Mobile working, flexible working, cloud-based working … is any of it actually working? April 29, 2016 Technology’s influence over the business world has caused an undeniable shift in the way modern professionals conducts their working lives. Cloud-based servers and remote desktop software has meant that employees can work efficiently from pretty much anywhere. So, many ask, can the physical office survive in the digital age? Perhaps unsurprisingly, I believe the office [...]
Do stock markets care about GDP? Maybe, but not in the way you might expect April 29, 2016 Looking across the western world, from the United Kingdom to the United States to the Eurozone, it is clear that domestic growth data has minimal immediate impact on stock markets. This morning, Eurozone GDP quite impressively beat expectations, but 10 minutes later, the Euro Stoxx 50 was lower. Within half an hour of the slowdown [...]
London mayoral election: Questions remain for the leading candidates April 29, 2016 London's mayoral election is less than a week away and, although the result will cause barely a ripple in financial markets, its implications for the capital's economy should not be downplayed. Khan and Goldsmith have both made pains to position themselves as pro-business, and London is lucky to have two candidates ostensibly in favour of [...]
Dobson fuels City’s spring of discontent April 29, 2016 Appearances can be deceptive. At first glance, yesterday’s vote on Michael Dobson’s accession to the chairmanship of Schroders resembled a conventional boardroom coronation – but then it would, wouldn’t it? Just 15 per cent of investors in the fund management group opposed his re-election to the board, but with 47 per cent of the company, [...]
Seven reasons Brexiteers are wrong to think EU exit negotiations would be easy April 29, 2016 Some eurosceptics think that Brexit negotiations would be a piece of cake. But if Britain decides to leave the EU, it will have no choice but to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. That will set in motion a complicated procedure that puts the departing member state at a disadvantage. The Leave [...]
In defiance of mindfulness: Instead of “finding yourself”, improve your circumstances April 29, 2016 Mindfulness is so big these days that someone has even made an attempt at calculating its impact on this country’s GDP. I, however, have not seen anyone to whom mindfulness has made any substantial difference. In fact, all the confused people that I know regularly meditate and go on yoga retreats. Some even teach at [...]
Sick-man France’s economic reform failures risk restarting the Eurozone crisis April 29, 2016 Although Britain had its own strike this week, this time by junior doctors, spare a thought for the French public who once again faced widespread industrial action yesterday. A strike was held over proposed reforms to France’s employment rules. Reform is desperately needed. Employment protection in France is higher than in any other major western economy, [...]
As SpaceX says it intends to send a mission to Mars by 2018, does space travel now belong to the private sector? April 29, 2016 Dan Lewis, senior infrastructure policy adviser at the Institute of Directors, says Yes. Gone are the days when space was the playground of the Cold War superpowers. As launch costs tumble, it is increasingly a market democracy. Twice as many people have bought tickets for Virgin Galactic and Xcor as have been put in space by [...]
Why London’s position as UK centre for business and finance is under threat April 28, 2016 London stands as not only the symbolic centre of our country, but as the epicentre of the UK’s business and finance activities. However, recent analysis by Sungard of government and third party data has found that the capital’s position is coming under threat: in a ranking of ten of the UK’s major cities across a wide range [...]
Not so much revolution as boardroom evolution April 28, 2016 We may not be in the throes of a full-on shareholder spring – as happened back in 2012 – but investors are definitely flexing their muscles. They railed against generous executive pay packages at BP and Anglo American (with 59 per cent and 42 per cent rejecting the remuneration deals, respectively), while smaller double-digit rebellions have [...]