Struggling economies can learn from Cyprus how to deal with the Covid-19 crisis August 27, 2020 International businesses and investors are right now wondering whether governments are really up to the task of handling the fallout from the global shutdown. With real GDP in the EU predicted to shrink by 9.3 per cent in 2020, the message from the European Commission is that the speed at which countries will recover depends [...]
Here’s how out-of-home advertisers are adapting to post-lockdown London August 27, 2020 Lockdown had a huge impact on out-of-home (OOH) advertising as audiences largely disappeared and billboards, bus stops and the underground became a canvas for supportive messages for key workers. Only a handful of astute advertisers continued to spend, with the likes of Tesco recognising the opportunity for memorable community messaging, much of which was widely [...]
Voting by pencil and paper is still the best way to keep elections secure and democracy safe August 26, 2020 Yesterday for City A.M., Christopher Flinos, co-founder of HAYVN, an online OTC and custody trading platform for cryptocurrencies, penned an article proposing that blockchain technology could be used to implement an electronic voting system for future UK elections. As the government minister responsible for our elections, I agree with anyone who advocates the importance of [...]
From the modern Babylon to the city of canals: Eurostar goes to Amsterdam August 26, 2020 From October this year, passengers will be able to take the Eurostar from St Pancras right into the heart of Amsterdam, the great Gothic Revival Station Centraal on Stationsplein. It’s an eye-catching headline, and one which conjures up images of connectivity, of grand continental train journeys, comfort, ease and relaxation. It’s true that the London-Amsterdam [...]
Six steps to true racial equality in business August 26, 2020 When we look back at 2020, what will have changed in the business world? I don’t mean social distancing and remote working. I mean actual systemic change: accountability, consequences, promotions, and retention. The combination of coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has raised questions about the tech industry’s problem with Black, Asian, and [...]
Sweden shows us whether lockdown was worth the economic cost August 26, 2020 Did Sweden get it right in its response to Covid? There is increasing interest in this question. Contrary to widespread belief, the Swedes did introduce a few legally enforceable restrictions on behaviour. For example, public gatherings of more than 50 people were forbidden in March. Private ones were exempt from the ban. But, overall, compared [...]
A CEO’s guide to reaching net zero carbon emissions August 26, 2020 Former Bank of England governor Mark Carney warned last year that: “companies and industries that are not moving towards zero carbon emissions will be punished by investors and go bankrupt.” I would add customers and employees to that statement: a Net Zero commitment is becoming an expectation for companies they will buy from or work [...]
The corporate bond market is set for a record year — but also a dangerous and dysfunctional one August 26, 2020 2020 is going to be a record year for the corporate bonds market. New issue investment grade volume in the first half of the year exceeded $2.5 trillion. Records are also being broken in high-yield junk debt, despite a rising corporate default rate. Last week, the US primary market broke through $1.3 trillion of new [...]
DEBATE: Will cyber attacks increase as we return to the office? August 25, 2020 Will we see an increase in cyber attacks as more businesses return to the office? Chris Hodson, CISO at Tanium, says YES Cyber criminals exploited business disruption in the rush to get workers set up from home in March. Our research saw a 92 per cent spike in attacks targeted at companies in the first [...]
Why the whistleblower is truly the boss’s best friend August 25, 2020 Whistleblowers have an unfair reputation.Traditionally known as the “snitch”, or the “traitor”, the whistleblower — especially in the corporate services firms — should be rebranded as the “chief executive’s best friend”. We need to change the stigma of the whistleblower. Historically, those who dared to speak up — whether to uncover a persistent culture of [...]