RBS hiring drive to aid challenger bank Williams & Glyn disposal June 14, 2015 One-fifth of the hires RBS is looking to make fall within the Williams & Glyn challenger bank being carved out of the state-backed lender, illustrating the scale of the task at hand as RBS readies itself to launch the revived brand as its deadline draws nearer. Of the 1,235 open positions being advertised on the [...]
Greene King leaps last hurdle in Spirit merger June 11, 2015 Greene King moved within touching distance of completing its takeover of Spirit Pub Company yesterday after announcing the acquisition was no longer subject to regulatory approval. The announcement that the company had waived approval from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) means the acquisition is expected to take place within weeks. Last [...]
The Competition and Markets Authority issues “final order” demanding Ryanair sell its Aer Lingus holding to British Airways parent IAG June 11, 2015 The Competition and Markets Authority has issued a final order that Ryanair sell down its stake in Aer Lingus, reducing its holding from 29.8 per cent to five per cent – but Ryanair has hit back at what it calls a "ridiculous" ruling. It follows a decision by the Irish government last month to [...]
BT’s billion-pound EE deal raises “significant” competition concerns, says regulator June 9, 2015 BT's deal to buy mobile network EE for £12.5bn has raised "significant" competition concerns, according to regulators. The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) will address the concerns after fast-tracking the probe into the more detailed second phase following a request from BT. "We have found that there is a real risk that the merger could [...]
Global turbulence to rock UK: Trouble in the Eurozone, Fed rate hikes and a Chinese slowdown could hit markets June 8, 2015 Yesterday, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revised its UK economic growth forecasts to 2.4 per cent and 2.5 per cent for 2015 and 2016 respectively, down from 2.7 per cent and 2.6 per cent. It wasn’t troubles at home that concerned the business organisation. The CBI cited economic instability in Greece, a sluggish Eurozone, [...]
Competition probe into Greene King’s Spirit Pub takeover moves on to consultation stage June 4, 2015 Greene King’s proposals to the Competition Market Authority (CMA) regarding its acquisition of the Spirit Pub Company reached consultation stage yesterday. The consultation comes after the regulator raised concerns about the £774m merger shortly after it was announced in May. At the time the authority said the current proposal would “substantially” lessen competition in the [...]
Is there a role for leadership in flat organisations? June 3, 2015 Time-sensitive and strategic decisions are best left in expert hands. For some time now, companies like Google and online retailer Zappos have championed flat organisational structures – where authority is widely distributed, everyone works together in a large space, and employees are encouraged to collaborate. This has certainly transformed leadership and management styles, [...]
Energy suppliers defend pricing despite government criticism June 1, 2015 Energy secretary Amber Rudd has told the “big six” energy companies to cut bills for consumers, saying the firms can no longer claim they are burdened by the promise of a Labour-led price freeze. Rudd sent letters to the six suppliers – British Gas, EDF Energy, E.On UK, npower, Scottish Power and SSE – on [...]
Retailers’ relationships with suppliers go under the microscope in wake of Tesco profit overstatement May 29, 2015 The relationship between grocers and their suppliers will go under the microscope next year, as regulators attempt to stamp out the sort of behaviour that led to Tesco overstating its profits by £263m. The Financial Reporting Council, which monitors auditing and accountancy in the UK, said it would spend next year paying particular attention [...]
RBS could be ordered to beef up new lender Williams and Glyn May 28, 2015 George Osborne yesterday asked the competition authorities to look into the RBS spin-off Williams and Glyn to make sure it is big enough to challenge other banks in the market. Bailed-out giant RBS has to carve the unit out of its existing branch and customer network, under terms imposed by the European Commission at the [...]