Leadership

UK pub group Mitchells & Butlers has announced that chairman John Lovering is to step down later this year. The company has begun its search for a successor. Lovering will remain as chairman and director until the process is complete. Lovering only took over as chairman last year. However, the group said he has overseen the company strengthen its financial position. He said, “It has been a huge privilege to be chairman of Mitchells & Butlers.  The company is now on a much firmer footing than when I joined last year. “Group profits have improved significantly in the last year thanks to our focus of switching from volume to spend…

The latest political poll in the UK has revealed that support for the Liberal Democrat Party is at its lowest in over 10 years. Voters seem to be turning against the LibDems because of its change of position on the university fees issue. The party was formed in 1988 and today’s poll, published in The Independent, shows its worst performance in terms of popularity to date. Only 11pc of people said they would vote for the LibDems in a general election. In last May’s election, the party received 24pc of the electorate’s vote. The Labour party received 40pc of the support from survey participants, with the Conservatives following closely at…

The White House has said that cost-cutting measures made by BP and its partners contributed to last year’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The disaster, which ravaged the coast, has been investigated by a special White House commission, which released its final report yesterday. The commission found that the oil giant BP and some of its partners did not have sufficient measures in place to ensure safety on the Macondo well. “Whether purposeful or not, many of the decisions that BP, Halliburton, and Transocean made that increased the risk of the Macondo blowout clearly saved those companies significant time (and money),” the report said. The commission will release its full…

Regarded by many as the world’s leading negotiator, Prof Stuart Diamond has advised companies and governments on conflict resolution, and in 2008 was responsible for settling the seemingly intractable Hollywood writers’ strike. He spoke to Ann O’Dea. According to Stuart Diamond we are always negotiating, whether making a business deal, talking to friends or even driving a car. It’s the basic form of all human interaction, he says, and most of us are terrible at it. Diamond is a recognised authority on the subject: he runs the most popular course at Wharton Business School and has advised major corporations and governments on conflict resolution. In February 2008 he was called…

Fujitsu Ireland CEO Regina Moran is upbeat about both the prospects for her organisation, and the long-term prospects for Ireland. She speaks to Grainne Rothery about leadership for success. Her concern around the impact she has on the people she works with through their day-to-day interactions says a lot about Fujitsu Ireland CEO Regina Moran and her style of leadership. Moran, who was appointed to her current role in May 2009 following the merger of the three existing Fujitsu businesses in Ireland, claims that one of the most important things she has learnt around leadership over the years is the effect leaders have on people, both positive and negative. “I’m…

Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi addressed her supporters and the press at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party this morning, calling for their support, and for dialogue with the generals. She told her supporters that she needs their help in her efforts to bring change to Myanmar. “I’m not going to be able to do it alone,” she said. “You’ve got to do it with me. One person alone can’t do anything as important as bringing change and democracy to a country.” She said she was willing to have a dialogue with the country’s ruling military junta. “I am for national reconciliation, I am for…

EU Commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn is due to visit Ireland the week after next and will meet with Government, opposition parties and social partners to discuss the four-year economic plan. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan confirmed that during his trip, Rehn will also assess the Government’s four-year budgetary strategy. It is understood the plan will be published shortly after this happens. Rehn arrives on November 7 and will be carrying out briefings with Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin spokespeople. Labour’s Joan Burton said the commissioner’s visit reflected new policy the European Commission. “Obviously as we’re now only about six weeks out to budget day, Commissioner…

Confidence in the future of the Service Sector in Ireland is currently the highest in the EU. That is according to the latest International Business Outlook Survey from KPMG. The most recent figures, which reflect confidence in expected performance over the next 12 months, show that sentiment regarding Irish business activity in the Service Sector is running at +47.9 – well ahead of the EU average (+33.6) and the global average (+43.9). Confidence in future activity in the Manufacturing Sector in Ireland is currently running at +45.2, broadly in line with the EU average (+44.5). Overall, the survey results suggest that expectations among the Irish business community are increasingly positive.…

A report by a government-appointed expert group charged with examining the problem of mortgage arrears in Ireland has recommended that a new Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) should be introduced across the financial industry in order to offer help to homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments. The Expert Group on Mortgage Arrears and Personal Debt, which is headed by Hugh Cooney and also includes the Financial Regulator Matthew Elderfield, has recommended that all lenders develop an industry-wide standard Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) and calls for improved communication from lenders for homeowners who are in arrears in their mortgage. It also recommends banning penalty interest or arrears charges for…

The Securities and Exchange Commission in the US has announced that it is to launch an investigation into the massive fall in US markets yesterday that saw almost 1,000 points wiped off the Dow Jones. The SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said in a statement that they are working with the other financial regulators, as well as the exchanges, “to review the unusual trading activity that took place”. “We are also working with the exchanges to take appropriate steps to protect investors pursuant to market rules. “We will make public the findings of our review along with recommendations for appropriate action,” the SEC and CFTC added. At…