A solution to help run Loan Management from a hybrid cloud leveraging
Google Cloud Platform
November 20, 2019 – Atos, a global leader in digital transformation,
and Circeo, a leading
Fintechin developing next-generation retail loans
software, today announce the development of an innovative loan management
solution built with Google Cloud Platform. Developed initially for the
bank subsidiary of a major worldwide retailer, Atos and Circeo will soon begin
bringing the solution to market for other customers.
With this joint solution,
clients can run Fintech software built on Oracle technologies on hybrid cloud
infrastructures, and thereby benefit from elasticity, resilience, innovation
and pay-per-use models – without the need to redevelop their existing systems.
The Google Cloud Atos partnership ensures that the client benefits from direct,
secure and high-performance network connectivity, for faster and optimised
access to Google Cloud resources.
This new solution from Atos
and Circeo will help the end-customer manage peaks of activity in Loans,
particularly during sales and specific events such as black Friday thanks to
the elasticity and resilience of GCP.
Circeo is an innovative
Fintech delivering a next generation flexible digital lending platform, based in
the Cloud, which enables tailor-made financial products to be made within just
a few days. It is part of Atos’ FinTech Partner Program and one of Atos’ most
dynamic Fintech partners.
“This solution demonstrates the unique value we
deliver to our customers thanks to our ambitious Fintech Engagement program
which aims to bridge the gap between banks and Fintech.” says Wim Los,
SVP, global Head of Atos and Google Cloud enhanced Alliance at Atos.
“Developed
by Atos and Circeo, it is a framework which will be replicated for other
clients, on other markets”.
“We are glad for this unique opportunity leverage
our global partnership with Atos to promote and implement the Atos-Circeo
Retail Lending Factory platform” says Laurent
Clerc, Founder and CEO at Circeo. “By
delivering unique value with Atos, we expand existing client portfolios and
onboard new clients into production.”
We’re delighted that Atos and Circeo chose to
develop this solution with Google Cloud Platform,” said Rayn
Veerubhotla, Director, Partnerships at Google Cloud. “With
this solution, customers can modernise their existing infrastructure and begin
to take advantage of the core capabilities of Google Cloud.”
Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with over
110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of over € 11 billion.
European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the
Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business
Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The group is the Worldwide
Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and
operates under the brands Atos, Atos Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas
Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.
The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the
information technology space. Its expertise and services support the
development of knowledge, education as well as multicultural and pluralistic
approaches to research that contribute to scientific and technological
excellence. Across the world, the group enables its customers, employees and
collaborators, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop
sustainably and confidently in the information technology space.
London,
UK, 19th November 2019: CitySprint — the UK’s largest same day
distribution company — has announced that 500 additional couriers are required
across the UK ahead of the Christmas rush.
Christmas
can often be a make-or-break time for many businesses — especially those who
operate online and rely on an efficient delivery service to get their goods to
their consumers. Peak season traditionally runs from the end of October until
the New Year — with CitySprint completing an incredible 600,000+ deliveries
during this time lastyear.
New
couriers will add to the 5,000-strong fleet to support with seasonal demand —
with the business focusing primarily on van couriers to cover increased
delivery volume. These couriers are needed across the UK, with a specific focus
across the following cities:
Central London
Manchester
Bristol
Birmingham
Nottingham
Leeds
Telford
Letchworth
Cambridge
Reading
Speaking
about the benefits of delivery work, Stephen Gray, a courier in Wales says:
“A friend recommended I apply to be a courier with CitySprint sixteen years
ago, so I bought a van, tried it out and I haven’t looked back since. I love
the freedom of being a self-employed courier; I meet different people, travel
across the country and experience different situations every day — it keeps
things exciting! Plus, the team at CitySprint are fantastic. Honestly, if
you’re looking for a satisfying job which gives you choice, flexibility and
financial security then I suggest you give CitySprint a call!”
Bristol-based
courier, Filip Boshnakov, adds: “Before joining CitySprint in 2017 I’d been
considering working as a courier for a while. Ultimately, I chose CitySprint
because I wanted to work as a self-employed person and valued the freedom attached
to the role. The flexible hours, opportunity to meet different people, and the
ability to visit different places mean that I can combine work and family
commitments whilst also still enjoying the work that I do. Working with
CitySprint makes you realise that your job isn’t just a job; you can relish
your work and the experiences you face every day here. I would highly recommend
joining our team to all of my friends.”
