Stop comparing business with football December 4, 2019 There are many similarities to be drawn between the executive boardroom and the football pitch. Both are high-stakes environments, full of competition and ruthlessness. They also host some of the most meaningless jargon in the history of the English language (think “game of two halves” and “reaching out about disrupting industries”). And, dare I say [...]
Women and Wealth: Three findings and their risks December 3, 2019 | City Talk In a decade of researching women and finance, I have interviewed more than 800 highly accomplished women globally from diverse ages, backgrounds and industries. My three main findings relate to women’s preferred communication style for investing, the types of investments that appeal to most women, and attitudes to risk-taking. So, what are these three findings, [...]
How Thriva is putting its customers’ health to the test December 2, 2019 Standing in the middle of a street in Farringdon, it’s hard to know if I’m in the right place. After scanning the list of businesses by the side of the door, I finally spot the name Thriva, and enter a reception-less building where I’m meeting co-founder and chief executive Hamish Grierson. Thriva specialises in blood [...]
No, your CEO can’t come paint our office: The 4 golden rules for CSR December 2, 2019 Two years ago, I launched Beam, a tech-for-good startup that crowdfunds employment training for homeless people and supports them into stable, paid work. Ever since we started to gain visibility, a number of brands have approached us with different propositions for demonstrating their corporate social responsibility (CSR) agendas. To paint a picture of what these approaches [...]
Big Four firm PwC cracks down on drinking alcohol in the office December 1, 2019 Big Four accountancy firm PwC has cracked down on drinking alcohol in the office. Under new rules introduced this year, alcohol can only be drunk on PwC premises when it has been supplied by the firm’s in-house catering team at specially designated events. A spokesperson for the firm said: “As part of the regular review [...]
Safe as houses? Our electoral map is fuelling voter apathy November 29, 2019 With less than two weeks to go until the country heads to the polls, I have personally encountered precisely one attempt to garner my vote, in the form of a leaflet from my local Green candidate. While somewhat ironic given the party’s mission to protect the environment, this was immensely welcome. The other parties, it [...]
Mother Nature means business: Why leaders need ‘feminine’ qualities November 29, 2019 The business world has come a long way in celebrating and enabling gender equality. But while there might be more women entering the boardroom, we’re still a long way from achieving truly equal representation in the workplace — especially at a senior level. The problem is that while we’re more comfortable with having women take [...]
Ban MPs from second jobs? We should be encouraging them November 28, 2019 New governments seldom seek to discourage employment. Ministries live and die by their ability to get people into work. Yet in one sector, the Labour party has made a manifesto promise of reducing jobs — by banning members of parliament from taking paid work outside the House. Really, this is the wrong way around. Parliamentarians [...]
I would kill to be CEO of… Royal Mail November 28, 2019 Royal Mail has been struggling for a while. Shares are far below their 2013 floatation price, the company has fallen out of the FTSE 100, and it continues to face challenges as the decline in letter-sending accelerates. With that said, the business has managed to post a significant uplift in both half-year revenues and profits. [...]
To be resilient in these tough times, leaders need to replace hubris with humility November 27, 2019 What does it take to succeed as a leader in today’s business environment? In a year which has already seen the demise of Thomas Cook and Mothercare, resilient leaders recognise the value of investing in a culture that instils a clear strategic purpose. It’s also about offering tactical freedom by teams with the trust and [...]