Safe texts: Durex is pushing for a condom emoji May 10, 2016 Condom manufacturer Durex has issued a request to the group responsible for the emoji approval process, the Unicode Consortium, arguing the case for a new condom emoji. Durex, owned by London-listed Reckitt Benckiser, first called for a new condom emoji to be approved ahead of World AIDS Day last November, on the basis that it could help promote safe sex. Now [...]
Pensions lifeboat must not be abused May 10, 2016 The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) had noble beginnings. Also known as the pensions lifeboat, it was designed as safety net of last resort for employees with defined benefit pensions whose companies become insolvent. There are over 800 schemes in the PPF which has secured the retirement savings of 250,000 people since its launch around a [...]
City Moves for 10 May 2016 | Who’s switching jobs May 10, 2016 Dearman Dearman, the clean cold technology company, announced the appointment of David Sanders as commercial director. David joins Dearman from the Carbon Trust, where he was direction of innovation, working with customers across the UK, Europe and Japan on strategy and innovation in the energy and resource efficiency space. Dearman is developing a suite of [...]
Panama Papers: Database of names connected to offshore accounts revealed in leaked information from Mossack Fonseca goes live May 9, 2016 A database containing over 300,000 names connected with offshore accounts has gone live on the internet this evening. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which initially reported on the Panama Papers in April, has launched a searchable database, accessible here. Users can search for specific names, or see lists of the companies and individuals [...]
James Dyson donates £8m to University of Cambridge to fund new engineering facilities complete with a house that can almost think for itself May 9, 2016 British entrepreneur James Dyson has today opened a range of new engineering facilities at the University of Cambridge, including a slightly scary-sounding new smart building that’s more like a “living creature”, according to Dyson’s statement. The new facilities were funded with an £8m donation from Dyson's eponymous foundation. The cash injection is the largest gift [...]
Should you believe in unicorns? Tech start-ups have polarised investors with Bill Gates calling for restraint but others arguing new tech will change the world May 9, 2016 The sad demise of unicorns was widely predicted at the start of the year. Unicorns – or young, technology private companies valued at over $1bn (£693m) – drew vast sums of investment throughout last year and comparisons with the dot-com boom were drawn. There are around 170 companies with unicorn status, according to Fortune. Some are [...]
City Moves for 9 May 2016 | Who’s switching jobs May 9, 2016 Parker Fitzgerald Parker Fitzgerald (PFG), the specialist management consultancy, has appointed Patrick Gormley (pictured) to its executive board. Patrick will lead the firm’s global digital practice, which focuses on transforming the risk management and regulatory compliance functions of financial institutions through digital innovation, robotics, artificial intelligence and new technologies such as blockchain. Patrick joins PFG [...]
Women in London work more than women in the rest of the UK, new study claims May 9, 2016 Women in London work 10 working days more per year than the rest of the UK’s female workforce according to new research. Female millennials are also hard-working, putting in 136 hours or roughly 18 typical working days more than the annual average of 1,556 hours. The research is by Blow LTD, the online “fast beauty” [...]
Outgoing London mayor Boris Johnson understood what makes London great May 6, 2016 Whoever emerges as London’s next mayor will be filling some enormous shoes. Boris Johnson’s legacy can’t really be quantified in the way you’d weigh ordinary politicians’ achievements. Yes, he can point to Crossrail and huge transport investment, hundreds of thousands of new jobs, a wildly successful Olympics, falling crime, lower mayoral council tax, and big [...]
City Moves for 6 May 2016 | Who’s switching jobs May 6, 2016 The Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors The Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors has announced the appointment of its new chief professional practice adviser, Liz Sandwith, who brings over 28 years’ experience in internal audit and risk management. Liz joins from Bupa where she held a number of roles in her five years there – from [...]
