The Bottom Line

When the world economy is booming, many corporate bosses love nothing more than buying each other's companies. Takeovers, mergers and acquisitions soar. But evidence tends to suggest that many of the arrangements are a waste of time, so why are deals so seductive? On the Bottom Line, Evan Davis and guests discuss why deals go right and what happens when they go wrong. Guests: Sir George Buckley - former CEO, 3M and currently Chairman Designate of the engineering group Smiths Sir Michael Rake - Chairman of BT Group and Deputy Chairman of Barclays Juergen Maier - MD of Siemens UK and Ireland Producer: Smita Patel.

What is the role of a business leader? To tell staff what to do or allow them to decide for themselves? One theory about management is that it should turn itself upside-down and permit those closest to the customer to dictate all sorts of business decisions including pricing, marketing and how to deal with complaints. Discussing these issues with Evan Davis are:John Timpson, Chairman Timpson Group Nikki King, CEO Isuzu Truck UK Sir Gerry Robinson, Chairman Moto HospitalityProducer : Rosamund Jones.

Where can you find a hand-stitched crochet blanket, the latest Lady Gaga video or sell your old sofa? Trading online makes it easier than ever to find a marketplace and gives the consumer a different and faster way to shop and browse. On The Bottom Line Evan Davis discusses the issues with:Nic Jones, Senior Vice President International, VEVO; Nicole Vanderbilt, MD Etsy; and François Coumau, General Manager for Continental Europe, eBay. Producer : Smita Patel.

Where there is war and fear there's money to be made from protection. In The Bottom Line, Evan Davis talks to ex-army leaders turned businessmen about the world of private defence and security work.Why are governments employing private contractors to do work previously done by the armed forces? How do those businesses maintain their reputations in such a controversial sector?Guests:Major General Graham Binns CBE, DSO, MC, a former British army officer, now CEO of Aegis Defence Services Limited.Major General Andrew Pringle, CB, CBE, President of KBR UK and a former British army officer.Gabriel Carter, Managing Director of LPD Risk Management.Producer: Smita Patel.

Big data has become big business as improvements in computer memory storage have made it possible to keep and analyse digital data on a scale previously unknown. Evan Davis and guests discuss how the ability to store information about us has created new industries and transformed others. Presenter: Evan DavisGuests: Dave Coplin, Chief Envisioning Officer and Director of Search, Microsoft UK; Konrad Feldman, CEO Quantcast; Lawrence Jones, Founder UK Fast.

The power of investors and their role in changing how business functions and is run is the discussion for Evan Davis and his guests. What is it like to be voted off the board by your shareholders? And is investor activism here to stay? And how should a company boss best manage the owners of the company?Guests Alison Carnwath, chair Land Securities Helena Morrissey, CEO Newton Asset Management Nigel Wilson, Group CEO Legal & GeneralProducers: Rosamund Jones/Lucy Proctor.

Water is the world's most precious resource. It's also big business. As climate changes and populations shift, getting water where it needs to be is a huge global challenge. And that's without the added problem of leakage. And how much should consumers pay for something that none of us can live without? Evan Davis and guests discuss an industry which has changed almost beyond recognition in just a few decades - from state-owned water providers to international business players. Guests: Peter Simpson, CEO Anglian Water Bryan Harvey, Vice President CH2M HILL Olivier Bret, CEO Veolia Water UK Producer : Rosamund Jones.

Predicting the future is a skill that can earn investors and businesses a fortune - but get it wrong and disaster looms. In sectors like energy and technology planning decades ahead is an absolute necessity - but how can CEOs know what the world will look like in 2030 and how do they persuade shareholders and staff to come along for the ride? Evan Davis meets three business leaders who are placing massive bets on the future of farming, biomass fuel and the creation of a hyper-connected global society and finds out about timing, balancing risk and holding your nerve.Also, the view from America, Sweden and the UK on corporate tax is discussed.Guests: Dorothy Thompson, CEO, Drax Hans Vestberg, CEO, Ericsson Jim Rogers, investorProducer: Lucy Proctor.

What do you do when it all goes wrong? How to manage corporations in times of crisis is the subject under discussion by Evan Davis and his guests.Business leaders should expect the ride sometimes to be bumpy - but what is it reasonable to expect? And what is the best way to proceed when the truly unexpected happens?Guests Michael Woodford, former chief executive & president, Olympus Corporation Ann Cairns, President International Markets, Mastercard Eddie Bensilum, Director, Regester LarkinProducer : Rosamund Jones.

Entrepreneurs discuss how much money you need to start a business - and where to get it from - with Evan Davis.Why do some start-ups require millions and others just a few hundred pounds? And what are the benefits and pitfalls of finding investors on the web? It's called crowd-funding and many consider it to be the next big thing in venture capital.Guests: Mark Popkiewicz, founder, MirriAd Julie Deane, founder, The Cambridge Satchel Company Jonathan Medved, venture capitalist and founder, Our Crowd Producer : Rosamund Jones.

