The City wades in to Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday celebrations – with some right royal investment tips April 20, 2016 You may have heard, the Queen has a big birthday coming up. Her Majesty will be turning 90 on Thursday 21 April. This is a big and historic moment in the history of the nation and London’s public relations and marketing industries wouldn’t have their world famous reputation if they let an opportunity such as this [...]
Pitch perfect: How to make sure you always write a killer job ad April 20, 2016 Getting the right people into your company usually starts with getting the right messages into your job ads. Yet many of the ads we see are just ropey rehashings of the same old corporate clichés. They’ll get you a few applicants, sure. But the best applicants could be overlooking you completely. We think it’s time [...]
Not a very regal retirement: The Queen would be living on £18k a year if she saved as we do April 20, 2016 The Queen's 90th birthday throws into sharp perspective the changes that have taken place in our retirement system. Ninety years ago, saving for a pension wasn't even a consideration. Then came the 1960s, when people began living longer and the concept of 10 years' retirement after the age of 60 became possible. For several decades after, [...]
Ethical investing: How to get started April 20, 2016 People used to call it nuts – but ethical investing has changed radically. Whether its termed ethical, responsible, or sustainable investing, the aim is generally the same. It's investing your money in businesses which have some intention of making the world a better place. Barely a week goes by without newspaper headlines about corporate tax avoidance, [...]
UK companies looking outside the office for new leaders, but they’re not staying once they get there April 19, 2016 UK companies are more likely to take their hunt for a leader outside the office compared with their overseas counterparts, research released today has found. According to the study by Strategy&, PwC's strategy consulting business, over half (58 per cent) of chief executives appointed in the UK last year were external candidates, compared with a global [...]
Ardian raises $10.8bn to invest in secondary private equity funds and says “market has come of age” April 19, 2016 The second-hand private equity market has "come of age", Ardian declared as it announced new funding worth $10.8bn (£7.5bn). The private equity firm, which until 2013 was Axa Private Equity and is now largely employee-owned, said it has raised $27.4bn for secondary investment in the last five years. Ardian today announced it had fundraised $10.8bn for secondary [...]
Caught on camera: Video etiquette for the office April 19, 2016 The expression “may you live in interesting times” is said to be an English translation of a Chinese curse. When it comes to moments caught on camera, what is interesting to some can be damaging to others. From the leaking of the script for Game of Thrones and Walmart’s training video to prevent workers from [...]
Investors warn of weaker profits on S&P 500 – and low wages in the States could cause civil unrest too April 19, 2016 Investors are warning over the future path of the S&P 500 as a combination of low wages and the strong dollar place a question mark over corporate profitability. US wages are at a record low in relation to the country’s GDP – and this accounts for corporate profits being so high. But it’s a worrying sign, [...]
Four tips for investment success April 19, 2016 There are many ways up a mountain, as the saying goes. Becoming a successful investor can feel like climbing Everest, but here are some tips from the experts. ONLY BUY GOOD COMPANIES That may sound obvious, but actually a lot of investors do the opposite. They invest in down and out companies on the hope of [...]
RSM International boss Jean Stephens: Take the emotion out of equality and remember the facts – more diverse businesses just do better April 18, 2016 Jean Stephens is a woman who is passionate about diversity but, from time to time, she thinks it would be better to suck the emotion out of the often explosive subject and just face the facts: improving diversity in the boardroom could improve profits too. "Everyone has to embrace the fact that, by having diverse opinions [...]