Paul
Gisbourne, Chief Operating Officer at CitySprint, commented: “With just 36 days to go
until Christmas, businesses are gearing up for the busiest time of the year.
Bolstering fleet numbers will allow us to continue to deliver a first-class
service and ensures we stay ahead of our competitors. We know that the
Christmas season brings increased pressure, demand and competition for our
customers, which is why we are committed to going the extra mile at a time when
it matters most.”
CitySprint is the UK’s largest privately-owned same day distribution company and is one of the top five same day distribution companies in the world.
CitySprint supports businesses across the UK with a range of delivery solutions, including same day, UK overnight and international delivery, bespoke logistics design and specialist services for key sectors such as retail and healthcare.
CitySprint has several brands under the CitySprint name, supporting their specialist services. These include CitySprint Health, CitySprint Office, On the dot and Transworld.
CitySprint has a regional network of 30+ service centres across the UK with a fleet of over 5,000 vehicles.
CitySprint is backed by leading, independent equity house, Dunedin, and private equity specialists, LDC.
CitySprint’s unique national same day delivery network can reach over 88% of mainland UK within 60 minutes (source: Crimson & Co.)
Download CitySprint’s free app and quote, book and track your courier from the palm of your hand: Google Play / iTunes
Long-term
sickness absence is a serious issue with over two-fifths (44%) of UK SMEs
reporting at least one employee absent for four weeks or more in the last
twelve months, according to research from leading employee benefits provider,
Unum.
The majority of SME bosses also said
that long-term sickness (absence over six months) of a key employee would have
a significant (44%), or even critical (24%), impact on the future success of
the business. More than half (55%) said they would do everything they could to
aid a member of staff back to work after a period of illness.
Despite the
business impact of long-term absence and the employer’s desire to help
employees back to work, another recent study by Unum and the British Chamber of
Commerce (BCC), found uptake of core protection benefits to be very low.
According to
the Unum and BCC study, only 8% of UK businesses surveyed offered income
protection, one of the core products to help businesses and their employees
through sickness absence with financial assistance and rehabilitation support.
22% surveyed said they offered Life Insurance, just 9% offered Critical Illness
Insurance, while 22% said that they provide nothing at all in the form of
financial protection benefits.
Alongside
financial protection and rehabilitation support, fast access to early clinical
help can be invaluable to employers and their employees. With that in mind, Unum
has launched a new easy to use app ‘Help@hand’ as part of its Group Income
Protection product to give employees and their families fast access to remote
GPs, second medical opinions, physiotherapy and mental health services.
Peter
O’Donnell, Chief Executive Officer, Unum UK, said: “Illness and long-term sickness
absence can have a serious impact on individuals and their families as well as
to businesses of all sizes and across every sector. At Unum, we want to help
businesses of all sizes put in place the necessary services and products to
enable them to manage this effectively.
“As evidenced in the recent Government consultation – ‘Health is everyone’s business’ – the government is also placing greater importance on the role of employers in keeping people in work. Good employers want to support employees when they are unwell as our research shows, and making our services more modern and helping them better understand how products like Group income protection can help, is an important place to start.”
About Unum
Unum
is a leading employee benefits provider offering financial protection through
the workplace including: Income Protection, Life insurance, Critical Illness,
and Dental cover.
Our
Income Protection customers have access to medical and vocational rehabilitation
expertise designed to help people stay in work and return to work following
illness and injury.
Unum
LifeWorks, our Employee Assistance Programme, provides help and advice on a
range of work/life issues.
Our
Critical Illness customers can access our Cancer Support Service, providing
personalised support for employees with a cancer diagnosis.
We
are committed to workplace wellbeing for both employees and employers. We have
a wide range of tools designed to help businesses create or enhance their employee
wellbeing strategy, including our Mental Health Pathway and Wellbeing Calendar.
At
the end of 2018, Unum protected 1.4 million people in the UK and paid claims of
£314 million – representing in excess of £6 million a week in benefits to our
customers – providing security and peace of mind to individuals and their
families.
