careers PQ
Women ‘tick boxes’ Although the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards is on track to reach 33% by 2020, a new report has found worrying trends implying that companies are appointing women for symbolic value. The Female FTSE Board Report, produced annually by Cranfield University’s School of Management, reveals that women serve shorter tenures than men (on average, female non-executive directors serve 3.8 years – with men serving five years) and are less likely to get promoted into senior roles. Professor Sue Vinnicombe, lead author of the report, said: “Since we started our report more than two decades ago, we have seen the number of women on boards increase from
Life at Lankill Group Hugh Martin. 26, is MD of the Belfast-based firm. He has a commerce degree with a specialty in accounting from the National University of Ireland, Galway. Hugh scored the highest result in Ireland for the CIMA 2015 August sitting of the operational case study What time does your alarm clock go off on a working day? 5:40am What’s the first thing you do when you get to your desk? List one or two major things I need to get done that day. What’s on your desk? A few plants, my laptop and a ridiculously strong coffee. What’s the best thing about where you work? I’ve full autonomy on the work I do. Where’s your favourite place to go for lunch? 147 Deli in Dublin – I never miss the chance to go when I’m travelling down. What (or who) can you see when you sit at your desk? Plenty of seagulls and a skyline of
Belfast. Which websites are your favourites and why? I love travel websites so Lonely Planet, Tripadvisor and Airbnb are my favourites. Which websites do you use for work? LinkedIn, mostly. How many hours a week do you spend in meetings? Five to eight hours a week. What time do you leave the office? I aim for 6pm, but it really depends on the day. How do you relax? Going to the gym and general exercising. What’s your favourite tipple? Carlsberg. How often do you take work
home with you? Every day. What is your favourite TV programme? Bordertown, it’s a Finnish crime drama, absolutely brilliant. Summer or winter? Summer. Pub or club? Pub these days. Who is your hero? Bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates. If you had a time machine, where would you go? Back to 1997, so I can buy Amazon shares at $2 each. If you hadn’t chosen accountancy, where might you be right now? Computer programming in a large software company.
contracts as it prepares for tighter tax rules on the use of self-employed private sector workers (IR35). An internal email to all bank managers explained they must no longer use freelancers “who provide their services via a personal services company, limited company or other intermediary”. Instead, Barclays will expect the recruitment agencies to move contractors to PAYE.
them thought their class and background has been a professional disadvantage; 12% said they would never disclose where they had grown up.
In brief
6.7% to 32%. There has clearly been great progress on the numbers front but scratch beneath the surface and we suggest that some companies have simply been ticking a box. “There is mounting evidence that women have shorter tenures and are less likely to be promoted into senior roles than their male counterparts. The number of women in chair roles has decreased this year. We need urgent action to make sure that women are being appointed to boards and recognised for their contribution, and not simply for symbolic value.” The research is supported by the Financial Reporting Council, and former CEO Stephen Haddrill said: “Diversity at board level, and at all levels of the workforce, adds real value to business culture and the bottom line.” TWO WOMEN JOIN KPMG BOARD KPMG has appointed two women to its board, which means that half of the board will be female for the first time. The newly elected members are Melissa Geiger, head of international tax and tax policy, and Linda Main, head of UK capital markets. KPMG is trying to put behind it a row about the handling of the resignation of two senior women partners over the way bullying allegations were handled. The pair resigned in February over the issue. PQ Magazine November 2019
Reading start-up heaven If you are thinking of starting a new business then think Reading! The Berkshire town has been named the best place to set up a small business during the 2010s, according to a new study by Informi, the website offering free practical advice and support for small businesses. Reading performed well in the number of start-ups each year, access to highly skilled workers and its overall business stock. Brighton came in second, with Northampton third. Barclays tightens up Barclays looks set to clamp down on the use of off-payroll
The demise of accents A quarter of Londoners admit they have changed their accents to help them climb the career ladder. A survey from Equality Group found 21% of
Deal or no deal Leaving the EU with a deal could boost the UK economy more than expected, according to KPMG. It has worked out that the economy will grow by 1.5% in 2020 if we leave with a deal, with the pound rising by 15%. The firm had predicted previously a growth of just 1.3%. However, the firm warns that the UK could face a year-long recession if there’s a no-deal Brexit, and the economy could contract by 1.5%.
The PQ Book Club: books you should read Sustainable Development Goals by Julia Walker, Alma Pekmezovic and Gordon Walker (Wiley, £60) First a bit of backgound – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global targets set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030. The authors explain that to achieve these goals requires a fundamantal rethink about how governments and corporations operate across the globe. They carefully explain what the goals are, putting them into context. Criticised by some as being
unattainable – they include an end to world poverty and hunger – this book argues that by harnessing the power of the public and, crucially, the private sectors they can be achieved. This is not holiday reading; it is an extremely well-researched treatise from leading thinkers in the field. But do not be put off by the book’s academic nature – it is clear and concise, offering a roadmap to tackling the great challenges of our time. The authors outline the opportunities arising from blockchain, big data, digital identity and FinTech, while the
relevance of a transparent and sustainable global supply chains is also explained. Above all, it emphasises with reasoned argument that by acting in concert today there is hope for a better tomorrow. PQ rating 5/5 SDGs are a hot topic (and will only get hotter), and this book has all the bases covered. Well worth seeking out. • We’re giving away a copy of this book to three lucky readers – see page 30 for more. 29