Taking Stock on Newstalk — and an MC who can handle the room brilliantly
Susan HayesCulleton presents Taking Stock, Newstalk’s international economics show, and brings that same authority, warmth and sharp audience awareness to live events.
With deep experience both behind the microphone and on stage, Susan is trusted to guide conversations, manage energy in the room, handle senior guests with ease and make complex ideas engaging for broad audiences.
What is Taking Stock?
Taking Stock is where international economics is made relevant, engaging and useful.
Presented by Susan HayesCulleton on Newstalk, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the forces shaping business, markets, households and public life. It brings together sharp questioning, strong guests and practical translation so that serious ideas become accessible without being oversimplified.
This is economics with a wider lens: global, commercial, human and connected to real decisions.
Why Susan is different as an MC?
What makes Susan different is not just that she presents a respected national programme. It is that she combines broadcaster credibility with substantial real-world stage experience.
Many media commentators can speak well on air. Fewer have Susan’s granular experience of managing live rooms, reading audiences, keeping events on pace and helping discussions feel both intelligent and alive.
Susan brings:
calm authority on stage and warmth, clarity and audience connection
strong pacing and transition management
the ability to ask better questions and draw people out
confidence with serious topics and senior contributors
Through Taking Stock, Susan has built a platform that reflects both range and credibility.
The show has featured guests and contributors including Prue Leith, Gillian Tett, international authors and voices from the Financial Times and beyond.
It is also distinctive in tone and structure: each episode combines serious economic and business analysis with accessible explanation, including a regular jargon explainer and lighter, memorable touches such as travel trivia.
This mix helps audiences stay engaged while still treating the subject matter seriously.
Recent Themes and Episode Range
Recent editions of Taking Stock have explored themes across international economics, markets, business and society. Topics have included:
- geopolitics and global trade
- market shifts and investor behaviour
- business and consumer trends
- migration, demographics and the future of work
- policy change and its real-world effects
- international developments that shape organisations, households and decision-makers
Why Event Organisers Book Susan?
Susan is a strong choice for organisers who want more than a polished presenter. She brings the combination of:
broadcaster
confidence
economic
intelligence
real MC craft and strong guest handling
audience-friendly communication
Whether hosting a conference, chairing a panel or guiding a high-level conversation, Susan helps events feel well-held, intelligent and engaging from beginning to end. She is especially well suited to:
