As a leading Chinese banker says Brexit would not be disastrous, are the warnings overdone? June 20, 2014 Ruth Lea, economic adviser to the Arbuthnot Banking Group, says Yes. Wang Hongzhang’s comments are welcome and significant. As chairman of the huge China Construction Bank (CCB), named as the first Chinese bank designated for offshore renminbi trading in London, he cannot be ignored. By observing that “it is the age of globalisation”, he pinpoints [...]
City & Gild: What Britain gets right about the business of royalty June 20, 2014 As we have observed over the past few years, Spain has become so wounded and damaged, plagued by financial and industrial crisis, 25 per cent unemployment, protest after repeated protest both domestically and in various Spanish enclaves; the once vibrant country who had revelled in over 10 years of economic growth until the global financial [...]
Three ways to make better speeches June 19, 2014 Controlled breathing and finger exercises aren’t the only way to improve your mental state MORE people fear public speaking (56 per cent of us) than being buried alive, according to a 2013 survey of common worries by OnePoll. But public speaking, whether it’s making a presentation to colleagues or clients, or addressing a conference, is increasingly essential [...]
The harmful myths of management June 18, 2014 Commonplace truisms are often wrong – leaders don’t need bags of charisma There’s a common tendency to oversimplify management. Books with titles like The Ten Secrets of Successful Managers imply that the art of leading a team can be boiled down to a series of neat aphorisms: “always delegate”, or “lead from the front”. [...]
Lidl owner Schwarz Group to be biggest grocery retailer in western Europe by 2018 | City A.M. June 18, 2014 Schwarz Group, the owner of cut-price supermarket Lidl, is set to become the top grocery retailer in western Europe, with the German company likely to overtake current market leader French rival Carrefour by 2018 and perhaps as soon as the end of next year,a report released by Planet Retail yesterday claimed. With Schwarz Group only [...]
Corporation tax should be abolished as soon as possible June 17, 2014 As Lord Saatchi proposes abolishing corporation tax for small firms, is the levy justifiable at all? Corporation tax is one of the worst on the books and it should be abolished as soon as possible. Corporations can hand over the cash, but they can’t bear the ultimate burden of tax, because they are legal constructs. [...]
Stock market correction: How to protect yourself from losses June 17, 2014 Income can help you weather any volatility, but be wary of bonds AFTER a stellar few years for global stock markets, concerns are growing over a looming correction. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, FTSE 100 and MSCI All-World share index have all been at or near record highs in recent weeks, and valuations [...]
How to build influence in your job June 17, 2014 Even small steps can make a big difference to how your colleagues perceive you. “It's not enough to have a bright idea, you have to get all the right people in the boat with you.” Sophie Vandebroek, chief technology officer at Xerox, was speaking about that crucial commodity in the workplace – influence. Difficult [...]
Ashton Kutcher’s new Bitcoin investment in security platform BitGo| City A.M. June 17, 2014 Bitcoin security platform BitGo has landed $12m in new funding thanks to a host of venture capitalists, as well as Hollywood A-lister Ashton Kutcher. The series A funding round makes BitGo “one of the most well-funded companies in the Bitcoin ecosystem”. Kutcher has sung the praises of the company, saying BitGo is “the best solution [...]
Inside Facebook’s new Dublin office and European HQ: Pictures | City A.M. June 17, 2014 Be prepared for some significant office envy once you’ve looked at pictures of Facebook’s new European headquarters. Designed by architect Frank Gehry, it ticks almost every stereotype on the cool tech office checklist (roof terrace, ping pong table, coffee bar) and offers a glimpse of what the social network’s new London outpost could look like. [...]