Vince Cable wades into row over boardroom stand-off at M&B January 17, 2010 LIBERAL Democrat Treasury Spokesman Vince Cable yesterday stepped into the shareholder row at pubs group Mitchells & Butlers by writing to the financial services watchdog voicing his concerns. The Takeover Panel on Friday rejected a claim by the pubs group that its biggest shareholders – billionaire currency trader Joe Lewis and the investment vehicle controlled [...]
Goodwin lands a job January 17, 2010 SIR Fred Goodwin has returned to the business world as an adviser to Edinburgh-based architectural firm RMJM, 15 months after Royal Bank of Scotland was brought to its knees by his profligacy while at the bank’s helm. Goodwin, who will be paid in line with RMJM’s other advisers, will be tasked with supporting the firm’s [...]
Major shareholder tells Citigroup boss to deliver January 17, 2010 SAUDI Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a major shareholder in Citigroup, has stepped up the pressure on the US bank’s chief executive, Vikram Pandit, saying that it is time for him “to deliver”. The billionaire royal, a nephew of Saudi King Abdullah, reiterated his support for Pandit when he met him at Citigroup’s headquarters in New [...]
Blandford takes new directorship January 17, 2010 Mark Blandford, the founder of online betting company Sportingbet, is set to take up a new directorship on the board of email marketing campaign firm Intela Global, which counts William Hill and T-Mobile among its clients. Intela Global, which is based primarily in London but also has operations in Colorado, recently completed a $7.25m (£4.46m) [...]
Armani to stay in driving seat January 17, 2010 Italian designer Giorgio Armani is adamant he will not sell his fashion emporium and will stay at the helm as long as he is physically able to do so. Armani, 75, who took a few months off last year with an illness, told an Italian newspaper: “I will never sell as I have no need [...]
Firms reduce ad spending January 17, 2010 COMPANIES continued to reduce their advertising budgets in the final quarter of 2009, although most expect to increase spending this year. The latest bellwether survey, published today by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) and accountancy firm BDO, found that 25 per cent of companies reduced their marketing spend in the three months to [...]
City regulator takes up new office space in Canary Wharf January 17, 2010 THE Financial Services Authority (FSA), which the Conservatives are planning to axe if they win the next election, is continuing to expand. Canary Wharf Group has revealed that the FSA has taken new leases on two floors in One Canada Square. The regulator currently occupies a neighbouring building, 25 North Colonnade, but is now renting [...]
Media M&A deals reach dot com low but set for a surge this year January 17, 2010 MEDIA M&A activity dropped last year to its lowest level since the dot com crash, data from accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers shows today. Just 29 UK deals, worth a combined €2.7bn (£2.39bn), were completed in the sector last year, a drop of 36 per cent compared to 2008. But the firm predicts a surge in media deals [...]
Champagne on ice for an April Xmas bash January 17, 2010 THE turkey’s long been eaten, the tree taken down and the tinsel packed away for next year, but it isn’t stopping many a City firm from continuing to plan their Christmas parties well into the new year. That’s right: hot on the heels of last week’s story about broker Cenkos getting ready for some frivolous [...]
BILL OF THE WEEK January 17, 2010 MAYFAIR Japanese restaurant Sumosan was the dinner venue of choice for this group on Thursday evening last week. Amazingly for a £1298.12 bill, most of this ticket was racked up by food and not drink – after four bottles of Insoglio wine and a number of cocktails, our diners forgot about the alcohol and concentrated [...]
