Nick Ephgrave announces surprise retirement from Serious Fraud Office January 15, 2026 Nick Ephgrave will step down as director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) two and a half years before his first term was due to finish. The former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was appointed as the SFO’s director, taking over from Lisa Osofsky, who oversaw several errors during her tenure. Ephgrave was the [...]
Prudential names HSBC veteran Douglas Flint as new chair January 14, 2026 Prudential has tapped the former chairman of banking juggernaut HSBC Douglas Flint as its new chair. The London-listed financial services giant said on Tuesday Flint would succeed retiring Shriti Vadera, who has been in the post since January 2021. Flint served as HSBC’s chair from 2010 to 2017, following a stint as group finance director [...]
Central banks throw weight behind Fed after Trump assault January 13, 2026 Some of the world’s most prominent central banks have issued a full-throated support of the Federal Reserve and its chair Jay Powell, after Donald Trump’s campaign against its independence escalated with a Department of Justice legal action. In an unusual joint intervention, 11 central banking chiefs declared they stood in “full solidarity” with the Fed’s [...]
Mark my words: Starmer is set to approve China’s ‘super embassy’ January 12, 2026 Keir Starmer is set to travel to China and has appealed for business leaders to accompany him. You don’t do that if you’re anticipating holding a foreign government to account, says Eliot Wilson At the end of this month, Sir Keir Starmer is due to travel to China for the first visit by a British [...]
Government urged to quit X following ‘appalling’ Grok scandal January 8, 2026 Keir Starmer has been urged to pull his government off Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, after a former cabinet minister dubbed the platform ‘unconscionable’. Labour MP Louise Haigh, former transport secretary, has warned that her party and the government should entirely quit the site. This pressure comes in the wake of this week’s reports [...]
Haveli to Make Majority Investment in Sirion to Support Continued Growth January 8, 2026 Sirion, a global leader in contract lifecycle management (“CLM”) software, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Haveli Investments, L.P. (“Haveli” or “Haveli Investments”), an Austin-based technology focused investment firm, will make a majority investment in the company. Sirion helps some of the world’s largest enterprises manage complex commercial relationships [...]
British shoppers turn to AI as London high street sales falter January 7, 2026 As our beloved high streets grapple with rising business costs, decaying consumer confidence and yet another bout of tax uncertainty, AI agents are reshaping how consumers shop. A report published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) warns that that so-called ‘agentic AI’, a quasi-autonomous form of artificial intelligence, could shift from novelty to norm within [...]
WP Engine Acquires Big Bite January 7, 2026 Strategic acquisition of a go-to partner for global publishers adds best-in-class media industry and technical expertise to provide new solutions to enterprise customers
Trump torpor: What explains markets’ muted response to Venezuela and Greenland? January 7, 2026 It is understandable that of the dozens of 2026 market outlook papers published by banks and analysts last month, not one predicted that Venezuela’s autocratic leader, Nicolas Maduro, would be captured in a historic overnight raid just three days into the New Year. Even more forgivable, is the fact none foresaw the rapid escalation of [...]
PMG Expands Influencer Marketing Capabilities with Acquisition of London and New York-based Digital Voices January 6, 2026 – Addition enhances PMG’s ability to connect culture, media, technology, and creator marketing to drive greater impact for customers globally –