Ladies who don’t lunch: Pretty Sagoo talks science, stress and Solvency II June 18, 2015 The whole pension thing was completely by accident,” says Pretty Sagoo, explaining how she ended up in banking, working with insurance and pension fund clients. In the language of the industry, her career has revolved around structuring and pricing deals, de-risking, swaps, hedges and the like. But Pretty doesn’t do jargon. “It just winds [...]
City of London Lord Mayor Alan Yarrow reveals his charity plans December 18, 2014 New Lord Mayor of the City of London Alan Yarrow has set his sights on raising funds for Mencap and Scope – two charities close to his heart. I am honoured to be The Lord Mayor of the City of London. Amongst a raft of business and civic duties, my wife Gilly and I are [...]
Giving: The City’s secret hobby December 18, 2014 With hundreds of millions given away each year, the financial services industry is one of the most charitable around. On the day they call the Notting Hill Carnival of the City, employees of leading brokerage firm ICAP come into work in fancy dress for an afternoon of trading, with all revenues raised going to charity. [...]
London’s philanthropists recognise the long-term value they can generate October 5, 2014 Lord mayors have been involved in philanthropy for many centuries, and my predecessors founded some of the greatest charitable ventures existing today – from schools and hospitals to water conservation and sanitation. They knew, as we do, that the sucesss of London and the UK depends on the strength and sustainability of our communities and [...]
If London didn’t have a lord mayor, it would be in our interests to invent one – City Matters October 19, 2014 What is the role of the lord mayor in the twenty-first century?” It is a common question that has been posed to me and my recent predecessors countless times. The role has come a long way since the era of four-time incumbent Richard Whittington, immortalised in pantomime. Some parts have remained the same – [...]
Insurers lash out at City watchdog’s blunder April 8, 2014 SLOPPY changes to insurance rules could undermine the government’s effort to boost savings, industry leaders warned yesterday, as the City watchdog revealed details of its probe into a bungled announcement of a market investigation. The Financial Conduct Authority has hired Simon Davis, partner at law firm Clifford Chance, to find out what went wrong in [...]
London is a global hotspot for “tech for good” and these 19 startups are going to change the world December 4, 2014 London is the leading city in the world for creating technology for social good, with 19 of the top 100 so-called “tech for good” startups, products and inventions, coming from the capital. A teddy that can read childrens vital signs to help make a diagnosis, a device that means your iPhone can detect malaria and [...]
Why business must work with politics for the good of society – ACCA Comment September 17, 2014 The relationship can be dysfunctional, but collaboration works to the benefit of all. On the day that Scotland votes on the most tightly contested constitutional issue the United Kingdom has ever faced, questions have been raised about the relationship between business and politics. The two are undeniably intertwined; arguably business and politics are [...]
Police probe into Wonga could lead to prison terms June 30, 2014 WONGA staff or ex-employees could face prison if the police investigation into the payday lender leads to successful prosecutions, after lawyers demanded a probe into the firm. Last week the City watchdog ordered Wonga to pay £2.6m in compensation to more than 45,000 customers after it discovered the lender sent threatening letters from made up [...]
Police reconsider Wonga criminal investigation over fake letters June 27, 2014 Police are considering whether to pursue a criminal investigation against Wonga after it sent out fake legal letters to customers. The City of London Police confirmed that it will look again at the appropriateness of an investigation after initially deciding it was up to the Financial Conduct Authority. The Law Society today called for Wonga to [...]