The acquisition of Cadbury plc by the US-based Kraft Food Inc in 2010 caused a public outcry and political debate on the UK takeover regime. As a result, new rules have come into force on UK public company takeovers. What are the key amendments, and how will they impact future M&A and takeover activity?
Social media – what’s the worst that can happen? Quite a lot, as Qantas found out, when a social media crisis hit both its share price and its world-famous reputation for safety. Grant Thornton’s Internet Intelligence team reviews the story and suggests ways in which companies can implement a social media risk management strategy.
Find out which senior management positions UK businesswomen are getting with our visualisation of data from the 2011 Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR), which reveals the distribution of roles across UK boardrooms.
Are you a finance director? Here’s a quick guide to all the new financial reporting issues and regulatory changes set to impact private and listed companies this year.
What issues will be topical during the current reporting cycle for private and non-listed companies? And what are their wider business concerns? Grant Thornton’s new guide helps non-executive directors (NEDs) understand the issues.
If you could ask a fellow finance director for their advice in the current economy, what do you think they would say? A number of outstanding finance directors shared their views in Grant Thornton’s FD survey, researched in conjunction with Directorbank.
There were some differences in how the directors thought an FD should be incentivised, against the views of the outstanding FDs themselves, according to Grant Thornton’s recent survey, researched in conjunction with Directorbank
Private equity remains a significant part of the UK economy and is often under the microscope. It remains a dominant force in the M&A market. In our survey of 350 directors, we asked whether having a stake in a private equity business drives different behaviours – 70% of them said that it does.
Understanding the business and getting as much commercial exposure as early as possible is critical for becoming a successful FD, according to Grant Thornton’s recent survey, researched in conjunction with Directorbank. But how? A number of outstanding finance directors share their views…
Finance directors aren’t normally the face of the company, or even seen as big names of the business world, yet it’s often the case that they are the beating heart of a successful company. Our recent What makes an outstanding FD? report, researched in conjunction with Directorbank, highlights that it’s time their worth is recognised. We also interview three directors – including Directorbank’s MD John Pearce (below) who talks about the growing importance of the finance director’s role .
Risk appetite statements are a growing trend in the UK, while 84% of surveyed companies in Ireland are changing how they view risk, according to our recent report. Here, two experts from Grant Thornton, review the changing approaches to risk in the UK and Ireland post-recession.
What FD skills were most highly rated by 350 directors in our new survey, researched in conjunction with Directorbank. Plus, five top finance directors give their views on how to get the top jobs.
Is becoming a CEO or chair a natural progression for an FD? Which is a more suitable role? When doesn’t it work? Find out what 350 directors thought about career paths for finance directors in our FD survey, researched in conjunction with Directorbank.
Our recent business risk report shows widespread complacency in company risk management processes. Check the risk maturity of your organisation with our quick online assessment tool.
Why did so many risk processes fail to protect companies from the worst of the global downturn? And how can senior managers approach risk management afresh to help protect their business in future? Our latest research report has the answers. Plus, check out our tool to assess your own company’s risk maturity.
What questions should you be asking this year if you’re sitting on a retail board? Following on from our survey post last week Pressured retailers need to review their business models, here are some suggested questions to bring to your next board meet.
Insights from our latest sector survey, Pressure unabated: UK retailers contemplate business model change, should fuel boardroom discussions in the competitive UK retail sector, which has experienced a profound shift from the emergence of the internet as both a shop window and a retail outlet.
