Serco earnings hit by prisoner tagging scandal March 4, 2014 SCANDAL-STRUCK outsourcing firm Serco’s acting chief executive yesterday said he was confident of a return to growth, despite a 62 per cent decline in full-year profit and a gloomy outlook for 2014. “The events of 2013 absorbed management’s focus and, therefore, interrupted the normal process of improving efficiency and developing our business into new areas,” [...]
Welcome to Miami, the US party capital October 27, 2013 Miami is a hedonist’s paradise. Steve Dinneen discovers the nocturnal delights Florida’s clubbing hotspot has to offer A FRIEND of mine became a YouTube sensation on the eve of President Obama’s 2008 election victory. He drunkenly – and, with the benefit of hindsight, ill-advisedly – resigned from his job live on Dutch TV, complete with [...]
Hannover Re unconcerned by Sandy payouts November 6, 2012 GERMAN reinsurer Hannover Re said yesterday that it expects to post a substantial rise in profits this year, despite the possibility of payouts following Hurricane Sandy. The company, which offers secondary cover for some of the world’s biggest insurers, predicted that net profit for 2012 will pass €800m (£641m). This represents increase of a third [...]
Monarchy’s extraordinary longevity is good for UK capitalism July 22, 2013 SO it is a boy, a Prince and our future King. It’s wonderful news for his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to whom we send our heartfelt congratulations; and an important moment for the country. The BBC and ITV interrupted their schedules; bankers’ toasted the Prince at a banquet in the City; town [...]
Disney ending for the man who started golden era of animation February 3, 2013 WHAT are the three words in the English language beginning with Dw? Our boozey boys’ lunch suddenly took an intellectual turn when someone lobbed in this cracker of a question. Our bodies momentarily froze and we stared into the distance, slight frowns, deep in thought, competition now upon us. “Dwarf!” someone yelled, and at first [...]
The phone call that stopped a business from singing the blues December 16, 2012 MY MATE and I were thrilled when a beautiful young lady, Sarah, sat down between us with a smile. As two Aussies, we immediately battled for her attention with our attempts at cool charm and quick wit. The event was a 25th wedding anniversary dinner for about 60 guests. Sarah was very relaxed and easily [...]
A dream solution for navigating the bedroom battlefield at night November 11, 2012 YOU wake in the middle of the night wanting to visit the bathroom. Tired, you regret having a few glasses of water hours earlier before hitting the sack. For a few moments you ponder rolling over and returning to sleep, but you know the need isn’t going to go away. So you slowly arise in [...]
Lloyds of London takes £1.4bn hit from Thai floods February 14, 2012 Severe flooding in Thailand last year is set to cost the Lloyd’s of London insurance market $2.2bn (£1.3bn), with claims for the industry as a whole likely to reach $15-20bn. The final bill from the Thai floods may vary, but Lloyd’s is financially strong enough to cope, chief executive Richard Ward said. “Paying these claims [...]
Money doesn’t always make an MBA September 19, 2012 YOU’RE spending thousands of pounds on an MBA course (a one year programme at Said Business School costs upwards of £41,000, plus an estimated £13,250 in expenses), you’re losing one or maybe two years of wages, and you’re interrupting your career to take a business degree. It’s a natural impulse to think in mercenary terms [...]
Lloyd’s losses from Thailand reach £1.4bn February 14, 2012 LLOYD’S of London has estimated its net claims from last year’s Thai floods will hit $2.22bn (£1.4bn), the third biggest loss in the market’s history. The initial estimate is based on a projected worldwide cost to the insurance industry of $15bn–20bn and could change, but Lloyd’s is financially strong enough to cope according to chief [...]