From Sir Mike Rake, John Dixon and Martin Wheatley’s shock departures to Apple Pay: Here’s what got us talking this week July 17, 2015 There was some golf. There was cheese (with our burgers) in London. And throughout the country's railway stations, there was a quiz that got us scratching our heads. Here's what got us talking this week 1. The City was overrun with ejecting chairs Fresh from Antony Jenkins' sacking last week, this week it was the [...]
Barclays finally comments on Sir Mike Rake’s departure: He’ll be at the company until a new chief exec is in place July 16, 2015 A good 24 hours after the world learned that Sir Mike Rake was leaving Barclays, the bank has finally issued a comment. It seems the news caught the bank off guard – initially a spokesperson told City A.M. no resignation letter had been received and that as far as the business was concerned, he [...]
Mack the Knife, Prince of Darkness, Superman: How well do you know business bosses’ nicknames? July 16, 2015 Mack the Knife (aka Barclays chairman John McFarlane) has lived up to his name again after the departure deputy Mike Rake and chief Antony Jenkins – but he's not the only one to pick up a nickname over the years. Most of the nicknames in the business world, like McFarlane's, are not entirely complimentary, often [...]
Barclays’ second boss in a week exits bank: Sir Mike Rake follows Antony Jenkins as chairman John “Mack the Knife” McFarlane wields axe July 15, 2015 Barclays deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake has become the second casualty of newly-installed chairman John McFarlane in a week, after he confirmed plans to leave the bank “by the end of 2015” yesterday – which leaves the rest of the Barclays board looking decidedly exposed, analysts have suggested. BT chairman and Confederation of British [...]
Challenger banks face an uphill battle as George Osborne widens levy net July 15, 2015 The heads of the UK’s fast-growing crop of challenger banks were entitled to reach for a stiff lunchtime drink as they absorbed the first Conservative Budget for two decades last week. At a stroke, George Osborne’s decision to impose a super-tax on industry profits above £25m undermined everything he has said about broadening competition [...]
Blockchain boss Eddy Travia on Coinsilium’s IPO: Why I chose to float a FinTech business in London July 15, 2015 Whilst the bitcoin price may have stolen some headlines during the Greece negotiations it is the underlying technology, blockchain, that is really making waves across the financial world. Last year $330m (around £211m) flowed into bitcoin and blockchain companies, and in the first half of 2015 $373m was invested into the same space, bringing the [...]
Beware, Barclays bankers: John “Mack the Knife” McFarlane is on a roll July 15, 2015 It was exactly a week to the day since John McFarlane, Barclays’ new chairman, claimed his first scalp, chief executive Antony Jenkins. Today his influence was felt again, after the imminent departure of deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake was revealed in rather chaotic fashion this morning. BT chairman and Confederation of British Industry president [...]
Sir Mike Rake to quit as Barclays deputy chairman by the end of the year as he signs up to chair Worldpay July 15, 2015 Barclays deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake will leave Barclays by the end of the year as he takes up a new role chairing payments processing company Worldpay. Rake told City A.M. this morning that, subject to regulatory approval, he will take up a position on its board on 1 September. Shares in the bank dipped [...]
Barclays is still months from hiring new chief executive after Antony Jenkins sacking July 14, 2015 Barclays, which abruptly sacked chief executive Antony Jenkins last Wednesday, might have to wait six months for a permanent replacement. The bank’s deputy chairman Sir Mike Rake told City A.M. yesterday: “We will take the time to find the person with the right level of experience. It will take a few months, but we would [...]
Blockchain company Coinsilium will IPO on London’s Aim July 14, 2015 A London-based startup which invests in the technology behind digital currency bitcoin intends to float on London’s junior market in the first IPO of its kind. Blockchain investment company Coinsilium will become the first blockchain company to go public, as the burgeoning technology gains attention from high-profile investors such as Richard Branson, Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel and [...]