| Training for corporate treasurers |
Issue: 09 / 2005 |
| The Certificate in International Cash Management (Cert ICM) run by the Institute of Bankers is an international qualification which has been specifically developed by the Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) for those working in within banks and corporates in Europe, Asia and the United States. Although the deadline for Institute courses is September 9th, the Cert ICM has a deadline of September 30th. |
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| VAT on finance on EU agenda |
Issue: 09 / 2005 |
| The European Commission put out a tender on August 4th for a study of the economic effects of the value-added tax exemption for financial and insurance services. |
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| Who’s who in Finance: Jim Murphy, Director, Life Strategies Limited |
Issue: 09 / 2005 |
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| Yield-enhancers are product of the day |
Issue: 09 / 2005 |
| Corporate treasurers are looking to yield-enhancing products such as range accruals and dual-currency accounts, to increase their return from cash deposits, while holding onto liquidity, according to a report in this month’s issue, ‘Cash is King – Cash Instruments for Treasurers and Investors’. |
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| ‘If it’s security you crave, don’t even think about becoming an interim manager’ |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| An ability to hit the ground running and achieve results from early on is vital to becoming an effective interim manager says Peter Rowley, the 38 year old interim manager chosen by Pioneer Investments to replace its Compensation and Benefits manager. With only a couple of days to get a working knowledge and understanding of the business they find themselves in, their role within it, and the dynamics of the department and people around them – there are no ‘honeymoon’ periods for interim. But while not for everyone, the obvious attraction of working as an interim says Rowley, ‘is the diversity of the working environment which revolves around assignments that are challenging, even innovative, and always, always different’. |
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| A Day in the Life - navigating the mortgage maze |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| As managing director of Simply Mortgages, the specialist mortgage and personal finance broker which was set up five years ago, Peter Bastable, has a keen eye on the Irish property market, which he says, is showing no sign, yet, of slowing down. 'At any one time the market floats about 100 variations of mortgage products and we are always trying to match the best product to each client and guide them through the maze'. |
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| Barclays in Ireland restructures for growth |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| Barclay’s Bank is to rebrand and refocus its Irish subsidiary, Barclays International Financial Services (Ireland) Limited. The new bank, which will remain aimed at the corporate market, will be called Barclays Bank Ireland PLC, and it will pursue an accelerated growth strategy focused on several sectors including property, renewable energy, public private partnerships, leveraged finance, and treasury. |
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| Broad welcome for ‘better regulation’ approach of new Commission Green Paper |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| Europe’s financial services sector has widely praised a European Commission commitment not to introduce any new EU financial services proposals without prior extensive consultation and proper impact assessments, writes Fiona Murray in this overview of the Commission's recently published Green Paper. |
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| Convertible bonds rise to prominence |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| Convertible bonds are debt securities that can be converted into the common stock of the issuing firm at the option of the holder. With Euro-zone interest rates at a likely inflexion point, firms are likely to look more closely at convertible bond (CB) issuance to lock in low interest rates, pay down existing debt and increase leverage, write Bernard Murphy and Finbarr Murphy in this overview of the convertible bond market. |
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| ECJ decisions are challenging finance executives |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| European Court of Justice decisions and EU directives are becoming increasingly problematic for finance executives in Europe, a new survey has revealed, which also rates one Irish tax adviser very highly. |
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| ETF gets off to good start |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| Investors who purchased shares in Ireland’s first ever exchange-traded fund (ETF), the ISEQ 20 ETF, have seen a significant return on their investment since the launch date two months ago on April 22nd. ETFs are index funds that are listed and traded on exchanges like stock. |
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| Filling a gap by hiring an interim manager |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| Pioneer Global Investments, is one of Dublin’s largest asset managers, and is also the human resources centre for the group’s international operations, in charge of the group’s compensation and benefits arrangements, which include equity-based reward schemes for executives across a multitude of jurisdictions. When the compensation and benefits manager needed to go on maternity leave, the need to find a capable and qualified replacement was very real, and so the department looked to hire an interim manager. |
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| Focused State Street could employ over 2,000 in Ireland - Ron Logue |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| ‘Our ‘secret weapon’ is our focus – we don’t have multiple lines of business to contend with and because of this we can continually invest in the business,’ is how State Street boss Ron Logue sees his company’s competitive advantage. As it aims to generate half its revenues outside the US, State Street’s Irish operations, State Street International and IFS, should continue to play a key role in the company’s plans, and Logue could see the business expanding to a point whereby State Street would employ as many as 2,000 workers in Ireland, he tells Fiona Reddan. |
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| Grafton Group’s long-awaited acquisition of Heiton Group comes out on top as the Deal of the Year 2005 |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| The expected takeover of the Heiton Group by the Grafton Group, which finally closed in January of this year, has won this year’s ‘Deal of the Year 2005’, pipping the acquisitions of the Barlo Group and the Savoy Group to the post. The deal continues the trend of take-privates which has marked the Deal of the Year survey over the past number of years, and which saw Madison Dearborn’s acquisition of Jefferson Smurfit take the award in 2003, and the take-private of First Active by Royal Bank of Scotland in 2004. |
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| Grafton’s takeover of Heiton wins ‘Deal of the Year’ |
Issue: 07 / 2005 |
| The long-awaited takeover of builders supply company the Heiton Group, by competitor the Grafton Group, has been voted this year’s FINANCE Deal of the Year 2005. |
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