Philip Hammond joins fintech startup Oaknorth as adviser January 27, 2020 Former chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has joined small business lender Oaknorth as an adviser. Hammond will work with clients of the fintech startup and “senior policymakers around the world” on the issue of small and medium-sized firms’ access to loans. The ex-Treasury boss said: “I am delighted to be joining Oaknorth’s advisory board [...]
UK-listed tech recruiter S Three says profit jumped 20 per cent in 2019 January 27, 2020 London-listed recruiter S Three reported a 20 per cent increase in pre-tax profit today, driven by strong international growth. The recruiter, which focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem) roles, said revenue grew nearly seven per cent to £1.3bn. Reported profit before tax was up 20 per cent in the year to 30 November [...]
Almost 10,000 retail jobs lost in first three weeks of 2020 January 27, 2020 Almost 10,000 retail jobs have already been lost in the first three weeks of 2020, following a string of store closures and restructurings. New research published today showed that 9,940 jobs have been cut following store closures at high street chains. Supermarkets including Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have also announced plans to axe back office and [...]
Varadkar: The EU has the upper hand in Brexit trade talks January 27, 2020 Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar feels the EU will have an advantage in the upcoming trade deal talks between the UK and the bloc. Varadkar used a sports analogy to explain the EU has a “stronger team” than Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s UK, due to its larger population and market size. The Irish PM is [...]
Asian markets in the red as coronavirus fears rise January 27, 2020 Asian stock markets fell overnight as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China rose to 81 and fears mounted that it could soon cause fatalities elsewhere. Japan’s Nikkei index dropped two per cent, Indonesia’s Jakarta composite index fell 1.5 per cent and India’s S&P BSE Sensex fell 0.5 per cent. The growing death [...]
Lender Amigo kickstarts formal sales process January 27, 2020 Lender Amigo today launched a strategic review and opened itself to offers as its founder signalled he wants to sell on his majority stake in the struggling company. All or part of Amigo’s business could be sold after founder James Benamor’s Richmond Group said it was open to divesting its stake of 60.66 per cent. [...]
City Moves for 27 January – Who’s switching jobs at CMS, the FCA and Shoosmiths? January 27, 2020 Today’s City Moves includes CMS, the FCA and Shoosmiths CMS Global law firm CMS has announced the re-election of Penelope Warne as senior partner of CMS’s UK arm following a vote by the firm’s partnership. This will be Penelope’s second term, effective for four years from 1 May 2020. Penelope became the firm’s first woman [...]
Take me to your leader: How to stop the spread of bad bosses January 27, 2020 Last week, the business and political elite gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum. Certainly, these men and women have achieved positions of prominent power, but you might wonder — how many of them are actually trained and competent leaders? There is a concept in management called the Peter Principle, which argues that in [...]
The new Downing Street team can’t afford to ignore business January 27, 2020 Political wisdom has it that the first hundred days of any new government is its most vital opportunity to set its agenda. Not so with this government. Having just racked up its first 50 days, it risks accusations of being coy by its lack of public visibility and the paucity of new policy proclamations since [...]
DEBATE: Should Britain introduce taxes on meat and dairy to meet our climate goals? January 27, 2020 Should we consider introducing taxes on meat and dairy products to meet our climate goals? Leo Murray, director of innovation at the climate change charity Possible, says YES. “Nanny state!” That’s the shrill, familiar cry of the reactionary commentariat whenever a threat to “individual freedoms” is spotted on the horizon. But the climate crisis is [...]