Our
parent company, Unum Group, is a provider of employee benefits products and
services in the United States, including group and individual disability
insurance. Premium income for Unum Group and its subsidiaries totalled $9.0bn
in the year ended 31 December 2018, with reported revenues for the group
totalling $11.6bn and total assets of $61.9bn.
A.M
Best has given all rated Unum Group companies an Excellent rating for Financial
Strength, with a stable outlook.
Unum
Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by
the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Unum
Dental is a trading name of Unum Limited. Registered in England 983768.
About the British Chambers of Commerce
The
British Chambers of Commerce surveyed 1,000 business leaders online between 29
April and 16 May 2019. Around 91% of participants were SMEs.
The
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) sits at the heart of a powerful network of
53 Accredited Chambers of Commerce across the UK, representing thousands of
businesses of all sizes and within all sectors. Our Global Business Network
connects exporters with over 50 markets around the world. For more information,
visit: www.britishchambers.org.uk
Helsinki, World’s First City as a Service Is Not Just a Joke – Attracts Over 6500 applications from +100 cities
Helsinki and some of Finland’s most renowned tech companies
launched a talent attraction campaign in September branding Helsinki as the
world’s first City as a Service (CaaS). The campaign reframed the value that
Helsinki offers to its “users” (current citizens) and potential “demo users”
(tech professionals looking to relocate) using familiar vocabulary and tone of
voice for international tech professionals. The campaign received close to
7,000 applications of tech professionals interested to relocate to Helsinki.
Now Helsinki is bringing its potential tech professionals to visit
the city. Tech talent from Tel
Aviv to New York will experience their potential new
hometown Helsinki and its work-life balance during one of the world’s largest
startup events, Slush, on 19–22 November. The visit is hosted by City of
Helsinki along with Supercell, Smartly, Slush, Relex, and MaaS Global
(Whim).
“Finding the best talent in the world is critical for us and other
tech companies in Helsinki. It is a great place to live and work, with the best
education system, best healthcare, opportunities to families, amazing
international companies and happiest people in the world! It is easy to
demonstrate that when we bring people here,” saysKristo Ovaska, CEO of
Smartly.
Clever and engaging campaign noticed by the global tech community
The campaign turned city into a digital
product of this decade and pitched Helsinki as a Service, highlighting its
multiple perks: Helsinki’s 640,000 daily active users, key features such as
free world-class education and healthcare. Helsinki’s bugs – darkness, snow and
the flat skyline – were mentioned as carefully considered features. The city’s
Mayor Jan Vapaavuori was recruited to act as the CEO of CaaS, encouraging
potential demo users to apply for a free demo trip to Helsinki during Europe’s
leading startup event Slush.
The stunt was described as clever and engaging by Trendwatching
and chosen as their Innovation of the Day. The results speak for themselves. In
less than a month Helsinki received close to 7,000 applications from the wished
target group of professionals in tech from software engineers, developers, AI
researchers etc.
“Helsinki has all it takes to make you feel like home but the
problem was, not too many knew about its beautiful features. To make the world
aware of what Helsinki has to offer, the city just needed a little
repackaging.” says Alexander Pihlainen, CEO of brand company Bou behind the
creative concept.
Helsinki steps up efforts to attract international talent
This year the Finnish growth companies attracted the most venture
capital investments to GDP in Europe, and hundreds of millions of euros in
foreign capital have been invested in startups here. With a new approach to
branding Helsinki, the city wants to improve the city’s image as a place to
live.
“Helsinki is located in one of the world’s most secure countries
and inhabited by the world’s happiest people. The majority of foreign experts
who have settled in Helsinki are satisfied with the quality of life here. The
experience of a happy, good life is a combination of tangible – like housing,
transportation, jobs and infrastructure – and intangible things. The
intangibles – sense of trust and community, equality, closeness to nature – are
essential values in building the quality of life”, says Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor
of Helsinki.
Laura
Aalto CEO Helsinki Marketing (Helsinki) +358 40 507 9660 laura.aalto@hel.fi
Helsinki
Marketing is a company owned by the City of Helsinki. It is responsible
for operative city marketing and business partnerships for Helsinki. Helsinki
Marketing interacts with local residents, visitors, decision-makers and
experts.
