About International Business Today

The US dollar is at its weakest in four years, and the forces behind that shift carry real consequences for consumers, investors, and companies operating globally. In this episode, finance professor and department chair Niki Boyson cuts through the noise on exchange rates, tariff uncertainty, and market volatility, explaining what a weak dollar actually means and who it helps or hurts. She also unpacks how hedge fund activists drive governance improvements, how to think about ESG risk as a financial variable rather than a political stance, and where AI fits, and doesn't fit, in financial advisory.

About the guest: Niki Boyson is a Professor and Group Chair of Finance at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. Her research focuses on institutional investors, hedge funds, financial crises, and conflicts of interest in financial advisory and investment management. She is a frequent keynote speaker on capital markets and financial advisory regulation.

Associate Professor Edward Wertheim explores why modern professionals need advanced negotiation skills in today's flatter organizations. He discusses win-win versus competitive approaches, power dynamics, cultural considerations in international negotiations, and practical strategies for preparation and execution.

About the guest: Edward Wertheim is Associate Professor of Management and Organizational Development at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. A professional mediator with over 12 years of experience, he teaches negotiation, mediation, and organizational behavior.

In this episode, the Chief Medical Officer of ModeX Therapeutics reveals how he secretly developed a shelved molecule over breakfast meetings at his home, why “drugs don't develop drugs—people do,” and what the US risks losing in its biotech race with China.

Dr. Giovanni Abbadessa is Chief Medical Officer at ModeX Therapeutics, where he leads development of next-generation multi-specific antibodies for cancer and immune disorders. A board-certified oncologist trained in Naples, Italy, he previously spent 7 years at Sanofi and 10 years at small biotechs including ArQule, where his persistence turned a $1 stock into a $20-per-share Merck acquisition.

John Fallon led Pearson through one of the most dramatic digital transformations in publishing history. From 20 million textbooks a year to less than a million, he saw the entire business model collapse and rebuild in real time. He discusses how to know when to move on transformation, why the human side is harder than the technology, making difficult portfolio decisions like selling the Financial Times and Penguin, and why AI doesn't have to be a death sentence for established companies.

About the guest: John Fallon served as CEO of Pearson PLC from 2013 to 2020, leading the 190-year-old education company's shift from print to digital. He is now Professor of Practice at Northeastern University, Chair of GEMS Education, an executive fellow at London Business School, and co-author of Resurgent: How Established Organizations Can Fight Back and Thrive in an Age of Digital Transformation.

Lidiane Jones has spent over two decades building and scaling digital products at some of the world's most recognized technology companies, from Microsoft to Sonos to Salesforce. After serving as CEO of both Slack and Bumble, she now works as an adviser and board member with a focus on human-centered technology leadership. In this episode, Lidiane shares the lessons that shaped her career, including how growing up in Brazil gave her a unique global perspective, why the best leaders stay hands-on with their products, and what adaptability really looks like at the highest levels of tech. She also offers her vision for AI's role in amplifying human creativity rather than replacing it.

About the guest: Lidiane Jones is a Brazilian-American technology executive, investor, and board director who has served as CEO of Slack and Bumble. She previously held senior leadership roles at Salesforce, Sonos, and Microsoft, and holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Michigan. She currently serves as a senior adviser at Silversmith Capital Partners and sits on the board of Validity Inc.

Geri Cramer discusses the medical device industry's structure, innovation requirements, and global commercialization challenges. She explores the rigorous FDA approval process, reimbursement complexities with Medicare and private insurers, regulatory differences across international markets, and emerging AI applications in device development and patient diagnosis.

About the guest: Geri Cramer is Director of Health Economics and Market Access for the Endoscopy Division at Boston Scientific. She holds a PhD in Population Health from Northeastern University, an MBA from UMass Amherst, and began her career as a registered nurse. Her work focuses on translating medical research into practice and guiding innovative healthcare technology development.

$300 billion has already migrated from traditional banks into stablecoins, threatening the credit system through fractional reserve dynamics—but DeFi's rapid growth comes with serious vulnerabilities. From the $120 million Balancer hack to stolen private keys and the ironic centralization of “decentralized” platforms, security failures are costing billions while regulators scramble to prevent another 2008-style crisis. Professor Ravi Sarathy examines how banks are fighting back, why DeFi's biggest threat may be its own security flaws, and what regulatory frameworks can balance innovation with systemic stability.

ABOUT THE HOST: Ravi Sarathy is a Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business and author of “Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain” (MIT Press). A crypto enthusiast who follows the industry closely, he brings academic rigor to understanding blockchain's business implications and systemic risks.

Decentralized finance is processing over $50 billion in transactions monthly—without a single bank involved. DeFi uses blockchain technology and smart contracts to eliminate intermediaries, enabling peer-to-peer financial services that are faster, cheaper, and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Professor Ravi Sarathy breaks down how it works, from digital wallets and $300 billion in stablecoins to decentralized exchanges and automated lending that's bringing financial services to 1.4 billion unbanked people worldwide.

ABOUT THE HOST: Ravi Sarathy is a Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. He is the author of “Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain” from MIT Press and an expert in global strategy, emerging technologies, and digital transformation. A self-described crypto enthusiast, he follows the industry closely and brings academic rigor to understanding blockchain's business implications.

In this episode, Professor Ravi Sarathy explains how stablecoins work, what the GENIUS Act changed, and why USDT and USDC now control $300 billion in market cap. He also explores the risks: What happens if everyone tries to redeem at once? Is it healthy for two companies to dominate global digital payments? And why don't stablecoin holders have the same protections as bank depositors? Whether you're a business leader evaluating cross-border payment options or an investor trying to understand the stablecoin landscape, this episode cuts through the complexity.

RESOURCES: Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain (MIT Press): https://mitpress.mit.edu D'Amore-McKim School of Business: https://damore-mckim.northeastern.edu

ABOUT THE HOST: Ravi Sarathy is a Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. He is the author of “Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain” from MIT Press and an expert in global strategy, emerging technologies, and digital transformation. He is currently working on a new book on global payments.

Whether you're an investor evaluating crypto assets or a business leader exploring blockchain applications, this episode maps out where Ethereum fits in the digital currency landscape. RESOURCES: Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain (MIT Press): https://mitpress.mit.edu D'Amore-McKim School of Business: https://damore-mckim.northeastern.edu ABOUT THE HOST: Ravi Sarathy is a Professor of International Business and Strategy at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. He is the author of “Enterprise Strategy for Blockchain” from MIT Press and an expert in global strategy, emerging technologies, and digital transformation. He is currently working on a new book on global payments.