Author's Profile
Online Editor
Matt has produced business journalism for membership titles for seven years, and has also written in conservation, green transport and rural affairs magazines. In addition, he has contributed to trivia books on a wide range of subjects, from Shakespeare to Stonehenge... and curry.
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Articles by this author
- Staffers to be stretched in wake of unemployment rise, says KPMG Workers are set to face increasingly stretched working conditions as firms strive to maintain their existing output amid tight constraints on recruitment. That is the assessment of KPMG partner and head of business services Bernard Brown, in the wake of...
- Co-op Bank boss quits over Lloyds buyout failure Barry Tootell has stepped down from his role as chief executive of the Co-operative Bank with immediate effect. His departure follows last month’s collapse of talks with Lloyds over the purchase of more than 600 high-street branches, which had been...
- Sir Alex Ferguson leaves legacy of management lessons Football management maestro Sir Alex Ferguson has announced that he will retire at the end of the current season, ending a 26-year reign that took Manchester United from dwindling fitness to the New York Stock Exchange via 36 trophies. So,...
- HR analytics vital to boosting bottom line, says KPMG Constant demands for managers to collect and present financial data are preventing many of them from collating meaningful details about their people, argues Robert Bolton – partner at “Big Four” accounting and auditing firm KPMG. That diminished focus on employees,...
- Ann Francke: businesses must do more to prepare for bad weather Businesses and public-sector bodies must do more to keep themselves going during the current bout of bad weather, according to Chartered Management Institute (CMI) chief executive Ann Francke. Interviewed today on Sky News, Francke warned: “The economic impact...
- Osborne austerity programme takes a hammering Some 58% of respondents to an Opinium/Observer poll on the economy said that George Osborne’s austerity programme is failing to achieve the desired results – as opposed to 20% who felt that it was the right solution for the country....
- Swiss clamp down on “fat cat” pay and bonuses Big payouts to incoming and departing managers will be banned in Switzerland following a referendum. Measures supported by 68% of voters include drastic curbs on “fat cat” pay and bonuses...
- Mary Portas high street project deemed management failure A government-backed project to devise a “rescue package” for the UK’s ailing high streets has “descended into farce”, according to the paper. Spearheaded by entrepreneur and Channel 4 face of shopping Mary Portas...
- Coach of the Year alleges “bullying” culture at UK Athletics Sunday Telegraph Toni Minichiello, former coach of Olympic star Jessica Ennis, has accused UK Athletics of operating a “bullying” culture, following the organisation’s decision last month to make him redundant. While UK Athletics attempted to ameliorate Minichiello by offering him...
- Bank of England governor pledges to boost economy Incoming Bank of England chief Mark Carney – set to replace incumbent Mervyn King in the summer – has signalled intentions for a massive policy overhaul at the organisation. ...
- Managers and staff conduct 80% of fraud against UK firms Fraud carried out against corporations by their own managers or staff accounted for 80% of all fraud-related financial losses in UK firms last year, it has emerged....
- Could Jonathan Ross be in frame for HMV takeover? Speculation has mounted that chat show host Jonathan Ross is about to throw his hat in the ring as a potential new part-owner of HMV. ...
- Barclays boss tells staff: shape up or ship out Bob Diamond’s successor as chief executive of Barclays has told staff in no uncertain terms that ethical abuses will not be tolerated under his management, and that those who are contemplating fresh misdeeds should set about clearing their desks....
- Hilton alleges that Cameron relies on media for policy overview David Cameron finds out about government policy from the radio, his former strategy adviser has revealed....
- UK can’t get the staff, suggests KPMG survey UK job vacancies grew at their fastest rate for 20 months in December, according to a survey sponsored by auditing firm KPMG. ...
- Hunt sounds warning over UK health management, and military chiefs attack spending Happy New Year from Media Eye! Just a few days out of the starting gate, and 2013 has already produced a substantial cache of thought-provoking management news…...