The Hague, November 15, 2019 – The
Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) has officially been launched in
the presence of government officials, NGOs, investors, politicians and other
interested parties. In May of this year, the DFCD was awarded to the consortium
of Dutch development bank FMO, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV),
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL) and Climate Fund Managers (CFM). “Today’s
launch means that the DFCD is officially open for business,” said Linda
Broekhuizen, Chief Investment Officer at FMO. “The consortium is keen to
connect with innovative entrepreneurs with climate-related businesses and with
private investors keen to mobilize much-needed funding from the private sector
to join us in our mission to create a more climate-resilient world.”
Climate change is one of the
biggest challenges we face today. It is already affecting people and nature
across the globe, with developing countries being most impacted. “The poorest
communities are the most vulnerable to climate change. Poor farmers and others
at the bottom of the pyramid suffer and lose their livelihoods even with small
changes in rainfall patterns or temperature”, as Meike van Ginneken, Chief
Executive Officer at SNV explained.
There is an urgent need for
investment to enable vulnerable communities and ecosystems to adapt to climate
change. Carola van Rijnsoever, Director of Inclusive Green Growth, and
Ambassador for Sustainable Development, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
said: „The challenge we face to help communities adapt to and mitigate the
effects of climate change is enormous, and the case for action is incredibly clear.
We cannot do this with governments alone. We need all stakeholders to be strong
enough to confront this challenge. The set-up of this consortium in which
finance and NGOs come together, is unique and uniquely positioned to do this.“
The government of The Netherlands has committed to addressing this need through
the DFCD, making EUR 160 million available in the period 2019-2022 for climate
adaptation and mitigation, of which at least 50% is earmarked for climate
adaptation projects.
DFCD is a direct response to
the increasing demand for climate adaptation projects that have to date
suffered from a lack of funding compared with mitigation efforts. Linda
Broekhuizen adds: “In 2018, USD 612 billion was invested in climate mitigation
which is important and much needed. In contrast however, only 5%, USD 30
billion, was invested in adaptation. Adaptation may have to be USD 180 billion
a year if the 2030 goal is to reach the USD 1.7 trillion as required according
to the most recent report of the Global Commission on Adaptation.”
To help bridge this funding
gap the DFCD aims to mobilize upwards of EUR 500 million from private sector
investors. Andrew Johnstone, Chief Executive Officer of Climate Fund Managers
adds: “The opportunities are there. Take water for example: 80% of the world’s
wastewater enters rivers and oceans untreated and by 2025, half of the world’s
population will be living in water stressed areas. Neither the private nor the
public sector is doing enough, but together the investment potential is enormous,
as is the impact to be delivered.”
This partnership of NGOs and
financiers seeks to develop and finance sustainable private sector solutions to
enhance resilience to the effects of climate change. These projects will boost
the health of freshwater, forest, agricultural and ocean ecosystems, and
improve water management.
“The consortium takes a
landscape approach through investing in projects which are planned in an
inclusive manner, and build on a solid understanding of the landscape,
ecosystems and communities. In this way these projects will contribute to
healthier ecosystems,” said Kirsten Schuijt, Chief Executive Officer of WWF-NL.
“New and incredibly exciting in this consortium is that there is early-stage
funding available to convert adaptation opportunities into bankable
projects.”
WWF and SNV take on the key
role of developing climate-relevant projects from an early-stage idea to a
bankable business case. Climate Fund Managers and FMO provide investment
capital, delivering projects to full operations. This combination of
early-stage involvement with full life-cycle funding will ensure lasting,
long-term impact that contributes to the Paris Agreement and the United
Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Interested parties can contact
the DFCD through: www.thedfcd.com.
In picture from left to right the DFCD partners at the official launch event in The Hague: Andrew
Johnstone, CEO of Climate Fund Managers, Kirsten Schuijt, CEO of WWF-NL, Linda Broekhuizen, CIO
of FMO, Albert Bokkestijn, project manger DFCD at SNV, Carola van Rijnsoever, Director of Inclusive
Green Growth, and Ambassador for Sustainable Development, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In
picture from left to right the DFCD partners at the official launch event in
The Hague: Andrew Johnstone, CEO of Climate Fund Managers, Kirsten Schuijt, CEO
of WWF-NL, Linda Broekhuizen, CIO of FMO, Albert Bokkestijn, project manger
DFCD at SNV, Carola van Rijnsoever, Director Inclusive Green Growth, and
Ambassador Sustainable Development, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The melting pot of young
creative talent is having surprising effects on co-worker’s love lives
It used to be down to catching the eye of your suitor at the water cooler,
but now with the influx of co-working super offices with an average of 700
members per building, office romances are hitting record levels.
