CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS September 13, 2010 Secure Trust Bank Arbuthnot’s retail banking business has appointed Paul Lynam, a former senior banker at the Royal Bank of Scotland, as its new chief executive. Lynam, 42, was a managing director at RBS and was responsible for over 1m SME customers and almost 7,000 staff in the retail bank. He also previously held the [...]
COMPANY OF THE YEAR | The Shortlist September 12, 2010 IT has been another tough year for business. The sovereign debt crisis rocked already shaky market confidence, while uncertainty has kept consumers from splashing out. It is in hard times that reputations are made, though, and over the past year the best have bounced back. Both retailers on our list have, in their different ways, [...]
Lion Capital set to sell Dutch retailer Hema September 9, 2010 PRIVATE equity group Lion Capital said yesterday it had appointed Citigroup and RBS to explore selling retailer Hema, the second Dutch retailer to be placed up for sale this year. Lion Capital bought Hema, a household name in the Netherlands, for an undisclosed sum in July 2007 from Dutch retail group Maxeda, and has since [...]
KPMG looks to hand over Connaught jobs September 8, 2010 HOUSING repair firm Connaught formally appointed KPMG as its administrator yesterday, as rival property companies looked to take over the collapsed firm’s contracts. KPMG will keep the firm’s property maintenance arm trading until it has farmed out its contracts to other providers. Around 4,400 people face redundancy. Richard Heis, joint administrator, said the group had [...]
PROPERTY FIRM OF THE YEAR | September 8, 2010 THE City’s skyline is changing. Skyscrapers are springing up – okay, more slowly than before, but they are coming. Added to that the commitment to opening retail space and the whole character of the Square Mile is changing. At a time when it might have been easier to abandon their projects, they have shown confidence [...]
RETAIL BROKER OF THE YEAR | THE SHORTLIST September 8, 2010 WITHOUT brokers like the ones on our list, money would sit in bank accounts gathering dust. They are the soul of the UK’s investment strategy. At the moment, when people are looking for stability, they are more vital than ever. Innovative, forward-looking and offering great personal service, these five are stars. Don’t miss the City [...]
Diamond is the right man for the job September 7, 2010 GOOD on Barclays for promoting Bob Diamond, head of the bank’s investment banking unit, to be the firm’s overall chief executive. He is the best man for the job, proving himself again with the successful integration of Lehman’s US operations. Yet given Diamond’s demonisation in the broadcast media and popular press, not least by the [...]
Pinnacle team brings in second agent to attract pre-let tenants to the tower September 7, 2010 ARAB Investments, the developer of the Pinnacle skyscraper, has brought in an extra letting agent to sell leases in the tower on Billingsgate. Property company CB Richard Ellis has joined Savills as joint leasing agent on the tower, which is set to be the tallest building in London when completed in 2013. “It’s something we’ve [...]
INSURANCE COMPANY OF THE YEAR September 7, 2010 THE management of risk has always been at the heart of the City’s business, and in these turbulent times it has never been more important. The five firms on our shortlist work across the whole sector, from shipping and the oil industry to motor insurance. All of them have innovated and continue to flourish. Don’t miss [...]
Get exposure to fast markets by day trading FX September 7, 2010 DOLLAR-STERLING moved 150 points on Monday’s US Labor Day holiday. The market clearly did not take a break. It is a reminder that the restless forex market offers day traders real opportunities: tight spreads and sharp movements that can be dipped in and out of at low cost. The volatility can mean big wins, but [...]