Financial systems today face a new reality: security is no longer just a technical issue, but a strategic, regulatory, and economic mandate. In this episode of Deep Pockets, Petra Soderling speaks with Joe Ghalbouni about how financial institutions are responding to rising digital risk, increasing regulatory pressure, and the growing complexity of modern technology stacks. Together, they explore what resilience really means for global finance, and why translating between regulation, technology, and business has become mission‑critical.

Resources:

EU's Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) https://www.eiopa.europa.eu/digital-operational-resilience-act-dora_en

Joe Ghalbouni LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeghalbouni/

Ghalbouni consulting https://ghalbouniconsulting.com/

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Petra is joined by Camille Georges, Quantum Technology Specialist at the World Economic Forum, to discuss why the emerging quantum industry risks leaving women behind and how we can fix it now. They explore the gender pipeline in physics and computer science, the importance of diversity in frontier tech, and what it will take to build a more inclusive quantum future.

Resources:

Camille Georges, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillemjgeorges/

WEF article 'Why the quantum revolution risks leaving women behind – and what to do about it' https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/03/quantum-revolution-gender-divide/

Petra's Deep Policy article 'How to talk about Women and Technology'
https://petrasoderling.substack.com/p/how-to-talk-about-women-and-technology

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The United Nations International Year of Quantum 2025 was never just about celebrating science. It was about deciding how a powerful new technological era should be built, governed, and shared. Claudia Fracchiolla, the Secretariat Coordinator for the IYQ joins us to debrief what was achieved and what happens next.

Join the IYQ Closing Ceremony here https://quantum2025.org/iyq-closing-ceremony-information-2/

Previous recording with Claudia https://petrasoderling.com/s4e2

Substack from UNESCO opening https://petrasoderling.substack.com/p/unesco-paris-quantum?r=1rijxn

Recording with Jesús Sánchez Herrero https://petrasoderling.com/s5e5

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The European Quantum Technologies Conference - EQTC - 2025 was buzzing! From policy and industry to startups and unicorns, Europe’s quantum ecosystem faces a high-stakes moment. Listen in for interviews, insights, and why this is the moment to hop into quantum.

Joining me on this episode are guests from across the quantum ecosystem, sharing their insights on Europe’s high-stakes moment:

• Oscar Diez, Head of Sector for Quantum Computing at European Commission
• Cecile M. Perrault, Vice President at the European Quantum Industry Consortium QuIC
• Yasser Omar, President of PQI – Portuguese Quantum Institute
• Salil Gunashekar, Deputy Director and Senior Research Leader, Science and Emerging Technology, RAND Europe
• Roman Pašek, R&D Project Conception & Management, Quantum Technology, Amires
• Samira Nik, Programme Manager for Quantum Tech and Electronics, EIC
• Jan Goetz, CEO & Co-Founder, IQM Quantum Computers
• Michael Baczyk, VC at Heartcore
• Tommi Hakulinen, Product Manager, Vexlum
• Corban Tillemann-Dick, Founder & CEO of Maybell Quantum Industries

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"Complexity is the biggest enemy of security."

Janne Uusilehto, a veteran who has led security and privacy engineering at Nokia, Microsoft, and Google, joins the podcast to peel back the curtain on the hidden world of cybersecurity standards.

He reveals why industry rivals, like the original mobile phone giants, agreed to rules that ultimately generated massive passive income to intellectual property owners, and how this collaboration actually accelerates innovation.

We discuss the emerging threats that keep security leaders up at night, including AI-driven polymorphic attacks and the risks hidden in the code supply chain. Finally, Uusilehto offers his candid take on geopolitics and tech policy, arguing that over-regulation in places like the EU risks stifling necessary innovation.

Tune in to understand why investing in people is more critical than investing in tools, and how the rules you never see are securing the digital world you live in.

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In this episode of Deep Pockets, Petra sits down with Chris McClean, Global Lead for Digital Ethics at Avanade, to explore the delicate balance between trust, power, and technology. Chris unpacks his research on the risks and benefits of trusting relationships, and the moral obligations that come with endorsing others. The conversation ranges from the global “grievance” mood captured by the Edelman Trust Barometer to the complexities of AI governance and responsible tech. Chris shares why organizational culture is key to ethical AI, how incentives shape behavior, and why trust isn’t always the goal; sometimes warranted distrust is healthier. It’s a thoughtful deep dive into ethics, responsibility, and hope for a more accountable digital future.

Find Chris on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-mcclean/

Find the Edelman Trust barometer 2025 https://www.edelman.com/trust/2025/trust-barometer

Podcast homepage https://petrasoderling.com/podcast

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What does it mean to be truly creative in an age of AI? Inspired by the Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein's book 'Sparks of Genius - the 13 thinking tools of the world's most creative people', this episode explores the artistry of interdisciplinary thinking with Jesús Sánchez Herrero. From abstraction and modeling to analogizing and empathizing, we delve into the 13 tools that polymaths use to blend science and art—and ask what makes human imagination so uniquely powerful.

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What does it mean to belong in complex and cutting-edge tech fields? In this episode, we sit down with Juliette De La Rie, CEO of Colorful Matter, to explore how identity, intuition, and inclusion shape the future of deep tech. Juliette shares her personal journey from feeling like an outsider in tech to becoming a powerful advocate for culture-driven innovation. We talk about bridging the gap between hard science and human needs, building community in emerging industries, and why belonging is more than a buzzword—it’s a blueprint for better technology.Also ... hear what happened when I took the unconscious bias test.

Juliette de la Rie https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliettedelarie/

Colorful Matter https://www.colorfulmatter.eu/

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