Simon Bittlestone

Ben Seager-Scott, PhD, CFA, our new CIO has been a great addition at Mazars in the UK Financial Planning. An extremely high quality asset allocator, with wide thinking, whose ideas, I think, are definitely worth a read. Mazars #wealthmanagement #financialpnalling #markets #economy

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Fiscal policy, capital markets, net zero and inflation - nearly a week on from the election result, interesting to look at how the fund management industry has responded to the change in government: https://lnkd.in/eeT9u23S #valentinethomas #fundmanagement #assetmanagement #ukelection

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What does the new Labour government mean for infrastructure investment in the UK? We expect some interesting developments: * The creation of Great British Energy, a publicly-owned green power company, may crowd out some private investment (it will get £8.3 billion of Government funding) but will work in partnership with a range of public and private sector entities to deliver local power generation. * Investment in ports and supply chains (£1.8 billion), gigafactories (£1.5 billion), carbon capture (£1 billion) and green hydrogen (£0.5 billion). Many of these carry real risks to the public purse. But will they unlock investment opportunities for the private sector? * Reforms to planning laws are badly needed and Labour has promised to speed up the delivery of infrastructure. * Will we see a new and improved PFI/PPP programme (no doubt re-branded) to roll out social and economic structure? What do you think?

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The equity story is fundamental when a business is preparing a full or partial exit. Claire Elcock joins us on a ‘A word in Private’ to discuss her experience helping steer SmartSearch through a private equity transaction and a robust value creation plan. Watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/etDr86v8

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Recently Lucie Mills, spoke with Marc Mullen & Jo Russell for ICAEW Corporate Financier on why ESG should form part of the value creation strategy, the importance of materiality & NorthEdge is creating an impact economically & socially in the UK Regions.   Read the full Q&A piece online here: https://lnkd.in/ernavb73

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In the world of M&A, it’s common for companies to overcommit to deals and struggle with integration. Harvard Business Review’s 2004 article, When to Walk Away from a Deal, highlighted the importance of focusing due diligence on future integration rather than just current business status. But at BTD, experience has taught us that the challenge often lies deeper than just due diligence. The real issues relate to leadership, governance, and culture. Without clear accountability and a strong integration plan to shape your entire pre-deal process, your successful serial M&A can quickly turn into a tangled mess of acquisitions that are costly to unwind. Read more here - https://lnkd.in/efBwKe2K Join us for a free virtual roundtable on December 4th where we will discuss the warning signs that should make you think twice, how to balance what the model says with other critical factors to make a balanced decision, and how to establish processes and governance to ensure your organisation is able to say ‘no’, even late in the deal process. Register your interest here - https://lnkd.in/ehpZQfus #MergersAndAcquisitions #MandA #BTD

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Preparing for FY24 reporting? We are pleased to unveil the fourth edition of Sillion's Annual Investor Sustainability Report for 2024/25. Our comprehensive guide is designed to help UK-listed companies understand exactly what investors are looking for in corporate sustainability disclosures and communications. Insights from interviewees with 15 leading asset managers, covering a collective £4.9 trillion AuM, highlight: ▶   Investor Demands ▶   Key Upcoming Regulations ▶   Greenhushing ▶   Transition Plans Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ds2eXBcM #Sustainability #InvestorSustainabilityReport #ESG

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Incredibly important reading for those involved in sustainability communications - "an investor's view." We're heartened to read of positive progress in terms of reporting standards and greater transparency. Global reporting standards and a widespread commitment to reporting rigour and sophistication is impressing investors. But there are legitimate concerns, particularly around 'greenhushing'; companies over-delivering but under-communicating due to greenwashing fears. This might not seem problematic, but a reduction in communication can slow progress and development. Ultimately, though, it's all about action. Actions speak infinitely louder than words. Action over commitments is what must be included in 2025+ reports.

