Thomson Local bought out of administration August 15, 2013 DIRECTORY services brand Thomson Local was bought out of administration by two serial entrepreneurs yesterday. Thomson Local, which sends out 22m copies of its UK business directory and maintains several websites, appointed Grant Thornton as administrator on Wednesday, following several tough years. The Hampshire-based firm posted a net loss of £732,000 for 2011, [...]
Barclays finance director to step down early August 14, 2013 As City A.M. reported this morning, Barclays has announced its group finance director and board member Chris Lucas will step down earlier than expected due to health reasons. Lucas will leave his post on 16 August rather than the previously announced date of 28 February 2014. Lucas said his health was a “key factor” behind [...]
Boss of BDO says bigger is better for the accountant August 11, 2013 Simon Michaels, managing partner of the UK’s sixth largest professional services firm, thinks it is all to play for BY THE end of July, the builders had almost finished with BDO’s London headquarters. The glass-fronted Baker Street building, once the home of Marks & Spencer’s main office, has been revamped to make space for [...]
Insurance firm Hub bought by private equity August 5, 2013 INSURANCE broker Hub International will be sold to funds managed by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman in a deal that values the firm at about $4.4bn (£2.87bn), Hub said yesterday. Hub, which has more than 6,500 employees in the United States, Canada and Brazil, was formed through the merger of 11 privately held Canadian [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 5 August 2013 August 4, 2013 FINANCIAL TIMES Lloyds boss targets profit for dividend Antonio Horta-Osorio, chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, has said he aims to start paying out up to 70 per cent of the bank’s earnings in dividends within three years as he seeks to attract investors ahead of the sale of the government’s stake. Lloyds has not [...]
New RBS chief executive to be paid significantly less than predecessor August 1, 2013 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is on the verge of agreeing a pay deal for its new chief executive that will be significantly lower than that of the ousted Stephen Hester, Sky News have reported. UK Financial Investments, the agency managing the taxpayer stake in RBS, is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a base [...]
British American Tobacco bets on e-cigarettes as sales grow July 31, 2013 BRITISH American Tobacco (BAT) said yesterday it would move rapidly to expand its presence in the electronic cigarette market around the world after launching its first product in the UK earlier this week. The world’s second-largest cigarette maker, whose premium brands include Kent, Dunhill, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, launched online sales of Vype on [...]
City Moves for 1 August 2013 | Who’s switching jobs July 31, 2013 Premier Farnell The electronics company has announced the appointment of Andrea Dunstan as chief people officer. Dunstan has over 20 years’ experience in human resources (HR). She was previously group HR director at Wincanton. Prior to that, she worked at AstraZeneca. Royal Bank of Canada The bank’s capital markets division has recruited Sian Hurrell as head [...]
New York Report: Wall St edges higher after Fed statement July 31, 2013 THE S&P 500 finished a volatile session nearly flat yesterday after the Federal Reserve gave no hint that a reduction in the pace of its bond-buying program is imminent. After paring most of the day’s gains just before the close, the S&P 500 ended July up 5 per cent – its best monthly percentage increase [...]
Poorly-designed immigration policies are damaging the London economy July 31, 2013 THE PROPOSAL from part of the coalition to make some overseas visitors pay a £3,000 bond to come to Britain is perhaps the most ill-considered development in immigration policy yet. The government says that Britain is open for business, but with visitor bonds, healthcare levies, and adverts urging self-deportation – to mention but three examples [...]