The food industry is increasingly in the spotlight as consumers and government worry about obesity, sustainability and safety.Evan Davis finds out from three very different food companies about how their supply chains work and how much oversight any company leader can have. Guests discuss how to create an efficient and cost effective system that delivers on quality and safety. Do consumers elsewhere in Europe and the world demand the same level of locally-sourced credentials as the British now do and are these ideals worthwhile?Guests: Alastair Storey, CEO, WSH Perween Warsi, CEO, S&A Foods Gavin Darby, CEO, Premier FoodsProducer: Lucy Proctor.

Travel companies have recently had to weather the storms of recession for their customers and major upheaval at popular holiday destinations around the world.Evan Davis finds out how airlines and tour companies plan for their seasonal business in light of economic crisis in Greece and political unrest in Egypt and North Africa - getting it wrong could lead to financial disaster. And guests will discuss the future for Greece, where tourism is seen as the biggest hope for reviving the economy.Guests: Peter Long, CEO TUI Travel Carolyn McCall, CEO Easyjet Andreas Andreadis, CEO SANI ResortProducer: Lucy Proctor.

Recruitment companies discuss the marks left by recession on their businesses and the employment market.Companies in the eye of the storm when the economy first collapsed have had to adapt to stay in business. Evan Davis finds out the survival strategies of three recruiters in very different markets - from board level headhunting to finding seasonal temps and mid-level professionals.Guests : Virginia Bottomley, Odgers Berndtson Matthew Sanders, CEO de Poel Ian Temple, chair Hydrogen GroupProducer : Rosamund Jones.

Evan Davis meets "appreneurs" trying to make money in a marketplace where traditional business rules do not apply. Becoming an appreneur is easy. All you need is a computer and a couple of hundred pounds. And an idea of course. No surprise perhaps that thousands of new apps are created every week to serve the ever growing smart phone and tablet computer market. But what happens next? How do you make a living if your product is free? And if you sell your app, how high can you go when buyers expect a lot for very little? And how do you market to customers without knowing who they are?Guests : Barry Meade, co-founder Fireproof Studios Professor Anthony Steed, co-founder Chirp Max Whitby, co-founder & CEO Touch PressProducer : Rosamund Jones.

Education and how to make a profit from it is the focus for Evan and his three guests this week - each of them business leaders in the learning sector.From low-cost private schools in Ghana to no-frills law courses and a University of Liverpool campus in China, our guests will share their business lessons on how to build a reputation and how to price a good education. They'll also talk about the challenges of taking on traditional, public institutions as well as the technological advances that look set to transform learning over the next 20 years.As usual, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion and spin to present a clearer view of the business world.Guests this week are Carl Lygo, Chief executive of BPP; Professor Sir Howard Newby, Vice Chancellor of the University of Liverpool and Professor James Tooley, chairman of Omega Schools.Series producer: Helen Grady Series editor: Innes Bowen Series researcher: Ben Carter.

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.It's said that the best way to make a small fortune in the wine business is to start with a large one. Evan Davis and his guests explore just how profitable selling crushed grapes really is. How do they convince consumers they are offering quality and value?Joining Evan in the studio are Graham Sumeray, CEO Fine + Rare; Dan Jago, Category Director (Beers, Wines and Spirits) at Tesco's; Alok Mathur, co-founder and director Soul Tree Wines.Editor: Innes Bowen.

Evan Davis asks his guests what it takes to rescue a sinking company.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.From huge infrastructure projects to supplying civil servants with paperclips, there's big money to be made from public sector contracts. Evan Davis meets three business leaders with experience of bidding for - and securing - government contracts and finds out what it's like doing business with the state. How easy is it for smaller companies to get a slice of the public sector pie? And are we - the ultimate customers - really getting a good deal?

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.You go to a shopping centre and you find an ice rink. Or you go to a bookstore for a glass of wine. So is this the new world of retail? Evan Davis and his panel of top business brains explore what's in store for physical shopping. They also swap thoughts on what makes a good shop assistant.Joining Evan in the studio are Sir Stuart Rose, former Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer and soon to take over as Chairman of online grocery retailer Ocado; Berndt Hauptkorn, Chief Executive of the European arm of Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo; Andy Street, Managing Director of department store chain John Lewis.Producer: Ben Crighton Editor: Innes Bowen.

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion and spin to present a clearer view of the business world through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies.This week, Evan's three guests discuss the challenges of doing business in and out of Africa. It consists of 54 countries and has more than a billion people but the continent was a sleeping giant for decades. Now it's woken up and could it be on the verge of becoming the economic powerhouse of the 21st Century?Evan is joined in the studio by Andrew Rugasira, CEO of the Ugandan coffee company Good African Coffee; Herman Chinery-Hesse, co-founder of the Ghanaian software company SOFTtribe and Rupert Soames, CEO of the temporary power specialists Aggreko.