Financial Director articles from February 2007

Financial Director archives from February 2007

Worthwhile benefits.(employee benefits)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alex Blyth worthwhile benefits The benefits of allowing staff to volunteer their time for good causes goes beyond making them feel better about themselves At the end of last year, 12 members of Vodafone UK's staff arrived...

New crisis for old europe.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington new crisis for old Europe As the UK struggles to cope with the pensions crisis, what lessons are there from its European counterparts? One Italian politician, in summing up Italy's pension problems,...

Short fall.(pension protection funds)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington short fall With the Pension Protection Fund failing to raise sufficient revenue in its first year, it has to act to avoid going into free fall Virtually the entire pensions industry, if pressed, would say...

Long-term strategy required.(turnaround management)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers long-term strategy required Successful turnarounds are more than just crisis management -- they require a long-term strategic plan Turnaround is often an over-used word and shouldn't be confused with crisis...

don'tcatchcold.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Roger Trapp don'tcatchcold Bigger is not always better when it comes to market share. It's more about how and where you grow words Roger Trapp illustration david lyttleton Jack Welch, the former chief executive of...

Not easy being green.(environment friendly business)(Discussion)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers not easy being green There are good customer revenue and cost reasons for going green and now capital markets offer benefits to environmentally-responsible businesses through membership of the FTSE4Good index ...

Not enough.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington not enough Personal accounts are a step in the right direction. But there are no guarantees that the target group will be any better off With the government announcing its commitment to Personal Accounts,...

Shiny happy workers.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alex Blyth shiny happy workers Can benefits packages make employees more productive, or are they an overrated perk and an unnecessary expense? Today's finance directors are so accustomed to signing off expensive benefits...

The key to data.(financial disclosure)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Williams the key to data Disclosure requirements for KPIs may be vague, but the ASB is making it clear what it expects from FDs Finance directors who fail to ensure that their companies' business review is up to...

M&A needs goodwill from IFRS.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Williams M&A needs goodwill from IFRS Adoption of IFRS has had a significant impact on the accounting rules governing mergers and acquisitions The last 24 months has seen a high level of mergers and acquisitions...

FAMILYplan ning.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Bartram FAMILYplan ning Far from being hotbeds of intrigue and feuding, family businesses have a culture of loyalty and social responsibility with an enviable long-term financial performance words Peter bartram ...

Companies in denial on fraud.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Rachael Singh Companies in denial on fraud Risk of potential reputational damage and time-consuming procedures for recovering money mean FDs are still reluctant to report fraud. But companies cannot afford to ignore the issue,...

UK companies 'writing own death warrants'.
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae UK companies 'writing own death warrants' Investment by British companies in the US fell to just [pounds sterling]7.2bn -- its lowest level for a decade, according to government statistics analysed by Grant Thornton....

The right message.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Alex Blyth the right message Benefits are a major investment, but many employees remain unaware of their true value Benefits are expensive and companies expect to see more successful recruitment, more motivated employees...

More or less.(financial reporting package)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Robert Bruce more or less Convincing the board of the benefits of new financial reporting packages is a big challenge facing FDs It is one of those grouses at the heart of corporate governance. I was talking to a...

More debt would keep FTSE-350 off private equity radar.
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae More debt would keep FTSE-350 off private equity radar Debt leveraging should be more of a key component for FTSE-350 companies' balance sheet strategies to repel private equity takeover approaches, according to...

M&SDeficit.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington M&Sdeficit In January, Marks and Spencer revealed that its final salary scheme had a deficit of [pounds sterling]1.03bn. M&S is plugging this hole by selling its [pounds sterling]1.1bn property portfolio into...

Exchange rated.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington exchange rated Foreign exchange is the latest asset class in the spotlight as pension fund managers look for higher returns with low risk For an industry that used to act as if it believed that the world...

BMW vs Mercedes.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Roger Trapp A graphic illustration of the strategic market position principles at work is illustrated by the contrasting fortunes in recent years of German luxury car makers BMW and Mercedes. BMW has always been small, but it...

The SMP Test.(strategic market position)(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Roger trapp The SMP Test Four questions that executives considering an acquisition or setting up a new business should ask themselves: 1. What strategic segment are we entering and who is the competition? 2. Will the...

Sour taste.(Pension Protection Fund)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Dennis Turner sour taste Keeping the cost of failed pension funds away from taxpayers simply means that we all pay, in the end In no other policy area have so many government initiatives turned sour. It is probably fair to...