Daily networking opportunities, huge open plan co-working areas and free
beer are some of the features that are helping to turn WeWork into “WePull”.
“If you fill a building with young, ambitious people, then fuel them with
free beer, topped off with evening networking – it’s going to bring people
together and I guess that’s the point!”, says Jonathan Ratcliffe from
Offices.co.uk
“We’ve been told that the large buildings are very busy with new
relationships, and many are working out. People seem to have a common goal, a
reason to chat and the environment is very productive to new relationships –
both business and personal”, Ratcliffe adds.
The average amount of co-workers per WeWork location is nearly 700 – with a
steady turnover and influx of new members every day, those looking for new
romance can sit back and take their pick.
Even if it doesn’t work out, flexible workspace means just that – move to
the next.
But there are pitfalls for those working for large organisations though –
breeching company policy and embarrassing public arguments could have serious
effects for those in long term employment.
According to a survey by Vault.com industries with the highest “fling per
head” were:
Retail – 62%
Technology – 60%
Human Resources – 57%
Insurance – 54%
Finance – 49%
The survey also found that 51% had an office romance at some point, and 20%
were in a relationship with a co-worker at that very time.
“It’s not surprising that the industries that typically use co-working
workspaces are those who enjoy the most work flings”, concludes Jonathan
Ratcliffe from Offices.co.uk
SMEs now hold an estimated £333 billion in cash deposits – a record high
But SMEs are set to miss out on £3.7 billion in interest this year because their money is languishing in low-paying savings accounts
This may also be damaging to the UK economy as it relies heavily on the performance of SMEs, says Flagstone
UK small and
medium-sized businesses are holding record levels of cash as uncertainty
surrounding Brexit persists – and it is costing them billions of pounds a year,
new analysis reveals.
In the last 12 months, SME’s cash
reserves have increased by more than 3% to £333 billion – the highest level on
record – according to analysis of UK Finance figures by the Centre for Economic
and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of Flagstone, the UK’s largest cash
deposit platform.
Much of this
growth has been from deposits into instant-access accounts. Indeed, nearly 58%
of all SME cash reserves are now being held in instant-access accounts,
suggesting that firms want quick access to their money.
However, by doing
this firms are missing out on billions of pounds of interest as these accounts
typically pay the lowest interest rates.
With SMEs
currently holding £191 billion in instant-access accounts and receiving an
average rate of 0.41 % [1], they are on track to
earn £566 million in interest in the coming year, CEBR’s analysis found.
However, if they were to switch to a market leading instant-access rate of
1.40% [2], they would earn £2.7 billion in total in the
next year – £2.1 billion more than they are currently expected to earn.
Further, UK
SMEs currently hold £141 billion in fixed-rate deposit accounts earning on
average 0.86%, meaning they are expected to earn £1.2 billion in the next 12
months. But if SMEs instead switched to the market-leading 1.95% one-year fixed
rate, they would collectively earn £2.8 billion in interest in the coming 12
months – £1.6 billion more than they would have otherwise.
It means, in
total, firms are expected to miss out on £3.7 billion in interest in the next
year because their money is languishing in low-rate savings accounts.
That extra £3.7 billion would be
enough to fund for a year the salaries of more than 123,360 additional workers
on the UK average annual salary of £29,588[3].
Separate
research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Flagstone reveals why SMEs are
reluctant to shop around for a better rate for their cash.
Almost four in
ten (39%) of the 500 firms surveyed said the hassle of opening an account is
the greatest barrier stopping them from moving their money followed by 34% of
firms who said the perceived risks of depositing money with a challenger or
non-high street bank was the biggest deterrent.
Andrew Thatcher, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Flagstone, said:“It’s clear that firms are worried about what effect Brexit will have on their business and are hording cash in case the waters become choppy. However, whilst this may be a sensible move, our study reveals that firms aren’t choosing the best home for their cash. Often, firms are getting sub-optimal rates of interest when they could be getting much higher returns on their cash by shopping around.
