FLA podcast tackles productivity
13/10/2026
Leading economist Dr Catherine L Mann joins Robert Gordon, CEO of Novuna, for the opening episode of Provocations, a new podcast series launched today by the Finance & Leasing Association (“FLA”).
Hosted by broadcaster Nihal Arthanayake, the six-part series brings together influential voices from economics, business, finance, regulation and public policy to challenge established thinking and explore the issues shaping the UK's economic future.
The first episode tackles one of Britain's most pressing economic questions:
Has the economy changed faster than the lending system?
Drawing on Catherine Mann's work on productivity and economic performance, including her involvement with The Productivity Institute, and Robert Gordon's experience leading one of the UK's largest specialist finance providers, the discussion explores the relationship between finance, investment and growth.
The episode examines whether the economy has evolved faster than the systems that allocate capital, and asks whether some of the UK's most persistent growth and productivity challenges reflect a mismatch between a rapidly changing economy and the way finance reaches businesses and households.
It also serves as the introduction to the wider Provocations series. While the opening discussion focuses on investment, productivity and growth, future episodes will explore some of the biggest questions facing the economy and financial services, including financial inclusion, the energy transition, technological innovation, the future of business investment, and the role lending can play in supporting long-term economic resilience.
Together, the six episodes examine how capital reaches businesses and households, whether existing systems are keeping pace with economic change, and what the UK needs from its lending system in the years ahead.
Catherine Mann is an internationally recognised economist and author whose career spans academia, international economic institutions and policymaking. She is also an external member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.
The launch marks the first chapter of a series of conversations examining some of the most important questions facing lending, investment and economic growth. Each episode starts with a provocation, bringing together contrasting perspectives to challenge assumptions about how finance supports businesses, consumers and the wider economy.
Comment on this article
