Telegraph boosts profit as subscriber numbers hit fresh high September 17, 2020 The Telegraph has reported a sharp rise in profit for the year after its ongoing shift to a subscription model helped drive subscriber numbers to a record high. Telegraph Media Group (TMG), which publishes the Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph and Telegraph website, pulled in operating profit before exceptional items of £14.3m last year. This was [...]
The Power of Inclusion seminar September 14, 2020 The fourth Power of Inclusion seminar in our 2020 series was sponsored by Standard Chartered, titled Diversity at the top: leading from above. It focused on the importance of inclusive workplace cultures and explore how to create a culture of belonging where those from diverse socio-economic backgrounds are able to be themselves and succeed in [...]
Post Office in talks over sale of telecoms division September 11, 2020 The Post Office is said to be in discussions over a sale of its telecoms arm and is mulling a sale of its insurance business as part of a shake-up under its new chief executive. The scandal-hit company has appointed bankers to oversee an auction of its telecoms division, which has half a million customers [...]
WIBF launches UK’s first cross-sector gender research programme in financial services September 11, 2020 We are delighted to announce the launch of the UK’s first cross-sector research programme, Accelerating Change Together (ACT) with the aim of driving policy change to better support and retain women working in financial services. The research will harness the collective input from banking, asset management, professional services, Fintech and insurance, to address the pressing [...]
Women in finance body launches major research project September 11, 2020 A major new research project will explore the barriers to female progression in financial industries, it was announced today. The four-year programme, conducted by the London School of Economics and The Wisdom Council, will first identify why women continue to be under-represented at senior levels in the City and Canary Wharf. The second part of [...]
Microsoft appoints new UK boss as Rose shifts to Europe September 9, 2020 Microsoft has appointed its UK chief operating officer Clare Barclay as the country’s new chief executive, as current boss Cindy Rose switches focus. Barclay, who has been at the software giant for more than two decades, will oversee Microsoft’s commercial product, service and support offerings in the UK from 1 October. Her former roles include [...]
English businesses affected by local lockdowns to get extra government funding September 9, 2020 English businesses that have been forced to close in local lockdowns will receive grants worth up to £1,500 per per property they operate every three weeks. The emergency funding will provide support for businesses in cities such as Leicester, Bolton and other parts of Greater Manchester that have been hit by local lockdowns. The grants [...]
New car sales fall in ‘disappointing’ August for market September 4, 2020 New car sales dropped again last month, reversing July’s increase, with just over 87,000 models sold in what is traditionally one of the quietest months for trading. According to new figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, new car sales fell 5.8 per cent in August. In July, the first full month of [...]
HSBC’s looming pensions crisis: will the bank win the battle but lose the war? September 4, 2020 A business of any reasonable size should have members of its team scanning the horizon for potential problems, like Frederick Fleet in the crow’s nest of RMS Titanic. The most dangerous crises, though, are those which fall on a company from an apparently cloudless sky: those which hit unprepared, and leave a business scrabbling for [...]
UK retailers ramp up online operations but warn of further store closures September 3, 2020 UK retailers are ramping up their e-commerce operations to meet the increasing demand for online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic, but warned of further physical store closures. The latest research showed that 15 per cent of UK retailers have created roles specifically to cater to the boom in digital sales and to boost online capacity, [...]