“The
research shows that savings apathy doesn’t just affect individual savers,
but also the nation’s businesses too. Each year SMEs are missing out on
billions of pounds of interest because they’re failing to shop around for a
better deposit rate for their cash reserves. Firms that forego this extra cash
could be missing out on the chance to grow their business by hiring extra staff
or investing in productivity improvements.”
“The
solution a platform like Flagstone provides is that it not only consistently
keeps business owners and financial directors in the path of the best rates,
but it also removes the barriers to switching, providing a simple way to
increase income and reduce risk. If you are an SME or charity with excess cash
at bank it makes no sense not to at least consider a service such as Flagstone
and choose from one of hundreds of deposit products at the touch of a button to
earn more money.”
[1] All figures on current SME cash holdings and average interest rates are Bank of England data, analysed by the Cebr
[2] Correct as at 4 November 2019
[3] Employee earnings in the UK: 2018, released by ONS on 25 October 2018. Annual figure calculated by multiplying median full-time gross weekly earnings (£569) by 52
Flagstone
Flagstone is an FCA authorised and
regulated fintech company (FCA reference numbers 676754 and 605504) located in
London and founded in 2013. Flagstone’s online cash deposit platform enables
companies, charities and individuals to earn more interest and reduce risk
through diversification. Completion of a single application gives the client
access to over 550 deposit accounts from 38 different banks and enables them to
research and open accounts in just a matter of keystrokes. The platform puts
clients in control of their cash, giving them access to market-leading and
exclusive rates from a growing panel of UK banks, consolidated reporting and
regular new rate alerts to ensure that their cash is working as hard as
possible for them 24/7. For more information, see www.flagstoneim.com or watch a short film explaining
what we do and how it benefits clients by clicking here.
All of the UK banks on the Flagstone platform are authorised by
the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial
Conduct Authority (FCA) and the PRA. Deposits placed with any of these
banks via the Flagstone platform are afforded exactly the same Financial
Services Compensation Scheme protection (i.e. £85,000 per individual depositor
per authorised institution) as if the client placed the deposit directly with
the bank.
Comments from Anthony Ginsberg, Managing Director of GinsGlobal Index Funds
Qualcomm has reported a drop in its adjusted earnings per share to 78 cents, but it was not as high as most analysts were expecting. The company was expected to provide a much gloomier report than it did, based off its Q2 numbers.
The company’s shares were up around 3% in after hours trading, while earnings are expected to trail last year’s figure.
Qualcomm’s large investment into 5G has proven fruitful for the San Diego-based semiconductor maker. We believe it will be a leader in the Internet of Things and benefit from the explosion in Cloud Technology too – since companies active in this sector will be dependent on 5G technology.
It’s likely 5G wireless networks will usher in a range of new possibilities for businesses. Health-care startups could use the speed and power of 5G to conduct remote surgery. 5G is predicted to be 100 times faster than the current generation of wireless. Qualcomm Inc.’s venture-capital division is setting aside $200 million to invest in 5G wireless startups – an indication of its commitment to this area.
Qualcomm is partnering with US phone carriers such as Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. – in the race to roll out 5G offerings. In September, Qualcomm announced new mobile platforms that will power lower-cost 5G phones – making them far cheaper than the current $1000 plus cost. This includes new Series 6 and Series 7 chips.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm is both working and competing with Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. over 5G intellectual property and to supply 5G-compatible chipsets to smartphone makers as they introduce 5G-enabled phones.
We expect the US-China trade war to simmer down – now that Phase 1 is expected to be agreed to imminently. Qualcomm has previously been hurt by possible trade war worries. Qualcomm will likely be one of the biggest beneficiaries of a reduction in the trade dispute with China. Its share price has already started to show signs of recovery.
The importance of 5G
In the delivery of healthcare – 5G will be of tremendous economic benefit – especially in the areas of telematics and wearables – tracking how people are living. Healthcare accounts for almost 20% of the US GDP – so any efficiency drivers in this area will be widely adopted.
We believe wireless and 5G represent the future of business digitization. Qualcomm is well positioned to benefit from these significant trends. We expect early 5G innovations could occur in enterprise business settings next year.
