UK
Sector: Retail banking
Is change management too reliant on contractors?
Change management is a hot area of recruitment , which is disproportionately reliant on a large number of skilled, and expensive, contractors. But are they all up to the job? In the post-crisis world, regulatory pressures are driving business transformation initiatives within various areas of banks in the UK – finance, treasury, technology, operations and [...]
Is Barclays also bluffing about a UK exit?
Cunningly timed or strategically leaked, a week after the publication of the UK banking levy, City AM has this morning painted an apocalyptic picture for the future of London, lead by the revelation that Barclays has been seriously considering moving to New York. The levy is considered yet another reason for banks in the UK [...]
If Ireland is as bad as it gets, there’s no need to worry
Let’s face it, Iceland aside, Ireland’s banking crisis is about as bad as it gets. It stands out as being the most drawn-out, the most home grown and having the one of the most devastating effects on the wider economy. The cost of bailing out Ireland’s stricken banks is creeping towards €50bn, after the government [...]
You could always try a Chinese bank
Chinese banks have plans to expand their UK operations. Unfortunately, the vast majority of recruitment is happening at a retail level. There are, however, more interesting opportunities available – and the banks are looking for candidates locally. “Firms like Bank of China are targeting the UK mortgage market and offering more competitive rates than domestic [...]
The rising tide of interim recruitment
Investment banks and other financial services firms are increasingly turning to interim managers as they both battle new regulations and roll out projects that were put on ice before the onset of the financial crisis. Working as an interim manager within financial services is lucrative work if you can get it – these roles typically [...]
SocGen flounders in equity derivatives, still building in fixed income
The hallowed equity derivatives team at SocGen has proved that it is, in fact, fallible – with poor performance in the division hitting overall profits within its corporate and investment bank. SocGen’s second quarter report closely aligns with its French rival BNP Paribas – better than expected results, driven by strong performance in its retail [...]
Lunchtime Links: Headcount has shrunk by 16,000 at Lloyds
Lloyds Banking Group is back in the black again to the tune of 1.6bn, after managing to stem loan losses that battered it in the first half of 2009. In keeping with recent form, its earnings statement is a veritable tome, coming in at over 130 pages. While the bank battles questions on the politically [...]
Investment bankers will be excluded from first half party within UK firms
Analyst predictions of a dramatic recovery in UK banking profits in the first half of 2010 are unlikely to see any investment bankers popping champagne corks. The big five UK banks – HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, RBS and Standard Chartered – are expected make a combined 10bn in the first half, leading many to point to [...]
Can retail banks provide sanctuary to IT contractors?
As we’ve pointed out before, investment banks have been losing their appetite to take on IT contractors as they again commit to permanent hires. UK retail banks, however, are enthusiastically recruiting interim techies. Ongoing integration work at the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group has provided a steady stream of work [...]
When bankers get trapped in the Gulf
The ordeal of David Proctor, a British banker held in Qatar for 14 months at the behest of his employer, finally came to an end last week. However, it provides a stark warning to expat financiers of the potential pitfalls of the Middle East’s employment law. Locally, Proctor’s story has gone relatively unreported. The full, [...]
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