Champion of better capitalism
I’ve been honoured by an invitation from the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) Research Foundation and the Chairman’s Forum to chair a discussion which is to be held on Wednesday in the Mansion House on ‘The Business of Trust’. This has been the mayoral theme … Continue readingThe Business of Trust
Today’s papers are full of Oxford university and issues of student access. It matters that Oxford adapts and connects. In other parts of the UK that process of connection is centuries old. In my 20s I spent a memorable year working as acting … Continue readingWhat is a university for?
The stewardship role of professional advisors. There are so many vital questions prompted by the joint parliamentary select committee report on Carillion. The role of professional advisors is an important issue. I have had experience of being part of the leadership of an … Continue readingCarillion – the Stewardship Role
I’ve just agreed to join the working party set up by government’s Financial Reporting Council to discuss corporate governance of private companies. The SoftBank story reminds me what a wide diversity of ‘private’ companies there are. After reading a recent article about Masayoshi Son … Continue readingAn improbable range of private companies
A costed proposal to fit Grenfell Tower with fire resistant cladding was dropped after a cost cutting programme labelled ‘value engineering’ according to an article in yesterdays’ Guardian. Yet the non-combustible cladding would not only have saved 72 lives. The ‘cheaper’ proposal using plastic-filled … Continue readingWhat value for money really means and how to achieve it
I’ve been on holiday with my wife and our friends and took two books. One was Tess of the Durbervilles by Thomas Hardy – a gloomy story if superbly written. The other, which I am halfway through is Tragedy & Challenge by another Thomas, Tom … Continue readingTwo books – two authors called Thomas