About GinsGlobal
GinsGlobal Index Funds provides a wide variety of index-linked investment products. These include traditional Index Funds (mutual funds), Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Principal Protected (Capital Guaranteed) index notes. GinsGlobal has pioneered a common-sense investment approach that has challenged the fund management industry by offering customers a transparent and low-cost way to invest in any asset class whether it be stocks, bonds, real estate or alternative (hedge) investments.
Jenny Tooth, CEO of the UK Business Angels Association, and Luke Davis, CEO IW Capital, asses the relationship between Sajid Javid’s vision and SMEs
Speaking in Manchester, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid has announced the fiscal vision for Britain should the Conservatives be elected to be the ruling party at the next General Election. Setting out his three rules for fiscal policy, a clear shift from previous Conservative Party policy regarding rates of borrowing was the headline announcement. Whilst maintaining that fiscal responsibility and spending within their means was imperative to the Conservative’s vision, investment increases are now central to Javid’s plan, increasing the limit of investment spend by the government to 3% of GDP, theoretically creating an extra £20bn per year.
With John McDonnell’s vision to be laid out in Liverpool later today, business leaders have reacted to Sajid Javid’s speech and the implications of the Conservative vision set out for the electorate.
Jenny Tooth OBE, CEO of the UK Business Angels Association, commented:
It seems that both political parties are going to attempt to win over voters in the regions. With Labour and the Conservatives announcing their economic visions in two of the great northern cities, just 20 miles apart, speaks volumes. For too long there have been investment disparities across our country. The independent UK 2070 Commission unveiled earlier this year found that the UK was one of the most imbalanced developed economies. Given that 99.9% of British businesses in the UK are SMEs, more simply has to be done by whoever controls the offices of power in Whitehall to provide greater assistance to regional SMEs. It seems that the Conservatives are putting forward a vision to increase investment opportunities across the nation, but we need to wait and see from the other parties to conclude just how seriously the major political parties value SMEs in the UK.”
Luke Davis – CEO of SME investment provider IW Capital comments:
“Economics are seemingly becoming more and more central to the campaigns of the major parties as they set out their policy for the upcoming election. Economic growth is clearly essential for job creation and future prosperity, but one area that has not so far received very much attention is the SME arena. SMEs employ around 16million people in the UK – half of the private sector workforce – and contribute around £2trillion to the economy. Unlocking the latent potential and ambition in these firms could prove to be a powerful catalyst to wider growth and new jobs. The UK’s greatest industrial asset is our people and their ideas, translating this into tangible growth will require support and continual investment, but cannot be ignored.”
Most of our clients come to Borderless with a genuine desire to build diverse and diversity-capable leadership teams. That is, after all, our expertise. And at the top of their concern? Women in leadership.
With women representing more
than 50% of the world’s population and a rapidly growing percentage of the most
highly educated portion of the world’s employable talent, this focus is not a
surprise. Companies paying attention are increasingly aware that creating a
work environment where women leaders can advance, contribute and succeed is a
vital competitive business advantage.
Nonetheless, despite often
well-intentioned initiatives on women and their careers, many companies still
fall short of their goals to promote and retain women in leadership positions
and struggle to understand why. As you would imagine, the answer to this
question is as varied as both the many women who are offered these
opportunities and the environments in which such an offer is made.
Despite the complexities, and
the lack of quick-fix answers, there is value in raising awareness around some
of the more common issues that we see plaguing the advancement of talented
women. In this spirit, we urge you to think about, ponder and explore these
issues in the context of your own working environments.
Treat women as individuals
First of all, treat your
promotable (female) executives as individuals. We will start with an issue that should be readily
apparent but often is not (even to women themselves). Women represent more than
50% of the world’s population. They are not a minority and they are as diverse
as people can be. As a result, their reasons for accepting and/or rejecting a
promotional opportunity must always be negotiated and assessed individually.
This does not mean that women will
not have some shared experiences, especially as it relates to their treatment
within a given working environment. Such experiences, however, will not be
because they are a homogenous group, but because the work environment may treat
them as they are. As such, if you are having problems promoting women, take a
hard look at your working environment. The common threads preventing success
are more likely to be in your work culture and environment than in the women
themselves.
Moreover, do not confuse professional
women’s issues as always being synonymous with working parent or caregiver
issues. Twenty percent of professional women will not be a parent or caregiver.
