Haddrill seizes FRC opportunity May 20, 2009 Former civil servant Stephen Haddrill is leaving trade body the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to succeed Paul Boyle as chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the regulator for accounting and corporate governance. The ABI said it has begun the search for a new director-general.
Evolve profits from WH Ireland May 20, 2009 Evolve Capital yesterday announced it had sold its 5.36 per cent shareholding in WH Ireland to an unnamed buyer, quashing speculation it could be ruminating over launching a counter-bid for the firm via Blue Oar, in which it has a controlling stake. The decision to sell is unlikely to please former WH Ireland directors Laurie [...]
This naked model is the sign of a new Puritanism May 19, 2009 THE UK edition of Vogue has a naked woman on its front cover this month. Oddly, for a magazine that celebrates female fabulousness and glamour, this is only the second time that this has happened – the first was in 1995 when Kate Moss bared all. (Robbie Williams did too, when he cavorted with Gisele [...]
Sucking up to get ahead can work a treat May 19, 2009 DEAR VEXED: It’s become a dog-eat-dog world at the office. I’ve always thought the best way to get ahead was hard work. But I’m wondering if sucking up to my boss comes into it. If so, how much and how should I do it without seeming obvious? Mark, 29, risk analyst IT’S good that you [...]
A moon buggy thats great in the country May 19, 2009 THE off-road market has come in for a lot of flak over the last few years and I’ve been a fully paid up member of the anti-league. However, my venom was more about those cars being driven in cities instead of actually doing the job they’re designed to do. I live in the country and [...]
AT LONG LAST May 19, 2009 MICHAEL Martin yesterday bowed to growing pressure over his role in the expenses scandal and announced he would resign as Commons Speaker. In a remarkably brief 34 second statement to the house, Martin said the Commons was “best when it is united”. “In order that unity can be maintained, I have decided I will relinquish [...]
SHELL SHAREHOLDER REVOLT HERALDS TIDE OF ACTIVISM May 19, 2009 OIL giant Shell yesterday became one of the biggest victims of a shareholder revolt on executive pay as just under 60 per cent of investors voted against its pay policy. To a collective gasp at the company’s simultaneous annual meeting in London and the Hague, shareholders expressed their anger that in spite of Shell missing [...]
Brown: I will solve scandal May 19, 2009 PRIME minister Gordon Brown last night pledged to end the “gentleman’s club” of parliamentary regulation, as he said all Labour MPs who broke the rules on expenses would not stand at the next general election. Brown said the House of Commons must be subject to independent regulation for the first time in history, after Speaker Michael [...]
Marks & Spencer is no longer special May 19, 2009 FOR a supposed retail guru, Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stuart Rose is not doing well. His firm is underperforming Tesco, J Sainsbury, Morrisons and Alliance Boots, among others. Yesterday’s grim full year results show that the firm has a lot of hard thinking to do. Its product and pricing mix still isn’t quite right; [...]
Lufthansa in BMI threat May 19, 2009 SIR MICHAEL Bishop, chairman and controlling shareholder of BMI, has been told to inject more capital into the group or risk scuppering its buyout by German airline Lufthansa. Lufthansa has insisted the conditions of its buyout of BMI from Bishop have not been met and is demanding Bishop stabilise its finances first, or it may [...]