Exclusive: Quarter of UK businesses to close or downsize offices as UK embraces hybrid working May 10, 2021 More than a quarter (26%) of UK businesses will either close, downsize or consolidate their offices in the coming months, as companies move to hybrid working models. More than half (53%) of businesses plan to offer more flexible or remote working policies, while 30 per cent are expecting employees in the office between one and [...]
BrewDog: Best in show May 10, 2021 BrewDog is reinventing what it means to be a modern British business. CFO Niall McCallum CA tells Laurence Eastham why purpose drives the Ellon-based beer maker’s success. This article first appeared in ICAS’ CA magazine. BrewDog is a great Scottish success story. The brewery and bar chain, founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin [...]
Queen’s cousin Prince Michael accused of using royal status to ‘sell access’ to Vladimir Putin May 9, 2021 An undercover investigation has claimed Prince Michael of Kent was willing to use his royal status for personal profit, and to seek favours from Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Queen’s cousin told undercover reporters posing as investors from South Korea in a virtual meeting that he could be hired for £10,000 a day to make [...]
Square Mile’s largest employers embrace hybrid working, the details May 8, 2021 The majority of the largest employers in the City of London have vowed to continue with some sort of hybrid approach to working, after pandemic-led restrictions forced the biggest home working experiment in history. With Covid-19 cases falling and millions of people successfully vaccinated, staff are trickling back into London’s offices, and companies are turning [...]
Ministers to start searching for new audit watchdog chair May 7, 2021 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will shortly kick off the search for the new chair of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). BEIS will advertise for the role in the coming weeks, Sky News first reported. The FRC’s current interim chair Keith Skeoch has reportedly had his contract extended in recent weeks [...]
KPMG UK puts a woman back in charge of its audit division May 7, 2021 Catherine Burnet has been made KPMG UK’s new head of audit, taking over from Jon Holt, who recently became chief executive at the Big Four firm. Burnet’s career with KPMG spans more than 25 years and has seen her as regional chair for Scotland, Edinburgh office senior partner and a lead partner on a number [...]
Vacancies explode at fastest rate in 23 years as easing of lockdown restrictions boosts confidence May 7, 2021 Hiring activity rose sharply for both temporary and permanent staff in April, as the UK began to emerge from its third national lockdown and more parts of the economy reopened. Overall vacancies expanded at the fastest at the quickest rate for 23 years, according to data compiled by KPMG and REC. Demand for permanent staff [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Ed Sheeran sponsors Ipswich Town; Javier Tebas blasts Gianni Infantino; Tokyo 2020 set for first transgender Olympian May 6, 2021 It has been a whirlwind few weeks at Ipswich Town. Fresh from welcoming new owners, the League One club now has an unlikely new shirt sponsor: Ed Sheeran. The Suffolk songsmith, a long-standing fan of the Tractor Boys, has agreed to sponsor the men’s and women’s team on a one-year deal that starts next season. [...]
FCA CEO: ‘We will not target EU equivalence deal at any cost’ May 6, 2021 The City regulator’s new CEO has said it will not target an EU equivalence deal for the City of London “at any cost”, although he admitted not securing a deal could see consumers offered reduced choice in some financial markets. In a speech delivered to the Association of Foreign Banks today, CEO Nikhil Rathi said [...]
KPMG staff to leave early in the summer as firm embraces hybrid working May 5, 2021 Staff at KPMG will be able to leave early one day a week during the summertime, as the Big Four firm moves to hybrid working post-pandemic. The Big Four firm has finalised its plans for flexible working in a post-pandemic world. KPMG staff will spend on average just two days a week in the office [...]