The dastardly Mr Deedes
The involvement of City PR outfit Finsbury, owned by Sir Martin Sorrell’s WPP, in Kraft’s aborted takeover of Unilever is much discussed. The firm was advising Kraft on the £115bn deal up until Sunday, when FTI Consulting took over. Why so? Might it be because the mercurial Sorrell considers Unilever a treasured client and didn’t want one of his subsidiaries spinning against them? If so, it’s unlikely to improve his far from fragrant relations with Finsbury boss Roland Rudd.
Snapchat’s boyish founder Evan Spiegel was in the City on Monday wooing investors ahead of his social media company’s £18bn stock market flotation. Those present say it was a tough sell. The 70-odd fund managers invited all wanted to discuss Snapchat’s declining user growth. Perhaps Spiegel, 26, should have brought along his fiancée, Aussie cougar Miranda Kerr, 33. The lusty brassiere model’s presence would sweeten any pitch.
Bob Diamond’s business partner Ashish Thakkar, with whom he set up African venture Atlas Mara, has lost his High Court ruling over his long-running divorce from wife Meera. Cocky, Leicester-born Ashish, 35, tried to argue he was worth less than £500,000, but Judge Philip Moor informed him: ‘I regret to say that I consider the whole thing to be palpable nonsense.’ What size cheque Thakkar must now write will be decided in due course. Some reckon he’s worth over £360m.
HSBC’s annual report still makes no mention of any succession planning. Chairman Douglas Flint departs this year, while £9.7m-a-year chief executive Stuart Gulliver is expected to go in 2018. HSBC have never appointed a boss from outside the bank. My wager’s on its ambitious head of global banking Matthew Westerman, a recent hire from Goldman Sachs.
Ryanair is advertising for a senior customer services director. It’s a new position, which the budget carrier says ‘will help us to continue to drive a first-class customer service to our passengers.’ Say what you like about incorrigible Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary and his brazen cohorts, they retain a lively sense of humour.