Unique Contributions

RELX

In each episode of Unique Contributions, we bring you closer to some of the most interesting people from around our business working on industry-shaping issues that matter. We explore how they and we collectively as a business, create a positive impact on society through our knowledge, resources and skills. This is what we call our “unique contributions”. In this series, we explore the issue of trust: how can we build trust in data and technology and help create a world that works for everyone. Join our host YS Chi, director of corporate affairs at RELX and Chairman of Elsevier, as he dives deep into conversations with some of his friends and colleagues. Thank you to our listeners for tuning in. You can check back here for a new episode every other week. This podcast is brought to you by RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers, enabling them to make better decisions, get better results and be more productive. Our purpose is to benefit society by developing products that help researchers advance scientific knowledge; doctors and nurses improve the lives of patients; lawyers promote the rule of law and achieve justice and fair results for their clients; businesses and governments prevent fraud; consumers access financial services and get fair prices on insurance; and customers learn about markets and complete transactions. Our purpose guides our actions beyond the products that we develop. It defines us as a company. Every day across RELX our employees are inspired to undertake initiatives that make unique contributions to society and the communities in which we operate.

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Meet Hugh Jones, the CEO reinventing RX events

Meet Hugh Jones, the CEO reinventing RX events

Hugh Jones joined RX as CEO in February 2020, and within a month, was facing the implications of the global Covid pandemic. The business, like many others, was seriously impacted. But three years on, recent shows are now performing on average better than their pre-Covid versions. So what has happened? What innovations have been implemented that make events different? What does it mean for exhibitors and visitors? In this episode, hear how Hugh Jones is leading RX towards better, smarter events. As Hugh says, "it's when the adventure begins." This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Episodes

Meet Hugh Jones, the CEO reinventing RX events

Meet Hugh Jones, the CEO reinventing RX events

Hugh Jones joined RX as CEO in February 2020, and within a month, was facing the implications of the global Covid pandemic. The business, like many others, was seriously impacted. But three years on, recent shows are now performing on average better than their pre-Covid versions. So what has happened? What innovations have been implemented that make events different? What does it mean for exhibitors and visitors? In this episode, hear how Hugh Jones is leading RX towards better, smarter events. As Hugh says, "it's when the adventure begins." This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Generative AI and the law: what will legal work look like in years to come?

Generative AI and the law: what will legal work look like in years to come?

Mike Walsh, CEO of LexisNexis Legal & Professional, and part of RELX, takes a deep dive into the subject of generative AI and the law. What are the opportunities and risks for lawyers? What are the use cases? What will legal work look like in years to come? LexisNexis Legal & Professional recently launched a generative AI platform designed to transform legal work. Unlike ChatGPT which creates hallucinations, Lexis+AI is built and trained on the largest repository of accurate and exclusive legal content. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

How do you access financial services when you're 'invisible'?

How do you access financial services when you're 'invisible'?

Imagine an American single mother of two teenagers living in Indianapolis who decides it is time to buy her first family home. With no debt, a college degree and a steady job, one would think it would be easy to secure a mortgage. Except she can’t. What about a British national in his mid-thirties moving back to the UK after spending some time in Hong Kong? He has a corporate job and needs access to credit to get his life organised in the UK. Except he can’t because he has no past credit history in the UK and traditional credit lenders cannot score his ability to repay loans. Financial exclusion affects 30 percent of people worldwide across rich and developing countries and impacts a huge variety of people, from students, retirees, housewives, migrants and many more. Fortunately, there are solutions. In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Steve Elliot, UK managing director of LexisNexis Risk Solutions who shares his thoughts on how to address the issue in the UK; and with Carolina Costa, RELX head of government affairs for Latin America, who says Brazil is getting it right. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

“I am lucky to be alive” – Alicia Kozak, child abduction survivor and online safety campaigner shares her story.

“I am lucky to be alive” – Alicia Kozak, child abduction survivor and online safety campaigner shares her story.

