Virgin Atlantic’s Steve Griffiths is going Underground February 13, 2015 Virgin Atlantic’s chief operating officer Steve Griffiths is leaving to take up the same position at London Underground. Griffiths will join in May, and take on responsibility for LU operations and maintenance, reporting to managing director Mike Brown. Griffiths has been at Virgin since 1995, initially as a senior engineer, rising to director [...]
London Fashion Week: Seven reasons it’s more important than you think February 13, 2015 Next week Somerset House will play host to some of the world's biggest names in fashion, as the 61st edition of London Fashion Week gets underway. But before you roll your eyes at the prospect of the inevitable hoards of people wearing ridiculous clothing in the hope of being snapped for a street style feature, [...]
German discounters Aldi and Lidl take 10 per cent slice of UK grocery sector February 13, 2015 Discounters Aldi and Lidl now account for more than 10 per cent of the UK's grocery sales, taking £1 in every £9.31 spent at supermarkets in the last three months. The German retailers' combined market share stood at 10.7 per cent for the 12 weeks to January 31, up from 9.3 per cent last [...]
“ChickenGate” duo receive UK’s first conviction for bribing foreign officials February 12, 2015 Two former executives of printing company Smith & Ouzman have received the UK's first conviction for bribing foreign officials. Smith & Ouzman's marketing director Nicholas Smith received a three year sentence for three counts of corruptly agreeing to make payments, while chairman Chris Smith was handed an 18-month suspended sentence for two counts of [...]
Treasury Select Committee to launch HSBC tax inquiry as HMRC calls in the police February 12, 2015 The Treasury Select Committee has confirmed it will launch an inquiry into HSBC's Swiss private bank. The committee, headed by Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie, will take oral evidence from both the bank and HMRC executives as it attempts to get to the bottom of the hot potato issue that has dominated this week. Tyrie [...]
Meyer Bergman in “advanced talks” to turn Borough Market’s Vinopolis into £300m retail hub February 12, 2015 Investment group Meyer Bergman is in “advanced talks” to buy the Vinopolis leasehold with plans to develop a £300m retail hub on the doorstep of Borough Market. The real estate investor is in talks about aquiring the long leasehold, comprising the wine bar and restaurant, mixed-use building Thames House and surrounding land, in an [...]
Two injured after chemical explosion as orange cloud spreads over Catalonian towns February 12, 2015 Up to 65,000 people have been told to stay indoors after a chemical explosion at a warehouse spread a massive orange cloud over towns across Catalonia. Residents of Igualada, Odena, Santa Margarida de Montbui, Vilanova del Cami and Jorba were told to stay inside when the explosion happened earlier today. Igualada is about an [...]
Ryanair takes Aer Lingus challenge to UK Supreme Court as a human rights issue February 12, 2015 Ryanair is taking its legal challenge over Aer Lingus to the UK Supreme Court, claiming it is a human rights issue. The budget airline had previously been told by the Competition and Markets Authority to sell most of its 29 per cent stake in Aer Lingus, reducing its holding to no more than five [...]
Dalton Philips to leave Morrisons on Monday while search for replacement continues February 12, 2015 Dalton Philips is leaving Morrisons next Monday, leaving Trevor Strain to take on the role on an interim basis. The ailing supermarket revealed Philips was leaving last month, prompting Morrison's share price to rise. Although it said the search for a replacement was “progressing well”, he is stepping down well before anyone is in place [...]
SuperGroup share price falls after surprise exit of chief operating officer Susanne Given February 12, 2015 SuperGroup's share price fell this morning after it revealed chief operating officer Susanne Given has left the company. Her role is being made redundant, with SuperGroup saying her responsibilities would be “absorbed by the executive team”, so the heads of UK retail, IT and logistics will report directly into chief executive Euan Sutherland. [...]