- Management role of lawyers on the rise in corporations, says KPMG Legal counsel are strengthening their influence on corporate managers, according to a report from leading auditing firm KPMG. The report’s title – Beyond the Law – may sound like the organisation is raising a cause for concern....
- Public sector bosses tougher on social media than company execs, says KPMG Fear of litigation has prompted public-sector bodies to become tougher and more alert on social media issues, according to research from leading auditor KPMG. Compared to public organisations, private-sector firms have been caught napping, often neglecting the importance of maintaining...
- Police commissioners face 10-week budget deadline England and Wales’s new police commissioners – elected last Thursday with the lowest turnout in any public ballot since World War II – are now knuckling down to work with the daunting prospect of having to turn around budget plans...
- BBC management meltdown special: resignations and recriminations There was only one game in town by way of management news from the weekend: the explosive and chaotic fallout of two, Newsnight-related crises at the BBC. One stemmed from a decision by programme bosses last year to shelve an...
- Final countdown to US election sees Obama and Romney in scramble for votes Guardian.co.uk By Sunday evening, an ABC/Washington Post live-tracking poll had put Barack Obama on 49% and Mitt Romney on 48% in the final furlong of the presidential campaign. With the margin so tight, no one is leaving aside any opportunity...
- Google boss in summit with French leader Hollande over online ad legislation Mail online Crunch talks will be held today between Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt and French president Francois Hollande, over legislative proposals that would force the search giant to pay media sites for the right to link to their content....
- European proposals for 40% female boardroom quota head for dilution Proposals for a 40% quota of female board members in listed firms across the European Union have stalled, it emerged this afternoon. Following an intense debate at the European Commission in Brussels, officials shelved the proposals as they had been...
- Tebbit urges Cameron to embrace “managerial discipline” In an excoriating attack on the UK’s “dog of a Coalition government”, Lord Tebbit argued that the public perception of toffs at the top is largely a result of poor leadership by prime minister David Cameron. ...
- Dame Mary Marsh to review management in voluntary groups Management skills in charities and other voluntary bodies will be scrutinised in a government review led by Dame Mary Marsh, chief executive of prominent third-sector group the Clore Social Leadership Programme....
- No end in sight for “Plebgate” as chief whip faces rough return to work The “Plebgate” row over last month’s utterances by Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell rumbled on over the weekend, as Police Federation chiefs locked horns with MPs over a lack of resolution to the saga. ...
- Lance Armstrong “director of doping” Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong was effectively the director of a massive and elaborate doping programme across his entire cycling team, according to a landmark report from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). ...
- Newcastle United management under fire over Wonga deal A political and religious row is threatening to eclipse Newcastle United FC’s sponsorship deal with payday loans firm Wonga, finalised yesterday....
- Red Bull Stratos space jump harnesses management supergroup At the moment – right now, as you read this – an Austrian gentleman in New Mexico is preparing for a feat that would make most of us quake to the point of full-body dislocation....
- Cameron under Hacked Off microscope over Leveson prejudice As the Tory Conference got underway in Birmingham, David Cameron was forced to stress that the Leveson Inquiry is not a busted flush. ...
- Rocker Neil Young turns tech boss with Pono music player On Monday, we reported in our Media Eye news roundup that Will.i.am and Simon Cowell are teaming up to launch a new talent show for finding the next technology mogul....
- Mismanagement of West Coast rail deal to cost taxpayer £40m Government mistakes over the West Coast rail contract will cost the taxpayer £40million in refunds to the two firms that bid for the franchise, it emerged this morning. ...
- Ed Miliband sets out his leadership vision in keynote Labour conference speech Ed Miliband set out his stall this afternoon not with an eye to remaining the Labour Party’s leader, but to becoming its next prime minister....
- Hair-raising claims of Labour leadership chaos in Ed Miliband biography David Miliband was “psychologically scarred” by losing out to his brother in the Labour leadership race of 2010, according to claims in an updated biography of Ed Miliband. ...
