Financial Director articles from May 2007

Financial Director archives from May 2007

little surprise.(United Kingdom. Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee can rise interest rates)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Dennis Turner little surprise While a rise in interest rates by the MPC is widely expected, the magnitude of the rise is unprecedented There were no surprises this time. In the regular pre-MPC Reuters poll of...

easier does it.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Peter Williams easier does it Financial statements need to be presented in a simpler and more cohesive way to be of any use to investors Changes are required to the presentation of the primary financial statements....

big firms buy in to web 2.0 spin.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Robert Jaques big firms buy in to web 2.0 spin Companies are realising that online communities do more than just share knowledge -- they also help boost revenues The world's largest companies are rapidly waking up to the...

Get on message.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Robert Bruce get on message Better narrative reporting can bridge the gap between internal figures and meaningless published accounts One of the keys to corporate governance is that it should all connect. Information...

talk it through.(labor relations)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrongton talk it through The days of 'like it or lump it' are over -- proper consultation is the only option before making changes to a final salary scheme Modifying the terms of a final salary scheme by, say,...

share alike?
May 31, 2007... Byline: Michelle Perry share alike? Share options schemes can be a tricky business -- but get it right and the benefits are substantial for everyone involved Share options are a common incentive for senior, mid-ranking and even...

Procter & Gamble builds online community.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Robert Jaques Procter & Gamble builds online community In January 2007, Procter & Gamble experimented for the first time with user-generated digital content with the launch of Capessa.yahoo.com, an online community for women....

communicationworks.(labor relations)(Brief article)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers communicationworks David Roache, FD of FTSE-350 car bodies and construction products group Acertec, faced a pension scheme deficit in excess of [pounds sterling]20m, writes Andrew Sawers. He decided he needed...

well well well.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Karen Day well well well With staff sickness affecting the bottom line as well as productivity, it's clear that good health is also good business For the uninitiated, wellness at work conjures up images of happy,...

no ifs no butts.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Karen Day no ifs no butts On 1 July, a smoking ban in public and workspaces will come into force in England. Will complying be a drag for business? With up to a quarter of the workforce regularly lighting up, the ban on...

slow take up.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Anthony Harrington slow take up Slow pace of market reform means few companies are taking advantage of scheme buyouts despite increased competition Now that the pensions buyout market is no longer the duopoly that it was...

Brandon therun.(brand names)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Jane Simms Brandon therun A company's brands are some of its most valuable assets. Why then do so many let them lapse, rebrand or even kill them off when they are still profitable? words jane simms illustration david...

reality check.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers REality Check The Chancellor is more than keen to remind us of his economic record, but continued growth is far from guaranteed. As debt continues to rise and fears of inflation grow, a more cautionary approach is...

fourgetchoice.(audit and finance)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Sarah Perrin fourgetchoice Despite attempts to promote choice and competition, the Big Four still has a stranglehold on the audit market words sarah perrin Auditing is back on the agenda, though this time not because...

Fluctuatingreturns.(market fluctuations)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers Fluctuatingreturns The volatility of pension liabilities arising from fluctuations in the long bond market creates enough problems for FDs of final salary schemes. The volatility of the equity markets -- where the...

FDs' focus is 'too narrow' to succeed in the top job, say MDs.
May 31, 2007... Byline: David Rae FDs' focus is 'too narrow' to succeed in the top job, say MDs Just over one-third of managing directors of mid-market companies think that their current finance director would be able to make the step up and fulfil...

Government brought to account.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Alex Hawkes government brought to account Tasked with accounting for tens of billions of taxpayers' money, Mary Keegan is refreshingly honest about how much needs to be done. More qualified accountants is a step in the right...

1,000 make may day co2 pledge.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Rachael Singh 1,000 make may day co2 pledge The first May Day Summit on climate change sees companies commit to reduce their carbon emissions More than 1,000 companies have committed to take action to tackle climate...

Race on for the world's greenest city.
May 31, 2007... Byline: David Rae Race on for world's greenest city New energy efficiency programme will give businesses incentive to reduce emissions from their buildings London-based businesses will be able to take advantage of an innovative...

FDI boosts London economy.
May 31, 2007... Byline: David Rae Internal controls spending to increase over next two years Research by Ernst & Young into the internal control and compliance strategies of 140 companies has revealed that the vast majority still plan to spend heavily...

Internal controls spending to increase over next two years.
May 31, 2007... Byline: David rae FDI boosts London economy Foreign direct investment accounts for more than a quarter of London's economy, with more than half a million people working for foreign-owned companies, according to a report by Think...

Irrational exuberance persists in spite of major risks.
May 31, 2007... Byline: David Kern Irrational exuberance persists in spite of major risks The markets remain exuberant as signs of US economic weakness are being shrugged off. Interest rate increases outside the US threaten to remove the excess...

Tackling big four dominance.(Financial Reporting Council)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers tackling big four dominance The FRC has set out its plans to encourage greater choice in the auditor market for public interest entities Worried about the dominance of the Big Four audit firms and the impact...

Importance of being honest.(ethics in financial reporting)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers importance of being honest A new ICAEW report looks at the concept of integrity and why it is important in business and for financial reporting As part of the ICAEW's 'Information for Better Markets'...

Penny pinching Lane.(Simon Lane of William Hill Finance PLC)(Interview)
May 31, 2007... Byline: David Rae Penny pinching Lane It's a safe bet that William Hill group FD Simon Lane is not going to gamble with the company's profits words David Rae Portraits Nick Sinclair In today's world of the strategic FD,...

FDs on their auditors.(financial directors)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers FDs on their auditors In the middle of May we asked Financial Director readers what they thought of the audit market and, indeed, their own auditors. Their responses give much cause for concern. Respondents...

US discovers world standards.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers US discovers world standards The prospect of US companies abandoning US GAAP in favour of IFRS came a step closer in April. But some influential voices still remain unconvinced about global integration, writes...

Pa falls short.(personal accounts)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers pa falls short Government has not thought through the full impact of personal accounts, writes Anthony Harrington While the government has a very keen interest in cutting back on the numbers of pensioners...

PSSST! WANNA BUY A MORIBUND BRAND?(Brief article)
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers PSSST! WANNA BUY A MORIBUND BRAND? Doing 'a Plymouth Gin' is not as easy as it might sound, warns Corporate Edge's Marcus Mitchell. "The first thing you have to do is assess whether the brand is dead or dormant,...

Trademark law.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers Trademark law Some brands are allowed to lapse, but their owners are usually at pains to stop others picking them up because they often have considerable latent value for many years after passing out of use. How...

bright spark.(sales earnings)
May 31, 2007... Byline: David Rae bright spark Companies are finally taking technology seriously. And judging by M&S's stunning results, it is paying off You would be hard pushed to find anyone with as good a reputation in the City as Marks...

IT'S ODDS ON THAT OPTIMISTS ARE WRONG.
May 31, 2007... Byline: Andrew Sawers IT'S ODDS ON THAT OPTIMISTS ARE WRONG The next time you struggle with a project that has overrun its budget and come in too late, we think we may now know the reason why. Of course, it will be far too late for you...