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Discover the latest insights on #FTSE100 directors' remuneration in 2024. Our early review into published annual reports showed that, while remuneration is just one aspect of the broader discussion on the competitiveness of the UK for companies to list and thrive, it has played a significant role in shaping the recent decisions of some FTSE 100 remuneration committees. Download our full report. https://ow.ly/Zzob50Rh0xR #ExecutivePay

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All good recommendations from Martin Wolf, but lacking one key reform: teach people about finance. We continually see too many recommendations that suggest changes that assume either full financial literacy, classic "economic rationality" or the opposite, that there's no point educating people, just do stuff for them. Start now, teaching people about money, and watch the quality of conversation transform over the next 10 and 20 years. https://on.ft.com/3V9yBOm

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Catch up on our latest podcast with Charles Hall and Paul Jourdan where they discuss the importance of UK capital markets in enabling companies to secure growth capital and democratising share ownership. They talk about M&A, valuations, and the reopening of the IPO market. Listen to the full podcast here: https://lnkd.in/e_fJj5Qy

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Chief Investment Officer Ben Conway and Senior Research Analyst George Salmon, CFA offer their insights on the latest UK Budget, focusing on its potential long-term impact on investment strategy. Notable measures include capital gains tax rising to 18/24%, reduced Inheritance Tax relief on AIM shares, and an increase in the 'carried interest' tax to 32%. They discuss the implications for AIM markets, government bond yields, and UK corporates. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eUrXC9WE

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"Impact is what ESG wants to be when it grows up"- Will Goodhart, Chief Executive, CFA UK   Will was recently featured in a Q&A with PA Future, offering insightful perspectives on impact investing in today's market landscape.   Read the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ew4hyKFi In this Q&A, Will sheds light on: 🔋 The driving force behind the creation of the Impact Investing certificate and its reception in the investment community. 🌿 What impact investing truly means and how it differs from ESG strategies. 🔍 The importance of defining impact investing and its role in sustainable investment practices. 💡 Insights into the future of impact investing and its potential to address global sustainability challenges. Discover how our Certificate in Impact Investing can empower you to drive positive change ➡️ https://lnkd.in/edj8ASiT" #ImpactInvesting #ESG #SustainableFinance"

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Wealth events and changes in income are two vital opportunities for your clients to reimagine support for their philanthropy. Learn why many donors choose to set up a donor-advised fund (DAF) when a significant liquidity event occurs. #Philanthropy #Charity #Grantmaking

Private Capital plays a crucial part in our economy. Michael Moore, CEO of the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) discusses below how pivotal it is. ⬇️ #funds #economy #infrastructure

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WHAT IS A TRANSACTION? We know there is a mix of experience across the CFO and FD Community when it comes to Exits, be they ⭐️ Trade sale to Private Equity ⭐️ Private Equity sale to Trade ⭐️ Private Equity to Private Equity ⭐️ IPO And variants on a theme (sometimes it’s not a complete sale, it’s a partial sale for fund raising). At NOVA Community we believe in sharing knowledge, so we have a brilliant collection of events where our members plus great speakers share their experience with the community. We do not believe in the outdated concept of “knowledge is power”, we believe in sharing experience, moving all forward, putting down the latter so others can follow. Events coming up in this theme: ⭐️ 15th May - a breakfast with Niall McBride and Keeren Shah discussing their experience specialising in their time in IPO exits. A blend of Investment Banking and CFO experience. Wait list available. ⭐️ Teams based 2pm 30th May - Sanvri Nathu and Billie O'Connor will walk through “what is a transaction” and some of the experience in a sale process from a CFO and Transaction Director perspective. Sign up out soon! ⭐️ 12th June - a breakfast with Ignata Finance - a ZRG Partners Company and NOVA Community for FDs and CFOs in Consumer and Retail. 2 great speakers with extensive M&A experience in these sectors. Invites to follow in the next 2 weeks. Plenty more to follow - we have an exciting event list starting for Sept and Oct too so you can plan ahead 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Have you joined the community yet? [email protected]

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