However, if the woman you are promoting is a parent or caregiver, working moms
do share many issues and challenges that need to be considered. But these
issues are also quite relevant for all parents. In fact, these issues will be
increasingly important to the younger generation of workers, both male and
female, as parenting preferences and traditional gender roles continue to
erode.
Flexible terms
Secondly, signal a
willingness to design terms, conditions and benefits for success. Within the context of any executive promotion
negotiation, the terms and conditions should be designed to enable the
candidate to succeed in the role. A standard package that has been designed for
a traditional candidate may or may not be relevantly configured for your female
candidate. For example, for a woman who is a working parent and whose spouse
also has an executive position, covering (and paying for) caregiving and/or
balancing or reducing travel requirements may be significant threshold issues
to address before the candidate will commit to the demands of the new role.
Accordingly, to prevent women
from just turning down positions as a result of these non-traditional
considerations, it is important for companies to signal their willingness and
commitment to have discussions about them in good faith and without future
adverse impact. This can be communicated in a variety of ways. For example, at
the time the promotion offer is made, you can simply ask the candidate what she
would need to be successful in the role and express your willingness to address
and explore individual needs that may require adjustments.
You can also word a job
description in such a way that invites alternative discussion on terms and
conditions. For example, instead of saying “50% travel required,” you could say
“Extensive travel may be required, but terms of travel to meet global demands can
be explored further.” Women are much less likely to self-disqualify if terms
invite such openness to discussion. When invited to do so, we have seen female
candidates have excellent alternative ideas for managing effectively.
Finally, when negotiating terms,
women should not be unfairly burdened with the fear that they are creating a
precedent for all women, unless such precedent considerations would also have
been applicable to negotiations with male candidates.
Give them time
Thirdly, give your female
candidates more time and support to consider a promotion offer. If a woman is being offered a promotion into an
executive team that is (and has been) male dominated and quite traditional, the
task before her is daunting. She is not just considering accepting a new job
with greater responsibilities, which on its own is a big decision. She is also
often assessing her ability to be successful doing so in an environment that is
not designed for her, where there is little or no natural/social support, and where
there are often unfairly high performance expectations and no room for error.
Constantly proving yourself in
such an environment is an exhausting undertaking and can also be quite lonely.
(Notably, the same is true for any candidate that will find themselves in a
minority situation within the executive team).
Woman may also have
non-traditional personal and family obligations to consider. For many, work and
family life may currently be in a perfect, but quite fragile, balance with many
‘moving parts’ to consider. In such a circumstance, many women’s first
instincts are to refuse such a promotion, especially if their perception of the
new role is a misguided assumption that it will be more work being piled on
them.
The reality is that executive
promotions for women can often move them into a role where they will have much
more control over how they work. It is the role just before that promotion that
is often the worst in terms of workload and lack of control. This aspect of the
promotion is often not fully appreciated or explored.
In such circumstances, it can
be extremely helpful to use the services of a third-party consultant during
deliberations and negotiations. Women considering promotions often need a safe
place to voice their concerns, explore their needs and express their
insecurities without undermining their executive voice and closely guarded
credibility.
Tailored support
At Borderless, we even
recognized this as a need in our normal search and placement process,
especially for female or minority hires, where they are placed into an
environment where natural and social support may be lacking. In fact, we
designed our Borderless100Days program with these challenges in mind, which
allows us to provide continuing support for any placement during the first
100Days in a candidate’s new role.
Our BorderlessWIN services
(Women in Negotiation) enables us to provide such third-party support on a
consulting basis for internal offers and promotion. The services are designed
to increase the rate and success of our clients’ internal efforts to promote
and support their high performing women into leadership roles. As you might
have guessed, such services will need to be customized for each individual
circumstance.
Are you enabling women in your
organization to achieve their full potential?
Borderless finds and attracts senior-level executives for multinational companies in the Life Sciences, Chemicals and Converting, and Food Processing sectors. The firm identifies leaders for Board positions, as well as for senior management, finance, human resources, administration, marketing and sales, operations, logistics, R&D and specialist roles. Additionally, Borderless consultants assess the effectiveness of corporate Board, Management and Executive teams, helping companies align organizational design with strategy. http://borderless.net
