Journalist to lawyer to two-time entrepreneur November 20, 2011 DANA Denis-Smith is accustomed to starting new careers. She began professional life as a journalist, before changing tack and training as a solicitor with Linklaters in 2005. Just three years later she left to set up her own business and then three years after that she set up another. “I left journalism because I often [...]
RAPID RESPONSES November 16, 2011 Ponzi pottiness The German government criticising the UK for not doing enough for the Eurozone really brings to mind a Ponzi scheme. Assume I don’t join a Ponzi scheme because I think it’s a Ponzi scheme but my colleague does in spite of my warnings. When the scheme goes wrong, if my colleague criticised me [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS November 8, 2011 Cushman & Wakefield The property consultant has appointed business consulting real estate executive Neil McLocklin as a partner and head of its EMEA business consulting group, based in London. He joins from Capita Symonds, where he was director of consultancy and advisory services. In addition, Elizaveta Shaforostova will transfer to the London team from C&M’s [...]
The rising star tasked with proving the Labour party isn’t anti-business October 30, 2011 WHEN I first met Chuka Umunna, shortly after his election in 2010, it was already clear he was one of Labour’s rising stars. But few thought the MP for Streatham would ascend through the ranks quite so quickly. At the time, he told me he would use his first term to learn the ropes as [...]
RAPID RESPONSES October 25, 2011 Define discussion Nick Clegg announced plans yesterday for a new law that will allow protected conversations between bosses and employees. This is a small step in the right direction. My firm advises employers all the time who are genuinely afraid of having frank discussions with their staff about retirement in case what they say is [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 24, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES DEFENCE ATTACKS ONE-SIDED PROBE IN F1 BRIBERY TRIAL The trial of a German banker alleged to have accepted $44m in bribes from Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One chief, and a trust linked to his former wife began in Munich yesterday with the defendant’s lawyer accusing media and prosecutors of “hounding” his client. Gerhard [...]
CITY MOVES | WHO’S SWITCHING JOBS October 10, 2011 Man Group Man Group, Europe’s largest hedge-fund, has appointed Nina Shapiro as non-executive director. Shapiro previously held senior roles within the World Bank and was Vice President, Finance and Treasurer of the International Finance Corporate from 2000 to 2011. After joining the World Bank in 1978, Shapiro held posts including director of project finance and also [...]
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES NEED AN EYE ON RISK October 10, 2011 HEAD OF CORPORATE, ZURICH INSURANCE THE UK is a world leader in professional services and the sector has grown rapidly on the back of corporate and property deals as well as private and public sector businesses outsourcing work. According to the Professional and Business Services Group, professional service firms such as accountants, actuaries, engineers, surveyors, [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING October 3, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES M&S ASKS SUPPLIERS TO AID STORE REVAMPS Marks and Spencer has asked its top clothing suppliers for a multimillion-pound contribution to its store revamp plans and a step-up in advertising. At a gathering on Friday of M&S’s top 60 clothing and homewares suppliers, Marc Bolland, chief executive, asked them for a one-off contribution [...]
ROGUE TRADING TALENT PULL IN THE CROWDS AS CITY ENTERTAINMENT September 26, 2011 SOMETHING to look forward to for UBS alleged fraudster Kweku Adoboli, once he has emerged from the trauma of the courts: following in the footsteps of the original rogue trader Nick Leeson by entertaining drunken clients at corporate events. Leeson has been quietly raking it in on the after-dinner speaking circuit for years, says celebrity [...]