FTSE 100 CHAIRMEN BACK DRIVE FOR MORE WOMEN ON UK BOARDS July 13, 2011 THE DEBATE about how to get more businesswomen into the boardroom continued last night at the Lansdowne Club, as FTSE 100 chairmen came to hear BAE Systems’ chairman Dick Olver outline his plans for reform. “It is not a matter of quotas; it is a question of better decisions in the boardroom,” said Olver, who [...]
Private pools, crystal blue waters and snorkelling Thai island paradise at sensational Soneva Kiri May 15, 2011 TALK about arriving in style. Soneva Kiri, a far-flung resort on the Thai island of Koh Kood, is the kind of place that keeps its own private plane. A single-engine propeller job but a luxurious one, it picks you up from Bangkok airport, climbs over the rice paddies and swings out to sea, descending 45 [...]
TEMPERS FLARE AT PWC CAROL SERVICE December 22, 2010 YOU might think that playing the organ at the office Christmas carol service is a pretty uncontroversial activity. Not so for a professional organist (as they’re called) engaged for PricewaterhouseCooper’s annual festive singsong. The stage was set, the decorations tweaked and the set list compiled when all went awry. Details are hard to come by, [...]
Derwent sells bonds to beef up war chest May 17, 2011 CENTRAL London property group Derwent embarked on a money-raising drive to pay for acquisitions yesterday, selling off part of its Covent Garden estate and issuing £175m worth of convertible five year bonds. Derwent sold five properties in King Street and Floral Street to Capital & Counties, who paid for the £68m purchase in cash from [...]
Greene King buys Realpubs as the fine weather brings in more customers April 27, 2011 PUBS and brewery group Greene King reported accelerating sales growth and said it had benefited from good weather attracting drinkers into its pubs over the last few weeks. The group, which brews Greene King IPA and Old Speckled Hen beer, also said it had purchased Realpubs, which operates 14 London pubs, for £53.1m. That takes [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS April 11, 2011 BISTRO DU VIN OPENS… It’s all happening in Clerkenwell. Hot on the heels of last week’s Zetter Townhouse launch – a hotel which happens to include an apothecary-style cocktail bar from the 69 Colebroke Row crew – comes a slick new eatery on St John Street (surely London’s foodiest thoroughfare) in the space vacated by [...]
Welcome to London’s business paper June 3, 2011 WELCOME to our first ever Saturday edition to celebrate the greatest and most exciting sporting event of the year. Here at City A.M., we are truly passionate about the Investec Derby as well as horse-racing in general. Our growing numbers of readers in and around London work very hard – but they also love to [...]
Welcome to London’s business paper June 3, 2011 WELCOME to our first ever Saturday edition to celebrate the greatest and most exciting sporting event of the year. Here at City A.M., we are truly passionate about the Investec Derby as well as horse-racing in general. Our growing numbers of readers in and around London work very hard – but they also love to [...]
Greene King in new debt deal April 4, 2011 PUB group Greene King has secured a new five year £400m revolving credit facility with its banking partners to bankroll expansion. This replaces the existing £400m facility, which was due to expire in April 2012. The company said in a statement: “This new facility gives Greene King continued financial flexibility and helps underpin the ongoing [...]
Revenue up for Restaurant Group March 9, 2011 THE Restaurant Group yesterday posted a 12 per cent rise in adjusted pre-tax profit to £56m for the year to 2 January. Revenue was up seven per cent to £466m, although like-for-like sales fell by one per cent at the chain which includes Frankie & Benny’s, Chiquito and Garfunkel’s. During the year the group opened [...]