Why the Covid Recovery Commission is right to put focus on skills June 1, 2021 The need to invest in the skills of the future is among one of the five areas of focus in a recently published report by the Covid Recovery Commission. The commission is an advisory group and policy panel studying the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on businesses and innovation. Its ‘Building Back Together’ report, which [...]
Defining the skills gap with Avado’s Beyond Skills report June 1, 2021 Last month, we launched our Beyond Skills report. We surveyed more than 1,000 executives and senior leaders across several sectors to assess the growing capability chasm. We found that more than 3/5 of business leaders agree that the events of 2020 have widened the skills gaps in their businesses. We also found that, across the [...]
How might higher inflation affect your investments? June 1, 2021 The latest figures for US consumer prices showed that the rate of inflation increased the most since September 2008. This is raising fears that we are headed for a sustained bout of inflation. Rapid price increases lower a currency’s purchasing power, reducing the amount of goods and services you can buy with money. This damage [...]
Sub-prime lender Amigo warns of insolvency after court defeat June 1, 2021 Amigo Loans has said it faces insolvency after it suffered a major blow last week when a High Court judge refused to approve a compensation scheme that capped payments for historic complaints. In an update this morning, the sub-prime lender said it would not be pursuing an appeal following the High Court judgment. As a [...]
Lifting restrictions should be spaced out to avoid third wave, senior doctors say June 1, 2021 The easing of restrictions should be spaced out to keep the levels of transmissions down and avoid a third wave in the UK, according to senior doctors today. “If we are intending to keep the levels of transmission down because that is the fundamental risk we have, then it would make sense to space the [...]
RSA Insurance bought for £7.2bn by Canadian and Danish buyers June 1, 2021 A consortium of Canadian and Danish buyers have completed the acquisition of RSA Insurance, in a deal worth £7.2bn. Under the terms of the all-cash deal, Danish buyer Tryg will take over the Swedish and Norwegian arms of RSA, while Canada’s Intact will have the Canadian, British and international businesses. RSA, which owns brands including [...]
Losing faith: French music firm Believe lowers fundraising target ahead of IPO June 1, 2021 French music firm Believe, which helps artists get discovered on streaming platforms such as Spotify, has trimmed down its fundraising hopes ahead of a stock market float this month. The startup today said it planned to raise €300m (£258m) when it lists on the Euronext Paris exchange — below the €500m initially planned. The price [...]
Virgin Media O2 promises market shake-up after £31bn merger June 1, 2021 Virgin Media O2 today vowed to shake up the UK telecoms market and help drive the country’s recovery from the pandemic as it launched following a £31bn mega-merger. Parent companies Liberty Global and Telefonica were last week given the green light for the joint venture, which represents the biggest UK merger in a decade and [...]
M&C Saatchi lifts forecasts after new client wins June 1, 2021 M&C Saatchi has lifted its forecasts for the full year as it hailed better-than-expected trading in the first four months of the year. The advertising group said business had been stronger than anticipated as the easing of lockdown restrictions sparked signs of a recovery in ad spend. The London-listed firm also secured business from a [...]
JD Sports hits back at speculation that its executive chairman is leaving June 1, 2021 JD Sports has today hit back at weekend media speculation that its executive chairman is leaving the helm of the retail chain. The retail chain confirmed this morning in a statement that its senior board member, Peter Cowgill, will remain in the position. JD also said that it had not engaged in any process to [...]
