing reality saved an 'unsolvable' South American auto operation, turning a $1 billion annual loss into a $300 million profit.Next, brother and sister team Paul and Claire Vallely of Kukoon Rugs discuss surviving 'technofeudalism' on giant platforms like Amazon and Meta, where modern digital marketing costs can now exceed physical product costs.Finally, the Martin Tierney of Seating Matters shares his inspiring journey to Japan, where he knocked on Toyota’s door to master lean manufacturing principles. He explains why he pays it forward by sharing this lean wisdom. Discover these crucial, proven insights on honesty, grit, and long-term business strategy.Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.

In this episode, Fiona Bennington of Catalyst shares her journey through the world of invention and product design. She details how she developed an innovative wearable device to manage period pain - a product that successfully made sales and won a major category award, but ultimately served as a profound learning experience in commercial failure.Though her invention solved a painful, real-world problem, its lack of a scalable strategy taught her that engineering a great product is only half the equation. Fiona reflects on her critical identity shift from a problem-solving engineer who simply wanted to build things, to an entrepreneur who understands how to commercialise them. She explains why commercial viability is the ultimate foundation of sustainable, long-term impact.Today, Fiona brings these hard-won lessons to her role at Catalyst, empowering early-stage founders to turn their own inventive designs into scalable businesses. Tune in to discover why success and failure are both vital in the entrepreneurial journey.Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.

In this episode of Trading Up Unpacked, Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey dissect the intensifying profit squeeze gripping Northern Ireland businesses. Despite flat sales of £35 billion, pre-tax profits for NI's top 100 companies have plummeted by 17.5%.Meanwhile, local PMI figures reveal new orders falling at their fastest rate in three and a half years, with sectors like retail and hospitality hit hard by rising costs.The hosts examine domestic pressures, from National Insurance hikes to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s bold gamble on social care. Burnham is navigating tight manifesto restrictions by leaning towards a 10% "death tax" or a 1.8% income care levy.Globally, they analyse how Middle East conflicts have drained US strategic oil reserves to 1980s levels and evaluate Donald Trump’s record-low approval on inflation and his disruptive new tariffs. They also debate how regional supply chains face delays amid geopolitical tensions and local civil unrest.Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.

In this episode of Trading Up, hosts Jim Fitzpatrick and Richard Ramsey explore whether Belfast is positioned to capitalise on a massive, climate-driven tourism boom. As Europe swelters under devastating heatwaves and wildfires, a major travel trend has emerged: the "coolcation," where tourists actively seek out cooler climates to escape extreme heat and enjoy restorative sleep.Can Northern Ireland—with its compact layout, rich cultural appeal, and UNESCO City of Music status for Belfast—become a premier destination for these travellers? The hosts weigh the massive £60 million economic projection from Belfast's Fleadh festival against serious local headwinds, including hotel booking declines following June’s civil unrest.Looking to Scandinavia, they debate what Belfast must learn from the Nordic model of civic responsibility, waterfront design, and "leave no trace" environmental ethics to truly maximize its long-term tourism potential.Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society. QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe. QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.