City Moves for 5 November 2015 | Who’s switching jobs November 4, 2015 RIDGEWAY PARTNERS The executive search firm has appointed Toby Crosthwaite as a partner. He joins from Russell Reynolds Associates, based in Singapore and London, where he worked on appointments in the insurance sector. In his new role, Crosthwaite will cover work in life insurance, general insurance, and reinsurance. RUSSELL INVESTMENTS Sarah Leslie has been appointed [...]
RBS and Patron Capital sell 32 UK hotels to owner of Thailand’s Singha Beer October 12, 2015 The Royal Bank of Scotland and private equity group Patron Capital have sold a portfolio of 32 UK hotels for £160m to Thai joint venture including Thailand's biggest beer-maker. The business, known as Jupiter Hotels, owns and manages 26 hotels spread out across the UK and operating under French hotelier Accor’s Mercure franchise. The pair [...]
RBS’s share price falls as it reports decline in third quarter profits missing estimates October 30, 2015 Royal Bank of Scotland has reported third quarter adjusted operating profits down more than half, missing expectations. The lender's shares fell one per cent to 317.40p as the markets opened on the news. The figures The bank said pre-tax profit before one time items and restructuring costs fell to £842m, from £2bn a year ago, after £126m of losses relating to IFRS volatility, and £77m of [...]
Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie MPs demands proof that taxpayer is getting value for money in RBS sale September 21, 2015 Treasury Select Committee (TSC) chairman Andrew Tyrie is demanding to see what advice the government received from UK Financial Investments – the agency that manages the public stake in bailed-out banks – before it started to sell off shares in Royal Bank of Scotland last month. Tyrie has written to James Leigh-Pemberton, executive chairman of [...]
Mark Carney’s EU referendum intervention has fuelled the campaign for Brexit October 27, 2015 It was only last week that Bank of England governor Mark Carney gave a speech in Oxford to explain the central bank’s view on the UK’s membership of the EU. But can anyone recall what he said beyond the generalities? Has his intervention added to the sum of human knowledge? And will it make any [...]
PwC’s Andrew Sentance has a very unusual reason for wanting to stay in the EU May 16, 2016 And you thought Ukippers had weird reasons for backing Vote Leave. Bank of England Governor Mark Carney may be facing a backlash after voicing economic concerns over a potential Brexit, but one former Monetary Policy Committee member doesn't mince his words. Andrew Sentance, senior adviser at PwC and former MPC member, came out in favour [...]
British Open 2016 prize money: Brexit effect on pound could mean stars such as Jason Day and Jordan Spieth lose out on over £100,000 worth of prize money July 14, 2016 The plummeting value of the pound since the UK voted for Brexit has caused a dramatic loss in golfers' prize money earning potential at this year's British Open. Players from 23 different countries have converged on Royal Troon in Scotland this weekend for the third Major of the year, where the victor will take home the competition's [...]
Got change? Here’s what the Bank of England’s £1m “giant” and £100m “titan” notes look like July 16, 2015 The Bank of England has "giant" and "titan" bank notes, and they're worth £1m and £100m respectively. But you can forget day dreams of a cash machine accidentally dispensing one of these any time soon. While the high denotation bank notes aren't in circulation they're used to back the everyday value of notes issued by [...]
August Bank Holiday 2015 blues for Barclays, RBS and NatWest staff as local branches stay open August 27, 2015 In these modern times of accessibility and 24-hour contact, is the Bank Holiday becoming part of Britain’s history more than a cultural event? Three lenders were excited to announce the desecration of the sacred so-called bank holiday weekend by opening branches across the country. While execs and chairs head off to their homes in the [...]
Celebrity rehab center The Priory in talks with banks over London flotation September 18, 2015 Priory Group, the mental care homes provider famous for its celebrity clientele, has moved closer to realising plans for a public listing after kicking off a search for bankers to work on the float. The company, which runs a chain of rehabilitation clinics, best known for treating pop stars such as Robbie Williams, is understood [...]