- Is Tory leadership drowning out Lib Dem green policy? In an exclusive interview, UK Energy secretary Ed Davey – one of the few Lib Dem big hitters in the Cabinet – has slammed a “Tea Party tendency” in the Conservative Party for holding back progress on numerous green infrastructure...
- BBC director general George Entwistle overhauls management structure On his second day as the BBC’s new director general, George Entwistle has set out a management strategy that promises to deliver a more self-critical, flexible and creative organisation with the ability to break bad habits....
- Managers at war over Kate photos furore A variety of leaders from media groups and the world of politics have weighed in on the furore surrounding topless photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. ...
- Armando Iannucci criticises management interference in UK television Overbearing interference from channel executives is alienating creative professionals in the television industry, according to comedy guru Armando Iannucci. ...
- Mars management beats retreat from deep-fried bar plans Confectionery bosses have shuffled away in embarrassment from plans to obtain an official EU honour for Scottish “delicacy” the deep-fried Mars bar....
- Nokia leader’s Lumia phone launch triggers shares slump Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop went out on the stump for his company’s new handset product Lumia yesterday, in a bid to put his firm back at the forefront of the mobile phone sector. ...
- Office flings a turnoff for two thirds of UK employees Some 60% of UK workers are either unsure about or actively against office romances – deeming the logistical hurdles involved too risky, despite the potential for finding love. ...
- Government reshuffle preparation and airport rumblings on “Boris Island” Ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle this week, David Cameron put pen to newspaper for an exclusive column on how he really is more ruler than rodent, and that the country is in safe hands....
- IDS attacks BBC “bias” over UK jobs policy while Cameron aims to harness wave power The ongoing recessional issue of employment has combined with party politics and the BBC’s alleged leanings to combustible effect, with Work and Pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith making a formal complaint to the broadcaster over its coverage of Coalition jobs...
- The curious incident of UK tax thresholds, and Olympic managerial legacies Children’s author Mark Haddon – whose The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time flew off bookshop shelves – has written to his MP to press for leadership on raising taxes for the rich. “I'm a wealthy person,” Haddon...
- Olympic viewing figures, Twitter tactics and student-loan sniping BBC bosses can breathe a sigh of relief over the public’s wholehearted embrace of the corporation’s Olympics coverage. ...
- Olympics management news review special Managers involved in the various organising bodies behind the Games are already at each other’s throats, as the issue of empty seats at key events straddles the news agenda. ...
- Shell image cracked by hoax ad campaign If there’s anything that the LulzSec and Anonymous hacking movements have taught us, it’s that no area of the internet is safe from subversion. ...
- Yahoo swoops on Google executive Marissa Mayer to boost product line Marissa Mayer, the 20th employee ever hired by Google who rose to become one of its leading executives, has been recruited to lead rival web platform Yahoo. ...
- Nick Buckles under the strain of “perfectly normal” Olympics security farce One major management story dominated the weekend’s news agenda: the failure of world Number One security firm G4S to fulfil its manpower quota for the London Olympics, necessitating the enlistment of 3,500 British Army troops to cover the gaps. ...
- Tony Blair in surprise appointment to Labour advisory team Tony Blair has been dropping hints for months now that he would return to front-line politics, but it was never entirely clear what he had in mind....
- Scientology’s PR management, Cable’s warning over Diamond payout and sporting losses A profile of Scientology leader David Miscavige – best man for Tom Cruise at his ill-fated wedding to Katie Holmes – focuses on the 6,000-strong Sea Org wing of his organisation. A hardcore unit distinguished by Navy-like military uniforms, Sea...
- Bob Diamond resigns from Barclays amid management tussle over bank’s leadership Beleaguered banker Bob Diamond has resigned as chief executive and director...
- Generals quit Army, Cameron’s referendum hint and court action against Bank of England boss At least six of the British Army’s most highly skilled generals have walked away from the organisation in the wake of government defence cuts. With the size of the Army about to be cut by a fifth to 82,000 personnel,...
