Champion of better capitalism
The UK papers last weekend were full of the sale of Merlin, the entertainment company, to Kirkbi, who already had a 29% stake in the company. They were especially focused on this comment by Sir John Sunderland, ‘Any news flow, either from the company or because … Continue readingGetting the right purpose depends on having the right ownership
How to get financial services companies to combine human purposes with commercial imperatives? I’ve spent the last twenty-five years arguing that a focus on purpose, values and relationships is the key to a company’s success, and opens the door to it making a valuable … Continue readingPurpose in financial services
In 1994, just as the Tomorrow’s Company Inquiry was getting into full swing, I undertook a fascinating study tour of Silicon Valley. I met some of the young companies, like Intuit, that were breaking through, and some of the venture capitalists, like Sequoia Capital that … Continue readingUnicorns or Monsters?
The decision by the Department of Transport to offer a contract to Seaborne Freight to run ferries in the event of a no-deal Brexit has now been scrapped. This was a company with no ferries and no experience of operating ferries, as part of a … Continue readingHow to ensure taxpayers get better value from private sector
I’m now reading Paul Colliers outstanding book ‘The Future of Capitalism’ (Of which more anon). Tomorrow’s Company would recognise his ideas on the ownership and leadership and stewardship (though he doesn’t use that word) of business as close to our agenda of 24 years. … Continue readingHow to make sense of the desire to ‘Take Back Control’
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
In The Case For Reimagining the UK’s Pensions Model, an article in last Friday’s Financial Times, Martin Wolf describes how the pendulum has swung from paternalistic and unaffordable defined pension provision to defined contribution schemes which expose the individual saver to carry the risk. … Continue readingSquaring the pensions circle
Yesterday’s discussion about the role of the chairman led me back to work Tomorrow’s Company did five years ago. It took the form of letters from different people to a new chairman. So the finance director, the General Counsel, the CEO, the Senior Independent Director, … Continue readingWhy the mandate matters
UK Governance Reforms – Why Doesn’t Government Start By Taking Its Own Medicine? There are many ironies in the UK government’s review of corporate governance, as a new article on ft.com makes clear. It all started with the Prime Minister’s instincts that people … Continue readingUK Governance Reforms – Why Doesn’t Government Start By Taking Its Own Medicine?
The latest piece of Tomorrow’s Company research was released yesterday. Better Stewardship – an agenda for concerted action was written by me and highlights the need for improved stewardship across the whole investment chain to benefit UK savers, listed companies and the national economy. For more information … Continue readingBetter Stewardship – an agenda for concerted action