When the Compliance Podcast Network (CPN) launched the Agora Awards for Excellence in Business Podcasting in 2024, the goal was simple yet profound: to honor voices that move the compliance and ethics profession forward. Named for the ancient Greek agora, the public square where citizens once gathered to exchange ideas, debate policy, and shape civic life, the award celebrates podcasters who use their platform to transform conversation into change. In a world where ethics, regulation, and governance intersect more visibly than ever before, the Agora Award recognizes those who elevate discourse and inspire integrity.
The inaugural 2024 award went to Mary Shirley and Lisa Fine, co-founders of the Compliance Podcast Network and hosts of Great Women in Compliance (GWIC). Their groundbreaking show spotlighted the achievements of women across the compliance profession, transforming individual stories into a collective movement for inclusion, mentorship, and leadership.
But as important as all that was and continues to be today, their work redefined what a compliance podcast could be: not just a vehicle for information, but a community where authenticity and purpose meet. What started as a LinkedIn group evolved into conference appearances, roundtables, and is now a full-blown annual conference on Women in Compliance. In short, Lisa Fine and Mary Shirley changed the world through their podcast.
They set the bar for the Agora Award very high indeed.
A New Voice for a Global Dialogue
“We’re still here.” -Ajay Shamdasani
With that comment, Ajay Shamdasani provided one of the most important reasons for a podcast on business and regulatory issues. It also speaks directly to the power of podcasting. In 2025, the Agora Award torch passed to Regulatory Ramblings, a podcast that has taken the global conversation on law, regulation, and ethics to new heights. Produced with intellectual rigor and deep curiosity, Regulatory Ramblings exemplifies the power of podcasting to bridge the gap between academia, policy, and practice. It does not simply explain rules; it explores the reasons behind them, the people affected by them, and the unintended consequences that ripple through society.
The team behind Regulatory Ramblings represents an interdisciplinary powerhouse dedicated to thought leadership and accessible scholarship. Professor Douglas Arner serves as the team leader, guiding the show’s intellectual vision with his trademark clarity and depth of understanding in global financial regulation and fintech. Pros Laput, the producer, ensures that each episode flows seamlessly from concept to conversation, marrying technical excellence with creative storytelling. Ying Ming Chan, the research assistant, brings academic precision to every topic, helping the team distill complex legal frameworks into insights that listeners can apply in their own work. Finally, the host and showrunner bring it all together. A longtime journalist in APAC, he brings a sharp interviewing style, journalistic instincts, and a global perspective, creating the connective tissue between expert guests and an engaged audience.
Turning Regulation Into Storytelling
What sets Regulatory Ramblings apart is its ability to humanize regulation. Rather than treating law and compliance as static frameworks, each episode explores the living, breathing world of policy as it affects individuals, businesses, and nations. Whether unpacking the evolution of digital finance, exploring sustainable governance, or examining the ethical dimensions of emerging technologies, the show approaches each issue with balance, curiosity, and conscience.
Listeners find themselves drawn not just to the content but also to the cadence of conversation—a blend of academic inquiry and practical insight that makes complex regulatory debates accessible without losing nuance. The result is a podcast that educates as it empowers, cultivating a new generation of professionals who view regulation not as an obstacle but as a tool for building trust, stability, and fairness in markets worldwide.
The Spirit of the Agora Lives On
The Agora Award is designed to celebrate precisely this kind of transformative impact. Just as Great Women in Compliance gave voice to the personal and professional journeys that define the ethics community, Regulatory Ramblings demonstrates that regulation, too, has a human story. It reminds us that at the heart of every compliance framework is a question of values: how do we balance innovation with accountability, freedom with fairness, and progress with protection?
By fostering thoughtful dialogue on these questions, Regulatory Ramblings continues the Agora tradition of turning discourse into purpose. In an era when soundbites dominate the digital landscape, the show offers something rare: a space for reflection, understanding, and critical engagement. It’s not simply about what the rules say, but why they matter and how they evolve.
Voices that Shape the Future
As we look to the future of compliance and governance, Regulatory Ramblings stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and intellect. Professor Arner’s leadership anchors the show in academic rigor; Laput’s production craft transforms scholarship into story; Chan’s research deepens every discussion; and Shamdasani’s voice connects global listeners to the pulse of regulatory innovation. Together, they exemplify the best of what podcasting can achieve when it merges substance with storytelling.
The 2025 Agora Award not only honors Regulatory Ramblings for excellence in production and impact, but it also recognizes the show’s role in advancing the global conversation about ethics, regulation, and the public good. The conversations on the pod range globally, from APAC to the MENA, EU, and US, but it is a Hong Kong-based podcast that continually reminds us that Hong Kong is still here. In doing so, it reinforces what the Agora has always stood for: open dialogue, intellectual courage, and the belief that conversation can lead to transformation.
For the compliance and governance community, that message resonates deeply. Because in the end, as Regulatory Ramblings so brilliantly demonstrates, the real power of podcasting is not simply in talking; it is in changing the way we think.
Resources
Presentation of the Agora Award at the 2025 Podcasting for Business Conference. Click here for information and registration. The event is at no charge. The Agora Award will be presented to Ajay Shamdasani at 11:15 AM on Tuesday, November 11. Immediately thereafter, I will be in conversation with Ajay about Regulatory Ramblings and the significance of the award to the team.
Check out Regulatory Ramblings on the Compliance Podcast Network.