- A banking glitch, Royal protocol and bosses’ pay packets under fire RBS Group customer services director Susan Allen has confirmed that the hangover from a software glitch that left account holders unable to access their funds is likely to rumble on into the middle of this week. The glitch has marred...
- A “Lehman’s moment”, Coalition wrestling and Olympic controversy World Bank boss Robert Zoellick will tell the G20 summit – taking place in Mexico today and tomorrow – that the eurozone crisis is facing its “Lehman’s moment” – implying that it could be on the brink of a crash...
- Is Cannes the world’s weirdest business conference? Over the past weekend, the outcomes of two high-profile media fiestas garnered heavy doses of online and TV news coverage...
- Steve Jobs i-opics battle for soul of leadership genius Hollywood is replete with rivalry, and that often extends to the subjects of films released by competing studios....
- Hendrix estate management unplugs Andre 3000 biopic Celebrities are an excitable bunch, and never more so than when they’ve just got their hands on new projects. ...
- Shambolic committee muddles message over Murdoch What use is a final report when its word is not final? That’s the riddle that managers, law enforcers and media groups were posed by today’s publication of News International and Phone-hacking – the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s long-awaited...
- Hobbit honcho forced to manage expectations over cinema’s format war For some Hollywood hotshots, film is not just about telling stories. It’s about using the medium to drive new technology, and vice versa. ...
- Rupert Murdoch dulls Leveson Inquiry into submission Hello…? Rupert? RU-PERT? Are you awake? Do you know that you are all over the internet right now on every website that has embedded the live feed from the Leveson Inquiry… you know, the Leveson Inquiry? The one that’s undertaking a top-to-toe...
- James Murdoch hurls buck at employees in Leveson testimony A lengthy drum roll elapsed this morning as 2012’s four-time board and leadership resignee James Murdoch appeared at the Leveson Inquiry....
- Perception of failure catches up with Disney boss With cosmetics and aesthetics at the top of the US film industry’s totem pole, woe betide the naïve aspirant who underestimates how much appearances matter more than substance. ...
- TUC boss Brendan Barber to retire – but fairness fight goes on TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has announced his decision to retire after nearly a decade in charge of the heavyweight workers’-rights group....
- Managing marvels an everyday business for production boss Characters adored by children of all ages for decades on end...
- Dacre & Co prove online public is thick as a Brick Have you ever seen someone gesticulating wildly at the dinner table and had the queasy premonition that they are about to swat their drink all over your lap – yet you’re too late to stop it? That was Infotainment’s feeling...
- Investor demands Rupert Murdoch departure as James steps down from BSkyB role A “lax ethical culture” and “lack of effective board oversight” at News Corporation have made Rupert Murdoch’s chairman role untenable, according to Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS). The major News Corp investor has petitioned other shareholders in the media giant...
- JP Morgan markets boss resigns over inside information fine Ian Hannam has resigned as chairman of capital markets at JP Morgan following a Financial Services Authority (FSA) probe into his client dealings. Published today, an FSA decision notice says that Hannam disclosed inside information in two emails sent to...
- Prime Minister of office politics prepares for new era Satire fans have rejoiced at the news that Yes Prime Minister – the famous and groundbreaking BBC comedy about life at No 10 that first ran from 1986 to 1988 – is poised for a return to our screens this...
- Team trust seals James Cameron trench dive glory Could the James Cameron who executed – and, more importantly, survived – a trip in a cramped submersible to the deepest point in the ocean over the weekend be the same James Cameron who has actively terrorised and alienated some...
- Could Downton tax break trigger media subsidy scramble? It was with wry amusement that Infotainment savoured news of chancellor George Osborne’s plans to unveil a consultation on tax breaks for pricey TV dramas....
- Boardroom breakthrough for women The amount of women on the boards of UK FTSE-100 firms has hit a record high of 15.6%, according to a report by Cranfield School of Management. ...
- CEOs of storytelling: film directors as leadership gurus An old piece of advice that established artists try to pass down to young aspirants is that, when all is said and done, if the road to success is going to prove fruitful, talent is not enough....