FTSE4Good tightens index entry.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Rachael Singh ftse4good tightens index entry High carbon emissions companies face the squeeze as FTSE4Good Index adds climate change to entry criteria In 1997 the UK, along with several other countries, signed the Kyoto...

Successful deals.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Williams Successful deals According to Citigroup, historically successful deals share the following characteristics: l Received positive market reaction on announcement l Funded by cash l Acquirer is...

Generation Game.(Book review)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Bartram Keeping a business in the family isn't quite as simple as it sounds. The next generation may have little interest in the money-making schemes that their parents devised. They may have different ambitions, or there may...

Familyaffairs.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Peter Bartram Here are just a few sources offering expert advice for FDs wanting to learn more about family businesses. n Association of Family Business Advisers Focuses on developing professional intermediaries working...

Leader of the pack.(Nick Eastwood)
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae Leader of the pack With recent lack-lustre performances on the pitch reflecting in the P&L, these are trying times indeed for Rugby Football Union FD Nick Eastwood Words David Rae Portraits Nick Sinclair If...

The reluctant regulator.(John Tiner)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington the reluctant regulator News of the premature departure of London's leading regulator isn't as surprising as it might first appear, writes Anthony Harrington. But John Tiner leaves the FSA with a legacy that...

Account for IT.
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae account for IT Keeping track of your organisation's technology assets is getting increasingly difficult -- and essential I'd like to start off this month's column by posing a challenge. First, list all of...

Principles in notion.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers principles in notion Convergence makes principles-based standards less likely, writes Andrew Sawers The much-touted idea that international financial reporting standards are principles-based rather than...

Generation game.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers Generation game There's a traditional view of family-run businesses that they are old fashioned, conservative, paternalistic, riven with feuds, rivalries and petty jealousies and ripe for takeover by 'proper'...

BT finance director.
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae BT finance director Hanif Lalani (pictured) successfully negotiated a [pounds sterling]1bn rebate from the taxman after striking a deal linked to ten years of corporation tax payments. The FTSE-100 company announced the...

KPMG Fraud Barometer.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Rachael Singh KPMG Fraud Barometer n More than 40% of fraud, or [pounds sterling]350m, is committed by the victims' own managers n One finance director of a Warwickshire manufacturing company stole [pounds sterling]1.6m...

Clubvscountry.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae Eastwood is clearly a passionate and committed rugby man, but even he must wish that things could be as simple as they are in the commercial world from time to time, where, by and large, you own your assets and choose how...

Know your end game.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers Know your end game To secure investor support, the turnaround plan needs to be more than speculative. Stakeholders in these situations crave clarity and visibility. Management should also be prepared to flex...

Decisions leader.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers It's a bit like trying to squeeze a balloon. No matter how tightly you grip the pensions problem, another bit of it pops up between your fingers. Take the government's new 'personal account' pensions, for example....

France.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington France From as long ago as the 1980s, French politicians of various hues have been warning that the French pay-as-you-go system, with its generous benefits and low retirement age (50 for some public sector...

Netherlands.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington netherlands The Dutch pension system is a hybrid. The state pension element is a flat sum paid to every Dutch citizen who has been resident in the country between the ages of 15 and 65. Given this 50 years...

Sweden.(pension funds)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington Sweden The Swedish model for pensions needs to be taken in the context of the 'Swedish Model' generally, which set out to be the fabled third way between communism and capitalism. In other words, Swedes have...

Germany.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington germany A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which looked into the impact of longevity and declining numbers of workers across all OECD member countries, cited...

Italy.(Brief article)
February 22, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington italy Of Italy's 58.4 million citizens, more than half are over the age of 40. Italy tops the league of ageing countries where "ageing" is defined as having more than 10% of the population over the age of...

UK targets CO2 emissions.
February 22, 2007... Byline: Rachael Singh UK targets CO2 emissions Emissions bill will make the UK a world leader in the fight against climate change The draft climate change bill was published in March and is likely to affect everything from...

building for a brighter future.(security fraud charged by Securities and Exchange Commission)(Japanese yen causes dumping of equities)(FTSE International Ltd. adds companies to its index)
February 22, 2007... Byline: David Rae building for a brighter future private equitable Work began on a code of conduct that will see greater declaration of the businesses under the control of private equity firms, to try and allay fears about the...