PwC wins £9m audit contract for Vodafone February 13, 2014 VODAFONE will replace auditor Deloitte after 26 years with rival PwC from April. The FTSE 100 telecoms giant made the announcement following a tender process first announced in November 2013. “We thank Deloitte for their significant contribution as Vodafone’s auditors and we look forward to working with PwC going forward,” said Vodafone audit and risk [...]
Creston sees advertising growth February 3, 2014 Communications group Creston reported increases in revenue and headline profit during the three months to 31 December yesterday. “We remain cautious with regard to the ongoing impact of the volatility in some of our clients’ marketing budgets but are reassured by the successful pitching for new business in the period,” said Creston in a management [...]
Dassault Systemes snaps up US software company in $750m deal January 30, 2014 San Diego-based software provider Accelrys, whose clients include AstraZeneca, Du Pont and Unilever, is set to be bought by France's Dassault Systemes for $750m (£452) in an attempt to expand its product range. The Accelrys board has unanimously approved the deal which is expected to be concluded in the second quarter of 2014. Dassault is [...]
Bottom Line: An orderly handover but uneasy lies any head wearing this crown January 29, 2014 LONG live the new king. Sainsbury’s emphasis is firmly on continuity as it announces its new boss. The choice of commercial director Mike Coupe is the antithesis of a palace coup – every inch a loyal insider, Coupe is closely tied to King’s strategic vision, as demonstrated by his involvement in recent successes like Brand [...]
Inside Track: Ross’s brutal shake-up could prove painful for taxpayers January 29, 2014 ROSS’S Brutal Shake-up – come next month, that will be the most appropriate use of the initials of Britain’s most troubled lender. After Monday’s kitchen and bathroom sinking all rolled into one, it’s not difficult to see why. McEwan’s predecessor as chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Stephen Hester, was fond of describing [...]
5 things you didn’t know about new Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe January 29, 2014 Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King is leaving the supermarket in July – but what do we know about his replacement and current commercial director, Mike Coupe?1. A country boy at heart, Coupe was born in Watford in 1960 but was brought up in West Sussex. His mum was a housewife and his dad was an inventor [...]
5 things you didn’t know about new Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe January 29, 2014 Sainsbury's CEO Justin King is leaving the supermarket in July – but what do we know about his replacement and current commercial director, Mike Coupe? 1. A country boy at heart, Coupe was born in Watford in 1960 but was brought up in West Sussex. His mum was a housewife and his dad was an [...]
The law firm leaders joining the global dots January 26, 2014 Baker & McKenzie’s jet-setting duo tell Elizabeth Fournier how they stay ahead FOR A law firm that is less than 70 years old, Baker & McKenzie has an impressive global footprint. From humble beginnings at the hands of co-founders Russell Baker and John McKenzie in Chicago in 1949, the firm now employs more than 4,000 [...]
Unilever surprises with a stronger end to year January 21, 2014 CONSUMER goods giant Unilever reported a better-than-expected finish to its financial year thanks to a rebound in sales in some emerging markets, sending shares higher yesterday. The company behind Lipton Tea and Dove soap surprised the market in October after issuing its first profit warning in almost a decade. It blamed an accelerated slowdown in [...]
Bottom Line: Spread this: I can’t believe it’s not better January 21, 2014 IT DOESN’T look bullish for UK waistlines that Unilever, the world’s biggest ice cream maker, just recorded its twenty-fifth successive quarter of UK growth. Americans have more willpower. Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey wasn’t enough to keep the US market from slowing consumption of the firm’s frozen treats, helping to send its refreshment division down [...]