18 April, 2019

Trend for portfolio reviews drives M&A optimism

Nothing excites the business world like an M&A deal. Think of the fuss caused by the $30bn race to takeover of Sky by Comcast. And according to advisory firm EY, executives are so heady with M&...

29 October, 2018

Is it time to apply governance rules to the AIM stock exchange?

Two feted AIM stocks, Patisserie Valerie and Conviviality, revealed financial black holes that almost killed the first, and contributed to the collapse of the latter. While the AIM has always been ...

18 October, 2018

How the revised shareholder directive will help overcome short-termism

On 9 June 2017, the EU directive 2017/282 on long-term shareholder engag...

11 October, 2018

Balancing act: stock exchanges and dual-class shares

Stock exchanges form a critical component of the global financial market ecosystem, serving as gatekeepers linking companies to investors and as ...

11 October, 2018

Audit reform: which way now?

In 2016 Mervyn King, my South African countryman and colleague who is internationally renowned for his work in the sphere of corporate governance, asked me to write a book with him on th...

9 October, 2018

Why Blockchain is good news for governance

In our modern digital world, concepts like disruption, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain have gained much attention. But these developments raise questi...

14 September, 2018

Action needed now on banking fraud and the erosion of trust

Why is it that western banks are increasingly reliant on business models that reward staff as salespeople, treat clients as fools, and present financial products like goods on a supermarket shelf? The...

12 September, 2018

‘Uncharted territory’ for directors as hard line set for pension regulation

When the construction giant Carillion collapsed earlier this year it emerged that the company went under, leaving liabilities of around £7bn. Observers questioned why the company’s problems were no...

7 September, 2018

Quarterly reporting: Useful or an obstacle to jobs?

The backlash is underway. Back in August Donald Trump surprised the business world by using his Twitter account to launch a review of moving US markets from quarterly to six-monthly reporting. For ...

8 August, 2018

European Commission edges closer to ‘sustainability’ investment rules

Rules that would compel investors to integrate sustainability risks into their decision-making have taken another step closer to being imposed. The European Commission has called for advice on the ...