Alicia’s story is a rare story of survival. Twenty years ago, Alicia was abducted and raped by a man she met in an online chatroom. She was just 13 at the time. Her ordeal lasted four days, which was the time it took for the FBI to track down her kidnapper. Since her rescue, Alicia has devoted her life to fighting child predators and educating children and adults on internet safety and sexual exploitation. She is one of the most vocal and outspoken advocates for child safety legislation.In this episode, Alicia shares her insights on the scale of the problem of missing children and sextortions, victim blaming and what all parents should do to protect their children from online predators. As we become increasingly mindful of the issues associated with the sharing of personal data, Alicia reminds us that this same information enables task force agents to rescue endangered children.You can find out more about Alicia's work at aliciakozak.com This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

The biggest heist in American history

The biggest heist in American history

Our largest and most vital US public government programs — food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), unemployment insurance and even the tax system — are being systematically plundered by domestic and transnational criminals who are intent on disrupting our way of life. Woody Talcove knows this because for 14 years, he has been on the frontlines of securing government agencies from fraudsters, cybercriminals and adversaries. The level of fraud is possibly the biggest heist in American history. To put things in perspective, US government published preliminary data showing that in 2021 alone, it was defrauded by $277bn. And that relates to the unemployment insurance programme alone. Fraud is not only a problem for taxpayers and the federal budget. Fraud wreaks havoc on individuals’ lives and the people who suffer are those who need the most support. If fraud losses were stopped, they could pay for free childcare for every family in America. The time for complacency has come to an end. It is time to treat this as an national emergency. This podcast episode is a wake up call. Haywood ‘Woody’ Talcove is CEO of LexisNexis Risk Solution’s government business. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

The new people trends post Covid - a perspective

The new people trends post Covid - a perspective

As a global organisation with 33,000 people across 40 countries, how do we make sure we continue to attract, retain and develop talent? How do we adapt to new employee expectations? How do we create a working environment that is inclusive, embraces diversity of thought and allows people to have long and rewarding careers? In this episode, Rose Thomson, RELX chief human resources officer, shares with YS Chi her perspective on some of the big people themes that organisations need to think about to be successful, from the role of the manager to allowing people to have career changes. Also in this episode, YS Chi speaks with Emili Budell-Rhodes, lead evangelist of engineering culture at LexisNexis Legal & Professional. Emili is an example of what is possible when organisations invest in women in technology. YS explores what made her pivot from corporate responsibility to technology, how she feels about her career change, what enabled it and the satisfaction she derives from it. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

The healthcare renaissance is here. How the use of data improves health outcomes

The healthcare renaissance is here. How the use of data improves health outcomes

Some people are blessed with good health, others are not. But health is not just a factor of physical condition. There are many underlying community-wide social and economic conditions in which people are born, live and work that impact health outcomes. This is what is commonly referred to as social determinants of health. Taking these into account is critical to improving health outcomes. Advances in technology and use of data in healthcare are opening an era of ‘health renaissance’. In conversation with Josh Schoeller, Chief Executive Officer of the health care business of LexisNexis Risk Solutions and global president of Elsevier's clinical solutions, and with Shanker Kaul, managing director of Elsevier's health solutions in India, YS Chi explores what this means in practice in both the US, and in India where the wonderful ASHA workers, the female front-line workers are making an impact. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Responsible AI and Ethics - what it means in practice, with Kirk Borne, AI Influencer

Responsible AI and Ethics - what it means in practice, with Kirk Borne, AI Influencer

In this second episode, YS Chi explores the subject of Artificial Intelligence and Ethics, also sometimes called Responsible AI. Like any technology gaining prominence, there is both substance and fuzziness to be found in discussions around AI. There are also many grey areas that are sometimes presented as black and white. Vijay Raghavan, chief technology officer of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, explains how we look at Responsible AI and offers a helpful framework that differentiates real-world bias from data bias or algorithmic bias.Also in this episode, we hear from our first external podcast guest, Kirk Borne, chief science officer at DataPrime and one of the world's top artificial intelligence influencers. Kirk talks about how AI has evolved and the importance of transparency and human oversight.This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Is there a Rule of Law crisis?

Is there a Rule of Law crisis?

