These are the world’s 50 most valuable brands of 2017 September 25, 2017 Apple and Google have once again take the two top spots in a list of the world’s 100 most valuable brands, according to rankings by consultancy group Interbrand. Five UK firms made into into the 2017 best global brands list. These were Burberry, HSBC, Land Rover, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker. This is the fifth consecutive [...]
Personality clashes and the poisoned client: The inside story of Bell Pottinger’s collapse September 25, 2017 From the outside, the demise of iconic public relations firm Bell Pottinger appeared to unfold at a dramatic and surprising pace. On Monday 4 September, the company published the findings of a report by lawyers Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) concluding that the firm’s campaign for the Gupta family’s Oakbay Capital in South Africa “was potentially [...]
Finance: How it made civilization possible September 22, 2017 | City Talk What is finance, where does it come from, and why does it matter? William N. Goetzmann, of the Yale School of Management, addressed these questions in his presentation at the 62nd Annual Financial Analysts Seminar. He led participants on a tour through financial history, illuminating distinctive artefacts that demonstrate the critical role finance has [...]
New government hub to create centre of excellence for public services for 2,900 civil servants September 21, 2017 | City Talk In July this year, the UK Government announced it had selected Edinburgh’s New Waverley as the centrepiece of a new HMRC HQ function, bringing 2,900 civil service jobs into the historic heart of the city’s Old Town. The new development, adjacent to Waverley Railway Station, will deliver grade-A offices to be occupied by civil servants [...]
Power to the people: Meet the P2P lender that uses a centuries-old way of lending September 21, 2017 Think back to 2001 when the Foot and Mouth epidemic raged across the UK. The outbreak led to the culling of thousands of animals, not to mention the loss of billions of pounds. It certainly took its toll on agricultural, leisure and tourism sectors over the years, and many needed funds to revitalise their business. [...]
How to foster trust and create value in the investment industry September 20, 2017 | City Talk The “Future State of the Investment Profession” study by CFA Institute explores evolving states of trust and their interdependence with demonstrating and creating value. To get a better understanding of what it means for investment professionals to provide value and how that relates to building trust and improving investor outcomes, we discussed these topics [...]
A new female-led private equity firm focusing on beauty, health and lifestyle has launched a £65m fund September 19, 2017 Private equity may be one of the worst financial services sectors for promoting gender diversity, but today has seen the launch of the first female-founded specialist firm. Vaultier7, led by dealmakers Montse Suarez and Anna Sweeting, will focus on the beauty and personal care, health and wellness and lifestyle sectors. They have already launched a [...]
Ryanair latest: The updated list of flight cancellations to and from UK airports this week September 19, 2017 Ryanair has published a comprehensive list of flight cancellations to the end of October, after facing customer anger over a lack of detail. The Irish carrier is scrapping between 40 and 50 flights a day for six weeks, after admitting to messing up planning for pilots' holidays. Up to 400,000 passengers will be affected. The [...]
Monday dread? Maybe it’s time to reassess your career goals September 18, 2017 | City Talk Are you feeling stuck in your current career path? Facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles you no longer want to tackle? Feeling trapped in a dead-end position or just plain bored to tears? You are definitely not alone. If you’ve been pushing hard but your career is stuck in neutral, it’s probably time for a change. [...]
London businesses suffer the highest level of employee frauds in the UK September 18, 2017 British businesses lost at least £40m last year from frauds perpetrated by their own employees, with London accounting for the largest chunk by far, new data published today has revealed. Losses from employee fraud were highest in the Greater London area covered by the Metropolitan Police, at £7m in 2016/17, according to government figures obtained [...]