Leadership lessons from Pope Francis: Avoid stagnation by seeking advice and hiring pragmatically September 25, 2015 When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope in 2013, he inherited a Church marred by financial scandal and child abuse. Like any new boss trying to turn around the fortunes of a large organisation, he has made some big changes. But his liberal stance on homsexuality, divorce and politically charged statements have drawn criticism [...]
Volkswagen scandal: With BMW and others now in the firing line, should the car industry be fearing serious contagion from the VW crisis? September 24, 2015 Louise Cooper, a chartered financial analyst, columnist, broadcaster and blogger at coopercity.co.uk, says Yes Three things have struck me since this story began. First, quite how much the software cheated – emissions were up to 40 times higher when the device was turned off. VW official diesel emissions data was not that different to other [...]
Rugby World Cup: Sam Burgess feels ready to start England’s crunch Group of Death match against Wales September 24, 2015 England rookie Sam Burgess insists he unfazed by being thrust into the starting line-up for Saturday's pivotal Rugby World Cup fixture against Wales at Twickenham. The rugby league convert, 26, has just three caps to his name since switching codes last year but is set to form an untried centre combination with Brad Barritt for the Pool [...]
Rugby World Cup 2015: England v Wales Group A clash previewed in seven stats September 24, 2015 England face Wales at Twickenham on Saturday in a crunch Group A tie that could either lift or irrevocably damage both sides' World Cup campaigns. England coach Stuart Lancaster has made the bold call to pick union rookie Sam Burgess at inside centre, while Gatland has made nine changes to the side that destroyed Uruguay last [...]
Kyran Bracken: Stuart Lancaster’s pick of Owen Farrell and Sam Burgess is no surprise considering Wales’ strengths September 24, 2015 I’m not surprised that Stuart Lancaster has gone with Owen Farrell and Sam Burgess at 10 and 12 for England against Wales this Saturday. The most important thing for this match is to have a very, very strong defensive line. Wales will want to get over the gainline and those two probably won’t let [...]
Rugby World Cup: Wales have plans to combat rookie Burgess, says Howley September 23, 2015 Wales have hatched a plan to combat the unchartered threat posed by England rookie Sam Burgess when the two sides meet in Saturday’s pivotal Rugby World Cup clash at Twickenham, according to attack coach Rob Howley. Rugby league convert Burgess is set to replace the injured Jonathan Joseph in the crucial Pool A showdown despite [...]
Changing Chanel: How the design house has adapted to modern times September 21, 2015 Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only,” said Coco Chanel. “Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” For Chanel (that’s “Mademoiselle” to you and I) fashion was always more about the inherent predictability of the moment. When [...]
An enduring bond September 20, 2015 Aston Martin’s Simon Sproule talks balancing growth and exclusivity THE UK has long distinguished itself as a leader in luxury goods. Increasing wealth in the Gulf states and the Far East has opened up opportunities in new markets for high-end brands with a heritage. But when exclusivity is so important to a brand’s appeal, pursuing [...]
Motoring review: Superformance GT40 September 14, 2015 Supercar or historic racer? Or another one of those pastiches, built in a workshop by enthusiastic but ultimately misguided engineers who don’t know a business case from a briefcase? The Superformance GT40 is none of these, though it’s easy to see how it could have been. This is a road-going version of the famous GT40, [...]
Heineken’s UK boss David Forde on the everlasting link between rugby and beer as World Cup fever grips the nation September 13, 2015 Rugby and beer have long been bedfellows. Since time immemorial, gnarled and cauliflower-eared players have taken enormous pleasure in knocking seven bells out of each other on the pitch, before retiring to the bar to share a friendly pint. Even now, in the age of sporting professionalism, it is a rugby tradition kept alive with [...]