To mark the launch of our third series of Unique Contributions, our host, YS Chi, explores the issue of the Rule of Law and how to make it universal and relevant for everyone. YS Chi asks Ian McDougall, general counsel of LexisNexis Legal & Professional and president of LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, if there's a Rule of Law crisis? And if so, how do we maintain trust, the glue that keeps it all together. In a further conversation, YS Chi talks to Alison Manchester, vice president of product management at LexisNexis Legal & Professional. In the context of a loss of confidence in the voting system in the US, Alison talks about the LexisNexis US Voting Laws and Legislation Center, a free resource that allows everyone to see first-hand all voting law activities that are happening at state and federal levels, without relying on rumour or social media. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

The future of air travel

The future of air travel

A sea change is occurring within the air travel industry. From last minute bookings to reduced business travel and new efficiencies aligned to sustainability targets, new travel patterns are emerging. Which of these will remain permanent beyond the pandemic and how will the industry rebuild better? In this 10th and final episode of Season 2, YS Chi speaks with Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium, who shares his thoughts and insights on how this resilient air travel industry can come back stronger, greener and more efficient. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Culture and the future of work

Culture and the future of work

How do you build a workplace culture and why does it matter? As business leaders grapple with retaining talent, inclusion and wellbeing, building a culture centered around purpose is top of mind. In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Rashelle Cejo, vice president of human resources for LexisNexis Asia and RELX shared service centre in the Philippines. The centre, known as REPH, is one of the fastest-growing business facilities by headcount with over 4,000 employees in Manilla. As the very first hire for REPH in 2010, Shelle has first-hand experience of the growth story of the centre. She shares her insights on the initiatives that have contributed to REPH receiving a number of global recognition awards for best employer brand and reflects on creating a sense of purpose, giving back to the community and the future of work.This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Feeding the world

Feeding the world

Farmers and growers are at the forefront of what is perhaps the world’s biggest challenge. How do you feed a growing world population expected to reach 9.6bn by 2050 while available arable land is reducing and environmental constraints are increasing? How can we help the farmers and growers who put food on our plates? In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Graeme McCracken, managing director of Proagrica, a provider of connectivity and data-driven support solutions for the agriculture and animal health industries. Graeme believes the challenge is surmountable. He shares his insights into the vast amount of data that can be found in every element, from the individual seed type in the ground to soil types and yield. Combining these different data sets provides meaningful insights that can significantly help growers, farmers and the entire supply chain improve productivity, profitability and transparency, while also increasing sustainability. Here is a deep dive into the future of agriculture, from seed to field to fork. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Connecting purpose and profit

Connecting purpose and profit

In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Márcia Balisciano, global head of corporate responsibility at RELX. Márcia joined RELX 18 years ago to establish a ‘global community programme’ which the then CEO thought would be a two-year gig. At the time, terms like ‘ESG’ (Environmental, Social and Governance) or ‘CR’ (Corporate Responsibility) hadn’t yet made it into the global conversation. 18 years later, RELX scores consistently at the top of ESG rankings. Márcia talks about the journey that has made this possible and explains what it means in practice to be a business that sees no trade-off between profitability and responsibility. We hear about her pioneering bottom-up approach to corporate responsibility, how RELX articulated its ‘Unique Contributions’, and about the free RELX SDG Resource Centre. But the work is never done and Márcia is now focused on the next challenge: meeting stringent carbon reduction targets.This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Fostering inclusive travel experiences

Fostering inclusive travel experiences

In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Simon Mayle, event director of the International Luxury Travel Market events in the Americas and PROUD Experiences. Born in a family of pioneer travel experts, Simon dedicated his professional life to creating better travel experiences for the discerning LGBTQ+ and luxury travel communities.Through his personal and professional stories, we hear about the latest travel trends and why we have a yearning for travel. Simon tells us about his work to support inclusion and diversity in the travel market and shares his insights on inclusive experiences that speak to every segment of society regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, etc – elements that are sometimes still missing in travel experiences.As an ambassador of the LGBTQ+ community, Simon reminds us that although a third of centennials identify as LGBTQ+, acceptance levels are still too low in some popular tourist destinations. He calls for governments to place more importance on the travel industry and the 160m people it employs worldwide.This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Artificial intelligence and the future of law

