Ismail Radwan returns to Personable for a wide ranging conversation on global economics, jobs, AI, geopolitics, and the future of growth.

Ismail is a Lead Economist at the World Bank focusing on the GCC and the broader MENAP region. He previously served as Senior Director for Economics and Investment Strategy at Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and spent over two decades at the World Bank.

In this episode, Ismail explains why jobs are the single most powerful tool for eradicating poverty, how AI is likely to reshape work without replacing entire economies, and why entrepreneurship matters more than individual projects. He also shares candid views on market cycles, speculative bubbles, youth unemployment, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, and how countries balance values, development, and geopolitics.

This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in economics, policy, investing, global development, and how decisions made today will shape the next generation.

He discusses:
◽️ Why jobs are the foundation of prosperity and social stability
◽️ How the World Bank gathers data in fragile and conflict affected countries
◽️ AI, productivity, and why this cycle feels similar to past bubbles
◽️ What Saudi Arabia and the GCC are getting right with diversification
◽️ Entrepreneurship as the true driver of long term economic value
◽️ Youth unemployment, education gaps, and private sector readiness
◽️ Why markets detach from reality and how individuals should prepare
◽️ The role of values, communication, and dialogue in development

00:00 Introduction and Ismail’s background
01:40 Returning to the World Bank and MENAP focus
04:30 Why jobs matter more than any single policy
07:00 Data challenges in fragile states
11:00 AI, automation, and the future of work
18:50 Market cycles, bubbles, and historical parallels
26:00 Vision 2030 and Saudi Arabia’s transformation
31:00 Security, governance, and social stability
36:00 Entrepreneurship and economic ecosystems
42:30 GCC investment priorities and diversification
49:00 Youth unemployment and education reform
53:40 Personal finance, markets, and risk management
59:30 One key takeaway for listeners

Ismail Radwan:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ismail-radwan2021/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

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Anthony Cheung shares an honest account of his journey from a state school to working with some of the world’s largest hedge funds, and why his mission today is focused on access, education, and demystifying finance.

Anthony is Chief Content and Culture Officer at AmplifyME and former Head of Markets Analysis at Newsquawk. In this conversation, he reflects on social mobility, imposter syndrome, resilience, and how skills from elite sport translate directly into success in trading and high pressure careers.

This episode is a practical guide for students and early professionals who want to break into finance, build real credibility, and focus on what actually matters beyond prestige and perception.

He explains:
◽️ How a working class upbringing shaped his mindset and ambition
◽️ Why access to opportunity matters more than raw talent
◽️ Lessons from elite youth basketball that apply to trading and life
◽️ The real skills banks look for beyond grades and technical knowledge
◽️ How AmplifyME helps level the playing field for students globally

00:00 Introduction and Anthony’s background
01:34 From state school to Wall Street
05:57 Why giving back became his mission
10:59 Sport, discipline, and transferable skills
17:35 The founding story of Amplify.me
25:14 Becoming a public voice in finance
33:17 How students should prepare for finance careers
38:32 Would he do it all again
39:16 The questions people should ask more often
40:10 One lesson to take away

Anthony Cheung:
◽️ Website: https://amplifyme.com/bio-anthony-cheung
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonycheung10/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Support the show

Founder and CEO of The Graduate Guide, Peter Wood returns to Personable to break down how graduate careers are changing, why traditional hiring is broken, and what it really takes to build ambition, confidence, and opportunity in a broken labour market.

Since first appearing on the podcast, Peter has scaled The Graduate Guide from a content driven community into a platform tackling the graduate skills gap head on, culminating in its acquisition by The Apprenticeship Group. His work sits at the intersection of education, startups, recruitment, and social mobility, with a clear mission to help people prove what they can do rather than where they come from.

In this conversation, Peter shares what he has learned about ambition, careers, community building, LinkedIn growth, venture capital, and why curiosity may be the most undervalued skill of the next decade.

He explains:
◽️ Why the graduate job market is fundamentally broken
◽️ How ambition gets lost and how to reignite it
◽️ What companies misunderstand about junior talent and AI
◽️ How The Graduate Guide evolved from content to acquisition
◽️ Why apprenticeships and upskilling are the future of work
◽️ How to use LinkedIn intentionally rather than chasing vanity metrics
◽️ What it really takes to stand out in a hyper competitive world

00:00 Returning to Personable and the Graduate Guide’s evolution
02:10 Solving the graduate career crisis
04:00 Why helping everyone is harder than it sounds
07:54 Building community instead of chasing brands
12:06 AI, skills gaps, and the future of junior roles
18:11 Apprenticeships, upskilling, and long term talent
22:20 Curiosity, boredom, and ambition
27:04 Social media, influence, and responsibility
29:26 Entering the VC and startup ecosystem
33:31 Outlasting competition and building momentum
37:56 What Europe needs to succeed in venture capital
40:12 Helping the average person unlock ambition
47:00 How LinkedIn actually works
53:42 Intentionality behind high performing content
1:02:38 Legacy, ambition, and long term purpose
1:09:44 One lesson to take away

Peter Wood:
◽️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petermwood_/?hl=en
◽️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-m-wood/

Harvey Bracken-Smith:
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/harveybsmith
◽️ X (Twitter): https://x.com/harveybsmith_
◽️ Newsletter: https://personable.substack.com/
◽️ Website: https://www.personable.media/

Personable Podcast:
◽️ Instagram: https://instagram.com/personable.podcast
◽️ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/personablepodcast
◽️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@personableclips
◽️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api
◽️ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/personable/id1671640111

Additional:
◽️ Fundraising: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org/donate

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Investing involves risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results.

Support the show