The Founder director John Lee Hancock: “There are things about Ray Kroc I really admire” February 14, 2017 Released in UK cinemas this week, The Founder tells the story of the world’s best-known brand, McDonald’s – and how entrepreneur Ray Kroc wrestled the company away from its founders. We sat down with the movie’s director, John Lee Hancock, to talk burgers, unscrupulous business tactics and what he learned about leadership from Kroc. Your [...]
Stop thinking in straight lines or get left behind by the revolution June 28, 2018 Revolutionaries from the past have a tendency to morph into romantic icons; think Che Guevara, Rosa Luxemburg, Lenin, Robespierre. From the safety of history, it’s possible to admire their determination and dedication without condoning their often destructive and violent tactics. Yet living revolutionaries are not always so popular beyond their immediate following. They threaten the [...]
Admiral boss doesn’t pull any punches after revealing discount rate cut will cost £150m March 8, 2017 Insurance firm Admiral lamented the government's decision to slash a key reference rate for calculating personal injury claims, which it said would ultimately cost the firm £150m. Annual profits for 2016 reduced by £106m, with the balance to be taken in following years. This prompted boss David Stevens, who is in his first full year at the [...]
Social Entertainment Ventures poaches D&D executive to head up growth of Bounce, Puttshack and Flight Club USA March 8, 2018 The company behind leisure bar concepts Bounce and Puttshack has appointed a new chief executive, as the group takes its first steps towards an eventual IPO. Social Entertainment Ventures (SEV), which also runs the US franchise of darts bar Flight Club, has ambitions to go public in five years, City A.M. revealed last month. The [...]
Trevor Steven: Gentleman Arsene Wenger is a one-off and I hope he gets a triumphant Europa League send-off April 24, 2018 It was the summer of 2008 and I was in Switzerland, where the European Championship was taking place, when I spotted a familiar figure across the hotel breakfast room. Although my spell at Marseille coincided with his time in charge of Monaco, I hadn’t really spoken to Arsene Wenger, but I admired him so I [...]
Emmanuel Macron faces down the unions in bid to modernise French economy April 2, 2018 Emmanuel Macron is trying to forge a new path for France, but his efforts reveal a fundamental tension between his ambition and the reality of the French condition. Last year, Macron’s government announced plans to liberalise the economy, starting with employment reform – an area that left his predecessors scarred. Changes to employment law, making [...]
The Tiki Revolution: Here’s our definitive guide to the best tiki bars in California September 1, 2018 To drive the Pacific Coast Highway is the stuff of bucket lists and dreams. On my 500-mile trip from San Francisco to San Diego, I seized the chance to not only to admire the Golden State’s majestic coastlines but also to indulge in an epic bar crawl. My itinerary included stopovers in towns that are [...]
The swashbuckling author of Be More Pirate is teaching entrepreneurs how to be maritime buccaneers May 16, 2018 Before Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, maritime swashbucklers were about more than eyeliner and Orlando Bloom. In fact, it’s possible Robert Louis Stevenson was closer to the mark in presenting pirates as heroic outlaws, whose thievery and sword-fighting merit glorification over farcical misrepresentation. This is the view of entrepreneur-turned-writer, Sam Conniff Allende. The Livity [...]
World Cup 2018: Harry Kane saves England in opening win over Tunisia but Three Lions almost pay for missed chances June 18, 2018 It was torturous. It was exasperating. As the minutes ticked by it was increasingly desperate, as has become customary at major tournaments. But, for the first time since 2006, England made a winning start to a World Cup as Harry Kane’s goals – the decider coming in stoppage time – eventually saw off Tunisia 2-1 [...]
The Petersham at Petersham Nurseries in Covent Garden review: Some decent, basic food for those willing to splurge an obscene amount July 5, 2018 Covent Garden has reinvented itself more times than Madonna, had more facelifts than Mickey Rourke, seen more costume changes than Matthew Kelly. Once a Monk’s vegetable patch, it’s been home to prostitutes and drunks, clowns and mimes, apples and Apple. Before Capital & Counties (Capco) bought the market and the surrounding seven acres in 2006, [...]