City Moves: Who’s switching jobs in the Square Mile this week? May 5, 2021 City A.M.‘s Millie Turner provides a roundup of the most important hires and job moves across the City, every Wednesday afternoon. Email citymoves@cityam.com to be featured. OneBanks hires ex–Lloyds chief as its first CTO Shared branch banking venture OneBanks has appointed a former Lloyds Bank executive as its first chief technology officer (CTO) this week. Andy Willmot, once [...]
Serious Fraud Office ends investigation into Airbus individuals May 4, 2021 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has ended a criminal investigation into individuals associated with Airbus, after it agreed to a record €3.6bn global settlement 16 months ago. Three sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters the SFO had written to former suspects to say it would take no further action. Overseas prosecutors could, however, take [...]
Government spends £624m on consultancy contracts during pandemic May 4, 2021 The government has awarded contracts worth at least £624m to private firms for consulting, marketing and research purposes during the pandemic, despite criticism it has been too reliant on private firms during the crisis. In total some £30.2bn in contracts have now been awarded by the UK government in response to Covid-19, the latest figures [...]
Covid-19 gives employees itchy feet as job hunts are on the rise May 4, 2021 Job hunts are rising for those in corporates, consultancies and start-ups, according to figures from Movemeon, as multiple lockdowns have shown bosses under a different light. A third of those working in management consultancies are looking for a new role, alongside nearly a quarter of those in private equity and venture capital (PE/VC). Employees getting [...]
UK PMIs: Manufacturing growth hits 27-year high in April May 4, 2021 The UK’s manufacturing growth gathered pace in April as production increased for the 11th consecutive month. The IHS Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 60.9 per cent last month, marking the highest reading since 1994. The reading also came in ahead of a flash estimate of 60.7. The growth was driven by a [...]
It’s time for business leaders to be educated about dyslexia May 4, 2021 Emily Cheyne CA, Manager, Transaction Services at KPMG, discusses having dyslexia, comparing herself to others and how it’s time to stop thinking that one way of working is appropriate for everyone. When were you diagnosed with dyslexia? I was in Primary 5 at school – so 10 years old. The reason I was tested was [...]
London-based food-tech platform Taster raises $37m in funding April 29, 2021 London-based digital restaurant platform Taster has raised $37m in series B funding, led by Cazoo-backing firm, the company confirmed today. Backed by the same firm that helped used-car platform Cazoo land its £5bn valuation, Octopus Ventures, Taster has capitalised on the growth seen within the food delivery industry over the last 18 months. “If McDonald’s [...]
Interim KPMG CEO quits after being passed over for permanent role April 29, 2021 Interim KPMG CEO Mary O’Connor, the first woman to lead the Big Four firm, has quit after she was passed up for the permanent role. O’Connor took over as chief executive of KPMG UK following the sudden departure of Bill Michael earlier this year, after he made controversial comments about unconscious bias training during a video call [...]
KPMG staff fired after rowdy ‘boys’ night out’ featuring binge drinking and strippers April 28, 2021 Staff from KPMG’s private equity division in Melbourne were fired after a wild ‘boys’ night out’ that featured heavy binge drinking and strippers. A 2015 video invitation to ‘boys’ night’, sent to 80 male employees at KPMG’s Melbourne office, with women excluded, has just recently come to light. According to the Mail Online, the video [...]
Big Four and challengers ask for leeway on difficult audits to avoid public criticism April 27, 2021 The Big Four and the challenger audit firms have asked the accountancy watchdog for more leniency when it comes to more difficult audit jobs, for fear of public criticism if they make a mistake. Audit firms have asked the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to pause quality inspections of their work for a year if they [...]