Fears of a nightmare before Christmas for UK retailers as footfall and spending dip November 13, 2017 Retail analysts fear a nightmare before Christmas for British shops as figures published today show weakness ahead of the crucial holiday spending spree. Footfall in UK retailers fell by two per cent year-on-year in October, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard. The decline in the number of shop visits was [...]
EY heads off competition and snares BHP Billiton audit from 2019 August 22, 2017 Big Four accountant EY has snared a lucrative victory, replacing KPMG as mining giant BHP Billiton’s auditor. BHP conducted an audit tendering process during the year in the wake of regulations forcing firms to rotate their statutory accountants. As a result, incumbent KPMG did not bid to continue its role. EY will take over from [...]
Mind the skills gap: A plan to future-proof the UK workforce November 30, 2017 How do we close the skills gap in this country? At the recent World Skills competition and conference in Abu Dhabi, I learnt that this is not just a UK problem, but also one faced by countries across the world. Addressing this imbalance sits front and centre of everything this government is trying to achieve [...]
Billionaires’ march continues as Asian surge drives 17 per cent increase in wealth October 26, 2017 Billionaires across the world piled on more riches with the ultra-wealthy in Asia now outnumbering the traditional leaders, the US, according to research published today. The total wealth of billionaires worldwide rose by 17 per cent in 2016 to reach $6 trillion (£4.5 trillion), equivalent to more than double the UK’s annual economic output, according [...]
Global progress on gender equality ‘far too slow’ says the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report October 4, 2017 Rich countries are still making slow progress when it comes to reducing gaps in income between men and women over the past five years, according to a report out today from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Since the last report carried out in 2012, many of the OECD’s 35 countries have prioritised [...]
Cyber attacks are on the rise – don’t let your business be a hacker’s paradise October 30, 2017 Headlines have been dominated by news of cyber attacks over recent months. But to date, no hack rivals the WannaCry virus, which temporarily crippled the NHS and other organisations around the world. Will Twiss, information security manager at business finance group LDF, warns that the threat posed by cyber criminals is constantly evolving, with new [...]
Insurance professionals call for change in firms’ culture to boost diversity September 25, 2017 Professionals in the insurance industry believe workplace culture needs to change to attract and retain top talent, according to a new survey from insurance diversity festival Dive In. Almost three quarters, or 71 per cent, of insurance professionals surveyed from around the globe said that the environment in firms must become more inclusive. The UK [...]
11 tech startups to watch according to top insurers in Startupbootcamp’s insurtech accelerator December 11, 2017 Nearly a dozen startups looking to disrupt the insurance industry with technology such as artificial intelligence have been chosen for the latest cohort of a London programme, backed by Lloyds Banking Group, Allianz, Scottish Widows and Confused.com among several high-profile financial firms. The 11 early stage startups from nine countries around the world will join [...]
Why PwC’s head of people wants firms to try harder with recruitment September 4, 2016 It’s 2016. The UK has its second female Prime Minister running the country, the US could potentially get its first female President later in the year, and there’s no shortage of positive role models for working women looking for inspiration. This makes the revelation of Laura Hinton, head of people and an executive board member [...]
Autumn Budget 2017: Reactions to the chancellor’s statement from business groups and experts November 22, 2017 THE BUSINESS GROUP Carolyn Fairbairn, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director-general “Against a sombre economic backdrop, the Chancellor today gripped the steering wheel on the UK economy. This is a budget that balances support for people on squeezed incomes with vital action to help grow the UK out of austerity. But delivery is everything.” She [...]