Here’s what Microsoft’s Nadella gets wrong about Oscar Wilde February 4, 2014 It’s all well and good Microsoft’s new chief executive Satya Nadella quoting Oscar Wilde – but he might as well have picked any quotation out of thin air and shoe-horned it into his speech. The newly instated tech boss paraphrased: “We need to believe in the impossible and remove the improbable.” He's borrowing from Wilde’s [...]
Where can you find London’s most expensive cocktails? February 4, 2014 So apparently the world’s most expensive cocktail has been served and, we’d like to hope, enjoyed, in Russia’s Reka restaurant. The drink was created to celebrate the opening of Moscow’s first ever “ice terrace” (is that actually a novelty in Russia?) and went for $50,000 (£30,660) to Revka regular and entrepreneur Andrey Melnikov. Michel [...]
Management shake-up see Knowles made co-chair of DLA Piper February 4, 2014 All change at DLA Piper. The UK-headquartered law firm has announced that global co-chairman Tony Angel will step aside next year after just one term in the role, to be replaced by co-chief executive and managing partner Sir Nigel Knowles from May next year. Knowles will be joined at the top by Roger Meltzer, the [...]
Ex-RBS boss Hester moves to CEO job at insurer RSA February 4, 2014 Former boss of the state-backed bank RBS, Stephen Hester, has been appointed at the head of insurance group RSA. He starts with immediate effect, and says that he is "delighted to be asked to lead RSA, an organisation with a 300-year heritage." Hester said that the "challenges of recent months have demonstrated that we have [...]
How one company is making it easy to pay staff in Bitcoin February 4, 2014 Employees who have been wishing they could switch their monthly pay packet from government controlled currency to Bitcoin may now be able to do so, thanks to the world's largest digital currency payment processor. Bitpay has introduced Bitcoin Payroll API – which allows employers to offer employees, as a payroll benefit, the chance to receive [...]
Osborne says US and emerging market risks still threaten recovery February 4, 2014 Chancellor George Osborne has described recent US economic data as a "little soft", after two important surveys of US manufacturing failed to meet expectations yesterday. Markit and ISM purchasing managers' index results suggested that manufacturing growth in the US is starting to slow down. With PMIs coming in at 53.7 and 51.3 respectively for [...]
Emerging markets have had a shock – but confusing it with a trend could cost you February 4, 2014 Emerging market equities have dropped 11 per cent since October’s peak and are down 7.5 per cent so far this year. But Saxo Bank's head of equity strategy Peter Garnry is keen to stress that temporary shocks should never be confused with a new trend. The underlying trend is still there Despite tapering and [...]
Here’s how Microsoft’s new CEO pick signals a change in direction February 4, 2014 Microsoft’s new chief executive Satya Nadella comes from an entirely different background to the executives who led Microsoft previously. Steve Ballmer, who Nadella replaces, comes from a sales background having worked in the company’s Sales and Support division from 1992 to 1998 where he made his name as a prominent salesperson and evangelist of the [...]
Microsoft’s new boss must fight to turn the tech giant around. Here’s why February 4, 2014 While many commentators are excited by the appointment of Satya Nadella as Microsoft CEO – he's from the company's freshest and most forward looking division – the new chief will have his work cut out for him. Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist at ETX Capital, suggests that while the candidate has a strong track record from [...]
Pictures: 13 rare iguanas seized by Border Force at Heathrow February 4, 2014 A shocking find for Border Force officers working at Heathrow yesterday, as they seized thirteen endangered iguanas at the airport's Terminal 5. Astonishingly, 12 survived their journey, although one sadly didn't make it. The scaly baker’s dozen were discovered inside an item of luggage by officers carrying out customs checks. When found, each was wrapped in [...]