The investor’s dilemma: do sustainable funds need a digital detox? March 3, 2021 Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma makes for uncomfortable viewing for users of social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube or Twitter. i.e. pretty much all of us. And as a sustainability specialist who invests (at the time of writing) in Alphabet , the parent company of Google and YouTube, I find the issues covered extra [...]
The future of post-covid drinking, from the mega beer garden to drone deliveries August 1, 2020 With the baking summer heat threatening to melt my laptop, the idea of al fresco eating and drinking seems like a no-brainer. But Britain, with its unpredictable climate, traffic-clogged streets and plethora of excellent, dingy pubs, has proven resistant to the kind of outdoor cafe culture beloved of our European neighbours. Until covid, that is. [...]
London’s bowling alleys, comedy clubs and arts venues slam fresh lockdown as life-threatening July 31, 2020 London venues have slammed the Prime Minister’s decision to U-turn on plans to reopen tomorrow as “pulling the rug out” from underneath them. In a press conference today, Boris Johnson said plans to reopen venues tomorrow will be pushed back until at least 15 August, following a sharp spike in coronavirus infections. Night clubs, casinos, [...]
Coronavirus: Former F1 chief Ron Dennis donates £1m for NHS staff meals April 5, 2020 Former McLaren F1 boss Ron Dennis has launched a major initiative to serve 1m free meals to frontline NHS workers. The multimillionaire motor racing mogul has pledged more than £1m to provide meals for medical staff across the country as they battle the coronavirus pandemic. The food will be delivered to intensive care care staff, [...]
Want a cure for Covid right now? Stop smoking, exercise more, and focus on holistic health July 30, 2020 So much of the conversation around how to beat Covid-19 has focused on the Holy Grail of a vaccine. This is obviously of utmost importance. But to beat coronavirus, as well as prepare for the next pandemic, we need a new definition of health — one that can strengthen our natural immunity and save thousands [...]
Staycation nation: Johnson urges public to take a UK holiday June 23, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today gave the green light for hotels, B&Bs and campsites in the UK to reopen from 4 July, and urged the public to revitalise the hospitality industry by taking a “staycation” within the UK. In a major easing of social distancing rules, the PM today provided a lifeline for the hospitality [...]
Counting the human cost of Covid — and of leaving small business owners behind July 23, 2020 The daily lists of cases, tests and R numbers tell a tale of the scale of the Covid-19 crisis, but they don’t always explain the full story of the cost on people’s lives. ACCA and the Corporate Finance Network (CFN) are running a tracker poll among accountancy firms representing more than 22,000 small businesses to [...]
Just Eat investor Vitruvian and Hugo Boss backer Permira are managing two of the world’s most popular private equity funds August 28, 2017 Two London-based private equity houses currently hold the title of managing some of the world’s most desirable funds, according to data from private equity marketplace Palico. Investors who purchased stakes through the secondary market in Permira’s Europe IV fund and Vitruvian’s Investment Partnership 1 during the first half of 2017 were willing to pay a [...]
Coronavirus: We must future-proof our vital supply chains May 8, 2020 UK Government orders for social distancing and the closure of many businesses meant an extra 500 million meals and snacks—30% of all calories—were being eaten in UK homes every week in late March. And yet, according to Nielsen, consumers were adding just a single additional item to their average shopping basket on each trip. So, [...]
We need female tech trailblazers if the UK is to keep its unicorn crown February 20, 2019 The UK has been crowned the “tech unicorn capital of Europe”, by virtue of the fact that we have more billion-dollar-valued tech companies than any other country in the EU. But the next generation of unicorns, which include the likes of Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Purplebricks, could well be under threat if the tech industry, [...]