Artificial intelligence and the future of law

Gender balance in the world of Artificial Intelligence is work in progress. But female role models do exist. In this episode, YS Chi speaks with one of them. Min Chen is a computer scientist leading a team of around 250 technologists and software engineers focused on applying machine learning, natural language processing and other advanced technologies in the legal industry.Min was one of the few female students who studied computer science in Shanghai in the 90s, and the only one from her class to pursue a career in the industry. She tells us where she found the inspiration to ‘stick with it’ and overcome adversity. She talks about the profound technological transformation taking place in the legal industry and gives us a flavour of how technology is changing the way lawyers work. Here are the reflections of a female technologist rocking the fascinating world of AI and deep learning. Min Chen is chief technology officer of LexisNexis Legal & Professional, part of RELX, for Asia Pacific and Global Search.This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

The future of events

The future of events

In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Brian Brittain, chief operating officer of Reed Exhibitions. In a normal year, the organisation runs over 400 events across all continents. During the pandemic, it has had to navigate show cancellations and moving event dates. But sometimes crisis creates opportunities. We hear from Brian how the company has accelerated the digitisation of products that augment the face-to-face events experience. We learn about hybrid events, customer communities and online product showcases. An American living in the UK, with Brittain as a surname, Brian gives us a flavour of the future of events.This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Reflections of a reluctant leader - with John Pham, editor of Cell

Reflections of a reluctant leader - with John Pham, editor of Cell

In this episode, YS Chi speaks with John Pham, the editor in chief of Cell, one of the world’s leading scientific journals. He is just the fourth person to lead the journal in its 47-year history.Here is the remarkable story of the youngest son of Vietnamese immigrants who, until recently, never imagined himself as leader, let alone as the editor in chief of Cell. In this episode, John discusses many of the big issues in scientific publishing, from diversity, equality and trust in science to research integrity, transparency in data, and open access. He reflects on the importance of the work that he and his colleagues do and how it feels to have an example of that work recognized by Dr. Anthony Fauci during a congressional hearing in 2020. He also shares his thoughts on where he hopes to take Cell in the future. These are the reflections of a reluctant leader who had a calling for science and for doing "good things to help people". This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Inclusion & Diversity - with Kumsal Bayazit, CEO of Elsevier

Inclusion & Diversity - with Kumsal Bayazit, CEO of Elsevier

How do you build trust? How do you meaningfully advance inclusion and diversity? In this episode, YS Chi speaks with Kumsal Bayazit, the first female CEO in Elsevier’s 140-year history, about her learnings and insights into building trust and creating an inclusive mindset. Kumsal tells us how her upbringing in Istanbul shaped her commitment to inclusion and diversity and what Elsevier is doing to support researchers and health professionals who play such a critical role in ensuring societal progress. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Race, racism and social justice

Race, racism and social justice

To mark the launch of our second series of Unique Contributions, YS Chi speaks with one of the most influential Blacks in corporate America, Femi Richards, about race, racism and social justice. Femi has a courageous conversation about his personal and family experience of racism and what it means to be black in America today. As the co-founder and ex-president of the DC Chapter of the African Ancestry Network at RELX, he shares his thoughts on the efforts that are required to reaffirm the inherent values of black lives and all lives. He calls for everyone to join the conversation. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.

Jelena Sevo - Driver of diversity of thought

Jelena Sevo - Driver of diversity of thought

To conclude the first series of our Unique Contributions podcast, YS speaks to Jelena Sevo about diversity, inclusion and innovation, and what it means to be one of the most senior women at RELX. In her conversation, Jelena makes the business case for diversity and shares her insights into what more can be done to bring down the remaining barriers that still stand in the way. As chief strategy officer at RELX, Jelena talks about RELX’s approach to customer centricity and what makes the organisation different. Her personal story, set against the backdrop of a country that was once defined by polarisation and the rejection of diversity, is an engaging window into how a female leader is driving innovation through diversity of thought. This podcast is brought to you by RELX.