Compliance isn’t the easy path to fortune March 21, 2012 A RECENT Thomson Reuters survey of 500 compliance officers at financial services firms emphasised two things about the extraordinary growth in the importance of the profession in today’s job market. Firstly, it showed how lucrative compliance roles have become – 70 per cent expected the cost of senior compliance staff to be higher in 2012. [...]
When in Rome, exploit back three February 9, 2012 GIFT OF A WIN AT MURRAYFIELD England’s opening Six Nations win in Scotland left me with mixed feelings. It was good to win, not having done so there for a while, and the young guys did well so they can enjoy that experience. But I think the game was gifted to England more than they [...]
French nuclear plants told to invest in safety January 3, 2012 FRANCE must invest billions of euros to improve the safety systems of its nuclear facilities so they can withstand the kind of extreme shocks that triggered the worst nuclear accident in 25 years at Fukushima, the nuclear watchdog ASN said yesterday. French nuclear power operator EDF will need to install flood-proof diesel generators and bunkered [...]
Barclays unveils cash-free payment app in bid to poach bank customers February 15, 2012 BARCLAYS has launched a mobile app that could see the bank poach thousands of customers from rivals by giving them the ability to pay without cash. The app, called Pingit, is aimed at boosting Barclays’ brand by linking the lender to a convenient service. It lets users link their mobile number to their bank account [...]
Accommodating the greatest show on earth by calling on a global team February 28, 2012 COUNTDOWN TO THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES 149 DAYS TO GO Chris Hale explains why it makes sense to be the official hotel services provider to this summer’s Games Q. What was your brand’s primary reason for being involved with the Games? A. There are many compelling reasons why we have chosen to be a [...]
Get the haggis right at your Burns supper January 23, 2012 If you’re thinking of hosting your own Burns night, the haggis should be the star of the show. Contrary to the belief of many south of the border, a well cooked haggis is far more than a bag of offal. Quality haggis contains an aromatic blend of spices and oatmeal, with meat as high quality [...]
Honda withdraws its earnings forecast after double disaster October 31, 2011 HONDA withdrew its annual earnings guidance in an unusual move yesterday due to uncertainty surrounding currency markets and floods in Thailand just as the manufacturer was starting to recover from the March earthquake and tsunami. Among Japanese automakers, Honda has been hit the hardest by both disasters this year, recovering slowly from the supply disruption [...]
More suitors woo Lloyd’s firm Hardy January 24, 2012 THE BATTLE to buy Lloyd’s of London insurer Hardy Underwriting is hotting up, after a pair of new bidders entered the fray. Montpelier Re and Mitsui Sumitomo are said to have expressed an interest in buying the firm and join a list of potential suitors that includes Lloyd’s rival Canopius, Bahrain based Arig and the [...]
Hannover Re beats estimates and says it is on track for year November 9, 2011 HANNOVER Re beat expectations with net profit of €163.2m (£138.3m) in the third quarter, after investment income declined by less than expected in the euro debt crisis. The world’s third-biggest reinsurer had been expected to post quarterly net profit of €134m, sharply lower than the €271m of the year-earlier quarter, when earnings were boosted by [...]
Trust in the Tinkerer of the Exchequer November 29, 2011 IT WAS a motley crew of beneficiaries the Tinkerer of the Exchequer ushered into the first class cabins of HMS Treasury yesterday. Satellites, waste facilities, broadband networks, supercomputers, world-bleating (beating?) animal health labs, the Kettering Bypass, small shops, the A453 link… “They’re all going to be improved!” the Tinkerer brayed, as he furiously rearranged the [...]