- Managers, or crime lords? Following the recent shutdown of file-sharing portal MegaUpload, US authorities have filed extradition papers against the site’s founder – the oddly named Kim Dotcom. ...
- Ex-Olympus boss Woodford wins whistleblower award No sooner had Aggie Sutcliffe mentioned former Olympus boss Michael Woodford in today’s Ethics Girl column than the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) named him as the recipient of its 2012 Cliff Robertson Sentinel Award for whistleblowing....
- James Murdoch quits News International in bid to salvage management credentials James Murdoch has stepped down from his post as executive chairman of News International...
- Is Oscar just red tape in a gold mask? At around 10:30 last night, Sky News caught itself in a broadcasting hiccup that was at once depressing, amusing and highly instructive....
- Oscar gets dictatorial over Sacha Baron-Cohen leader satire Oscars managers have threatened Sacha Baron-Cohen with a ban from this Sunday’s awards ceremony, after rumours emerged that he would dress in-character as the protagonist of his next film, The Dictator....
- The value of values: a tale of two publishers No sooner had News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch touched down in the UK on Friday to take the reins at his beleaguered red-top the Sun than the staff of that paper were basking in the warm glow of his unique,...
- Rupert Murdoch tugged back into press corruption scandal By any assessment, Saturday mornings have got to be a source of double dread for News International journalists right now....
- The 87 Hetfield solution to management speak Wikipedia; IMDB; Google; Facebook: just four gifts that keep on giving in the rich and teeming universe of the world wide web. But few online behemoths approach the satirical verve and sharpness of the Urban Dictionary – an indispensable lexicon...
- We all need rewiring for happiness, says motivation guru Planet Earth has a serious deficiency of positive psychology – or, at any rate, its workplaces do: so says US motivation expert Shawn Achor in a funny and slick presentation recorded for the online masses....
- Seven management smarts behind Facebook’s flotation “I've never met or spoken to Mark Zuckerberg,” admitted screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who penned the effervescent dialogue in Hollywood’s account of Facebook’s launch, The Social Network....
- Charges sap energy from Chris Huhne’s frontbench career You know the drill with political resignations: first, there’s the Great Lurking Affair / Financial Misdeed / Criminal Allegation / Misleading Statement that slithers in and out of the headlines for months and months, creating an undercurrent of suspicion....
- Was Mark Thompson driven out by the downturn Daleks? Where to go in an organisation that has scant hope of achieving any conceivable growth for the immediate – and, quite possibly, long-term – future? ...
- Process is everywhere in the modern service economy In 1970, manufacturing jobs comprised just over 26% of the US economy, while services accounted for around 62%. Flash forward to 2010, and manufacturing employment had diminished to 10%....
- Oops: Tom Watson MP in viral intern Twitter gaffe Usually so astute on Twitter in his commentary on the phone-hacking saga, Labour MP Tom Watson was hoist by his own digital petard today after leaving himself logged on while he was at a meeting....
- It’s all Yoda now: George Lucas retires from mainstream movies George Lucas, chairman and CEO of the Lucasfilm empire, is retracting his lightsaber and hanging up his mainstream megaphone, 35 years after seizing imaginations with the wallet-rinsing sci-fi epic, Star Wars. News of his retirement from making laser-happy blockbusters in...
- Revolutionary thoughts on employee incentives that caught Branson’s eye Fancy a dose of original thinking to spice up your management-training seminars?...
- Infotainment: Ricky Gervais in more stage-managed mode at 2012 Golden Globes If something’s worth doing once, goes the old adage, it’s worth doing twice....
- Managerial miscasting shines through the Leveson testimony of Richard Desmond Nicknamed Richard ‘Dirty’ Desmond by fortnightly hypocrisy detector Private Eye, the Northern & Shell chief – and owner of the Daily Express and Daily Star – kindles strong feelings in those who believe the press should be a bastion of...
