Standard Life shares muted despite beating expectations with nine per cent profit growth February 24, 2017 Standard Life's share price was somewhat muted this morning despite beating expectations with a nine per cent increase in profits. Shares in the firm initially jumped before falling by 3.5 per cent by midday. The figures Fee based revenue grew by five per cent to £1.7bn and assets under management swelled – up 16 per cent to £357bn. [...]
No more deals: Axa to decline future acquisitions after blasting through the €100bn barrier February 23, 2017 France's largest insurer Axa is big enough and is not eyeing any future transactions, especially as "Frexit is a probability", its chief executive said today. Passing the €100bn (£84bn) revenue barrier for the first time, Axa revealed in its annual results underlying growth of in earnings of four per cent to €5.7bn. Read more: Axa UK's chief [...]
Drones will transform our cities – and we’re totally unprepared for the consequences February 21, 2017 Drones are everywhere – whether that’s delivering Domino’s pizzas in New Zealand or dancing behind Lady Gaga at the US Super Bowl. With the news that Amazon’s new drone delivery plan includes “package parachutes”, considering how drones will impact our cities in the future is an issue that London must address now. No longer limited [...]
City Moves for 17 February 2017 – who’s switching jobs? February 17, 2017 Today's City Moves cover auditing, utilities and risk consultancy. Take a look at these movers and shakers: RSM Audit, tax and consulting firm RSM has appointed Rowan Williams as the new managing partner in its Gatwick office. In her new role, Rowan will be in charge of growing the firm’s presence in the Gatwick Diamond [...]
The building trades need to recruit more women as infrastructure investment rises February 13, 2017 Recruiting women into the plumbing, electrical, and building industries is just as economically important as encouraging more women to join FTSE 100 boards, a new report said. The building trades are a leading source of employment in the UK, but a stereotypes and lack of promotion to girls making career choices leave the field dominated by [...]
This is why a Silicon Valley entrepreneur believes London could produce the next Facebook February 12, 2017 By the time Clara Shih turned 30, she was a Starbucks board member, had raised $21m (£16.7m) for her social media startup and had become a bestselling author. A Stanford and Oxford graduate, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur founded software company Hearsay Social [now Hearsay Systems] in 2009 to make financial giants look slick on social media [...]
Locals lose out as Severn Trent’s Dee Valley Water takeover gets the go-ahead from the High Court February 8, 2017 Locals' attempts to thwart the takeover of a Welsh water company have failed after Severn Trent's bid to pick up Dee Valley Water has been given the go-ahead in the High Court. The court decided the £84m deal by the FTSE 100 firm, initially agreed on back in November, could go ahead. However, it adjourned until 10 [...]
City Moves for 18 January 2017 | Who’s switching jobs January 18, 2017 Boston Consulting Group Paolo Cuomo has joined the Boston Consulting Group as a principal in the firm’s insurance practice. He will work with teams in London and across Western Europe to support (re)insurance clients, including carries, brokers and regulators, on strategy, operational and digital topics. Paolo joins from Charles Taylor, where he was chief operating [...]
City Moves for 17 January 2017 | Who’s switching jobs January 17, 2017 Eversheds Frank Thompson has joined Eversheds' London insurance team. Frank has over 15 years of legal experience focusing on insurance coverage disputes and non-contentious coverage advice and has been ranked as a leading individual by Chambers and Partners for several years. Frank joins the firm as a lateral hire from K&L Gates where he earned recognition [...]
Welsh water bidding war heats up after activist locals attempt to block Severn Trent takeover January 16, 2017 An investment company is still hopeful of buying a Welsh water company, with angry locals seeking to block the rival bid in an unprecedented case of shareholder activism. FTSE 100-listed utility firm Severn Trent agreed an £84m, £18.25-per-share, takeover for Dee Valley Water in November. However, in a never-before-seen move, the deal was blocked last week [...]