Chinese mega cities increase dominance in Schroders Global Cities 30 index December 15, 2016 | City Talk Fund manager Hugo Machin explains the trends behind the latest moves in the Schroders Global Cities index Chinese cities had a strong showing in the first Schroders Global Cities 30 index, launched in the summer. In the first update to the index, that dominance has only increased. Four of the top five spots are now [...]
Inclusive leadership: Make your organisation work for everyone December 15, 2016 As we grapple with the challenges of Brexit and the implications of the new President-Elect in the US, creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces is even more important than ever. Many companies articulate the importance of widening the talent pool and creating workplaces that work for everyone, but the required change is not always realised. [...]
EasyJet wants to ensure 20 per cent of new cadet pilots are female after doubling its numbers in a year December 15, 2016 Just three per cent of commercial airline pilots worldwide are female and only 450 have attained the rank of captain. So easyJet has pledged to up its intake of female entrant pilots even further, after reaching a two-year target after just 12 months. It has set "a more stretching target" of ensuring that 20 per cent of [...]
Kellyanne Conway: Lessons from the woman who won the election December 15, 2016 President Donald Trump. You can’t deny it has a ring to it, however much you may dislike him. Liberal elites are looking for someone to blame. Was it belligerent white America showing two fingers to the elite; the Russian Bear, claws prying into the Democratic campaign? Fake news, trolls, the filter bubble, the alt-right? Many will [...]
City Moves for 15 December 2016 | Who’s switching jobs December 15, 2016 The Instant Group John Duckworth has been appointed managing director of The Instant Group, responsible for all sales and business operations in the UK and EMEA region. An experienced real estate executive, John joins from JLL where he was a member of the UK board and, among other responsibilities, ran its corporate services business. In his 18 years [...]
Lingerie brand Bluebella secures £1m through crowdfunding for US expansion December 14, 2016 The British brand which created the official Fifty Shades of Grey lingerie has raised £1m – double its original target – in a crowdfunding campaign. Bluebella turned to its fans for help funding an expansion to the US, and reached a grand total of £1,088,700 by the time the campaign ended. Founder Emily Bendell said: [...]
Dividends from FTSE 100 companies expected to rise but investors should watch out for low cover December 14, 2016 Companies in the FTSE 100 are forecast to pay out £78.4bn in dividends in 2017, according to a new report. The total payouts are expected to be 4.6bn higher than 2016 forecasts in a report by AJ Bell, a provider of investment platforms and stockbroker services. This is equivalent to a yield of 4.6 per [...]
The UK alternative finance industry is still not transparent enough December 14, 2016 Alternative finance is very diverse – something we should celebrate as an industry. But as the sector scales up and attracts more mainstream investors, platforms have a job on their hands to help those investors, and these days their advisers, work out where we fit into portfolios and where we sit on the risk curve. [...]
Up a bit, down a bit: Last minute changes to Lifetime Isas prove they’re a bad idea, says former pensions minister December 14, 2016 A former pensions minister has hit out at the government's last-minute fiddling with Lifetime Isas, saying it is proof the initiative "has not been properly thought through". Steve Webb lamented the news the Treasury will scrap exit fees on Lifetime Isas in the first year of their existence. “This announcement is a further sign that the [...]
City A.M. Unregulated podcast: Behind the scenes on Dragons’ Den, with Rob Law and Kirsty Henshaw December 14, 2016 Dragons' Den: it's nerve-wracking enough if you get investment – but what happens if you're rejected? We're joined by Trunki founder Rob Law, who was spectacularly rejected by the Dragons but whose product has gone on to become a ubiquitous sight in airports everywhere, and Kirsty Henshaw, whose business, Kirsty's, got backing from Peter Jones [...]
