Jimmy Wales-backed mobile network The People’s Operator celebrates better than expected six months January 12, 2015 Commercial mobile phone network The People’s Operator (TPO) saw subscriber numbers grow by 140 per cent in the second half of last year, to 14,032 from 5,800. The final two months of 2014 saw the number of subscribers for the cause-based mobile operator, which is led by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, go up by 28 [...]
City Moves for 13 January 2015 | Who’s switching jobs January 12, 2015 Grosvenor Fund Management The investment firm has appointed Gaston Brandes as director of capital markets, Europe. He joins from UBS Global Asset Management, where he was executive director of global real estate business development. Brandes has also held roles at Franklin Templeton Investment Services. Brown Rudnick The law firm has appointed Moris Mashali as partner [...]
Kennedy Wilson makes £503m swoop on UK property assets December 22, 2014 KENNEDY Wilson Europe Real Estate has bought a £503m portfolio of 180 mixed-use properties from receivers working on behalf of Aviva Commercial Real Estate Finance. The company, part of the Beverley Hills-based property group that raised £1bn through a London float earlier this year, said the 3.5m square feet portfolio is spread across the UK, [...]
City Moves for 19 December 2014 | Who’s switching jobs December 18, 2014 FTI Consulting Clare Hartnell has been appointed senior managing director in the business advisory firm’s European tax advisory practice, focusing on real estate tax. She was most recently global leader of Grant Thornton’s real estate and construction practice, and has also worked at BDO. EY Monica Dimitracopoulos has been appointed principal and global knowledge transformation [...]
City Moves for 16 December 2014 | Who’s switching jobs December 15, 2014 Vail Williams Nina Epstein has been appointed senior management surveyor at the commercial property adviser. She joins from DTZ, where she worked in its property asset management/business development division. Epstein has also held roles at Cushman & Wakefield, LaSalle Investment Management, and CB Hillier Parker. Aviva Investors Mark Connolly has been appointed chief investment officer, [...]
City Moves for 12 December 2014 | Who’s switching jobs December 11, 2014 Castle Harbour The financial services firm has appointed Eric Daniel to co-manage a new convertible bond fund. Daniel was formerly head of equity derivatives and convertible bond sales at Citigroup in Paris. He will run the Castle Harbour R&D Pure Global Convertibles Fund. Canaccord Genuity Nishad Vallonthaiel has been appointed head of electronic and programme [...]
City regulator sweats ahead of Davis probe December 8, 2014 The FCA will be opened up to scrutiny this week as a review of its insurance work is published Roman poet Juvenal, one of the world’s first great satirists, left an important legacy in the form of the phrase “quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”. It translates as “who will guard the guards themselves?” The quotation is [...]
Aviva in danger of losing major Asian contract as rivals close in December 7, 2014 INSURER Aviva is facing a sale of one of its biggest contracts in Asia, according to market sources. If the company does not want to lose its bancassurance deal with Singapore’s DBS, which is due to end in 2015 after 14 years, it may be forced by a competitive auction process to pay in excess [...]
City Moves for 08 December 2014 | Who’s switching jobs December 7, 2014 BNP Paribas Real Estate James Max has been appointed UK board adviser to the property advisory firm. He joined in January 2014 as a senior advisory director. Max is a media personality and has also held roles at DTZ, Morgan Stanley, and Doughty Hanson. Addleshaw Goddard The law firm has announced the appointment of Katie [...]
Crisis at the FCA as top regulator Clive Adamson departs December 4, 2014 Some of the City’s most senior insurance executives last night expressed their dismay at the departure of Clive Adamson from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Adamson was widely respected within the industry for being a tough but fair regulator. The news that he is to step down comes days ahead of the publication of a [...]