Can Interserve clean up its mess, or is it destined for the same fate as its failed rival Carillion? December 11, 2018 It feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it? It was almost a year ago when outsourcing giant Carillion collapsed, and now there are some worrying signs that rival FTSE firm Interserve could wind up suffering the same fate, serving a huge blow to UK businesses and the livelihoods of its 75,000 employees. On Sunday [...]
And BDO makes five? Don’t count on it, says firm’s global chief December 11, 2018 The global boss of professional services firm BDO had said it has no ambitions to join the ranks of the Big Four, as it aims for dominance of the mid-market across its operations. The firm, Britain’s sixth-largest auditor, revealed its global fee income hit $8.99bn (£7.16bn) for the past year – a 10.7 per cent [...]
Former Nissan chairman Ghosn files complaint over detention in Tokyo December 11, 2018 Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has filed a complaint against the extension of his detention in Japan on financial misconduct charges. Ghosn was formally charged and re-arrested yesterday on fresh allegations of under-reporting his salary, meaning he is likely to remain in detention until the end of the year. The former chairman’s lawyer, Motonari Ohtsuru, [...]
May’s Brexit failure has hit the economy December 11, 2018 Tear your eyes away from Westminster for a moment, and consider Morgan McKinley’s London Employment Monitor. Today’s report is not good. Available financial services jobs in the capital in November were down four per cent month-on-month, and 39 per cent on the previous year. Job-seeker numbers are also down. This is particularly worrying as yesterday’s [...]
Ashtead promises to beat expectations after US division cleans up following hurricanes December 11, 2018 Rental firm Ashtead saw revenue climb past the £1bn mark in its latest quarter as US division Sunbelt got a boost from the aftermath of two US hurricanes, scoring investors a healthy return on their shares. The figures Ashtead, which rents out industrial equipment like diggers and construction tools, recorded a 17 per cent year-on-year [...]
DEBATE: Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? December 11, 2018 Does Britain now have a Prime Minister who is in office without being in power? Olivia Utley, deputy editor at TheArticle, says YES. When Theresa May became Prime Minister, she promised to be all things to all people. To Remainers, the pragmatist who would keep Brexit damage to a minimum; to Leavers, the leader who would [...]
Bored of Brexit? How the B-word went from advertiser’s dream to branding disaster December 11, 2018 The word “Brexit” is unavoidable. When we pick up a newspaper, turn on the TV, or log in to social media, the B-word follows us everywhere. For many of the world’s largest brands, this would be a dream. The likes of Nike, Coca-Cola and Amazon spend billions of pounds for the kind of ubiquity that [...]
Private firms should embrace this new chapter of governance December 11, 2018 Up until now, privately held companies of all sizes have largely been left to their own devices as far as governance is concerned. With the main UK Corporate Governance Code only applying to firms traded on the London Stock Exchange, private companies could broadly avoid letting the sunlight into their internal practices. But this state of [...]
Carpetright losses widen amid major restructuring December 11, 2018 Embattled retailer Carpetright reported widening half-year losses this morning, as it slashes costs and closes tens of stores in an effort to rescue the business. The figures Statutory losses before tax dropped to £11.7m in the six months to the end of October, plunging from losses of £0.6m when compared with the same period [...]
Seven KPMG partners left the firm over inappropriate behaviour including bullying and sexual harassment within four-year period December 10, 2018 A total of seven KPMG partners have left the financial services firm over the last four years following accusations of inappropriate behaviour, including sexual harassment and bullying. The revelation comes after it was reported that fellow ‘Big Four’ firm Deloitte fired 20 partners for similar behaviour over the same period and as workplace culture faces [...]