Ex-Bell Pottinger chief vows to contest potential boardroom ban September 24, 2020 Former Bell Pottinger chief executive James Henderson has vowed to fight a potential boardroom ban looming over him in the wake of the PR firm’s high-profile collapse in 2017. Henderson faces a director disqualification hearing alongside former Bell Pottinger colleagues Victoria Geoghegan and Nick Lambert, according to court documents. The public relations firm fell into [...]
Only a third of UK businesses have completed Brexit risk assessments September 24, 2020 Just over a third of UK companies have completed a Brexit risk assessment this year, as businesses scramble to prepare for the end of the transition period in 98 days. Only 38 per cent of eligible firms have completed Brexit risk assessments this year, compared to 57 per cent of businesses in 2019, according to [...]
Smiths Group shares tumble as profit sinks by a quarter during pandemic September 24, 2020 Shares in Smiths Group sank as much as eight per cent this morning, as the industrials conglomerate reported a 26 per cent drop in pre-tax profit for the year following a “disrupted” few months during the pandemic. The results Pre-tax profit for the 12 months to the end of July slumped 26 per cent to [...]
Impersonation frauds soar 85 per cent during pandemic as scammers exploit government loan websites September 24, 2020 Impersonation frauds almost doubled during the pandemic, as scammers scooped up around £208m from fake government loan forms, phishing emails and bogus websites. More than 15,000 impersonation scams were reported in the first half of 2020, marking an 84 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, according to a report released today [...]
Mars scraps Uncle Ben’s branding over racism links September 23, 2020 Mars has announced its Uncle Ben’s rice brand will be renamed Ben’s Original following accusations of racial stereotyping, as the retail giant joins a list of global brands seeking to brush up their image. Mars today unveiled its revamp for the 70-year-old rice brand, which will see its logo of an African-American man dropped in [...]
Betting firm 888 hires Lord Mendelsohn as chairman September 23, 2020 Betting giant 888 Holdings has hired former Tony Blair adviser Lord Mendelsohn as its new chairman, marking the latest in a series of political appointments within the gambling industry. In a notice filed with the London Stock Exchange this morning, the FTSE-250-listed company confirmed Mendelsohn will replace former chief executive and current chair Brian Mattingley [...]
Blackrock orders staff to disclose personal relationships September 23, 2020 Blackrock has ordered its 16,000 employees to disclose their personal relationships as the global investment firm seeks to bolster its reputation following two high-profile dismissals last year. In an internal memo to staff, the world’s largest asset manager has outlined a new “relationships at work” policy, which forces employees to disclose information relating to all [...]
Facebook, Youtube and Twitter strike deal with advertisers over harmful content September 23, 2020 Facebook, Youtube and Twitter have struck a deal with advertising giants over harmful content, as the Silicon Valley firms attempt to restore relations hammered by this year’s advertising boycott of social media sites. The tech giants will next year launch a new system for overseeing advertising on their sites, based on common definitions of hate [...]
Government cracks down on loot boxes in bid to curb child gambling September 23, 2020 The government is considering banning controversial loot boxes in video games as ministers seek to crack down on problem gambling among younger generations. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is today launching a consultation on the video game features, which gamers can purchase for the chance of receiving randomised virtual items. Ministers [...]
Ten Entertainment swings to loss as pandemic gutters sales September 23, 2020 Bowling alley chain Ten Entertainment swung to a loss in the first half of 2020 after a nationwide lockdown during the coronavirus crisis slashed revenue in half. The results Revenue slumped 46 per cent to £22.5m in the six months to 28 June, down from £41.4m in the same period last year. The group booked [...]
