Author: <span>Alice Cumming</span>

Five tech scale-ups to watch out for in 2024

With the rise of AI, advancements in cordless technology, and pinching as the new clicking, 2023 has been a great year for technology. It’s hard to sum up how much has changed in the last 12 months, and it’s even harder to predict where the next year will take us, but who are some of...

December 28, 2023

‘Immortalists’: The companies behind anti-ageing

Billionaires have begun to invest in unknown companies with the promise of anti-ageing. The likes of Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Bryan Johnson are reportedly set on living forever. Historically, rich, affluent people have attempted to prevent ageing. From Countess Elizabeth de Ecsed of the Kingdom of Hungary killing and mutilating hundreds of young women...

December 21, 2023

Half gen alpha, half millennial

From Millennials to Gen Alpha: Lessons in workplace evolution and leadership

Generation Alpha are the first generation to be categorised entirely in the new millennium. Born between 2010 and 2025, this generation is widely defined by the birth – and use – of the iPad. Often the offspring of Millennial parents, there’s current discourse on Gen Alpha surrounding their behaviour, inattentive nature, and technology obsession. But...

December 12, 2023

HMV’s third act: The return to Oxford Street

Opened by The Gramophone Company on London’s Oxford Street in 1921, HMV has had a long-standing history as a high street brand. With the famous trademarked image from a painting by Francis Barraud titled His Master’s Voice acquired from the artist in 1899, Nipper (the dog in the painting) and the Gramophone became symbolic of...

December 11, 2023

Kathryn Jacob, CEO at Pearl and Dean

The leader behind Pearl & Dean’s workplace culture revolution

“Empathy, listening skills, calmness, energy.” These are the four characteristics Kathryn Jacob, CEO of cinema advertising company Pearl & Dean, attributes to a great business leader. Displayed as the “conductor of the very fine musicians and experts,” Kathryn Jacob is the “oil between the wheels” of the company. Founded by Charles and Ernest Pearl and...

November 27, 2023

The decline of Marvel Studios? What your business can learn

Marvel Studios is a household name around the globe. With 32 blockbuster movies released since 2008 and nine TV programmes coming out on Disney+ since 2021, Marvel Studios has become a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse. However, Marvel’s latest movie The Marvels is set to bomb at the box office on its opening weekend, the latest in a...

November 11, 2023

$Girl math$

Girl math: Economic genius or generational fad?

Do you ever find yourself justifying a coffee purchase at lunch or spending a bit extra on your online order to get free delivery? If you have, you may be guilty of partaking in the social media trend of “girl math.” Spearheaded by female creators and originally from New Zealand, girl math is a set...

November 9, 2023

Who are the UK’s top manufacturing stars to watch out for?

The manufacturing industry is vast and whilst we often praise the industry’s makers, the suppliers do not tend to be as well celebrated. But who are the companies behind the brands, what are they up to, and are they really as successful as they claim to be? For our latest Top 32 list, we looked...

November 6, 2023

Spacetech

Is space a viable industry for UK businesses to pursue?

Space – a fantasy for many children and cause for existentialism for many adults. But it is also now an opportunity for exploration and advancement. The UK space industry income grew 5.1% to £17.5bn in 2021, according to research. A seemingly niche industry is getting bigger and spacetech looks an increasingly exciting and accessible...

November 2, 2023

HVM Catapult’s Manufacturing Energy Toolkit: Empowering UK SMEs for energy efficiency

The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult has launched its pilot Manufacturing Energy Toolkit nationwide to support UK manufacturing SMEs with their energy costs. As the winter sets in, the cost of energy will be a key concern for businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK. With the Manufacturing Energy Toolkit, the HVM Catapult is...

October 6, 2023

Aerial panorama of Leeds railway station and surrounding area

North West economy set for £242m boost thanks to Made Smarter-backed firms

A pioneering programme helping North West manufacturers invest in industrial digital technology is forecast to create more than 1,550 new jobs and boost the region’s economy by £242m, new figures reveal. It comes as businesses across the region mark National Manufacturing Day on Thursday, September 28. The Made Smarter adoption programme was launched in Liverpool...

September 28, 2023

‘I wish I knew that it would genuinely be attitude, not aptitude, which would ultimately define my altitude’

Building a company is a difficult task. Whether starting their own or growing an established business, these leaders have made a name for themselves as some of the best of the best. So, what makes business leaders tick and what are they aiming to achieve when all is said and done? We spoke to Paul...

September 22, 2023

Sidetrade strengthens leadership with new non-executive Directors

Sidetrade, the global leader in AI-powered Order-to-Cash applications, announces the appointment of two new non executive directors, Gilles Rigal and Jean-Luc Robert, to the company’s Board of Directors. Gilles Rigal and Jean-Luc Robert’s career paths are marked by leadership roles in leading international software companies. Effective immediately, these appointments will bring a collective 85 years...

September 21, 2023

Insights and trends from Slalom’s research in the UK and Ireland

As AI continues to dominate the social debate, research from Slalom, the global business and technology consulting company, finds that 84% of businesses in UK and Ireland have started using AI in some capacity. While there is widespread rhetoric that suggests a hesitation to adopt AI, Slalom’s new research finds that just 13% of businesses...

September 8, 2023

Closeup opened big carton box full of blank hermetic white packages

My Working Day – David MacDonald – CEO of Cullen Eco-Friendly Packaging

As the leader of a company, you are there to set an example and to lead and inspire a team of individuals to achieve a series of business goals. But how do these business leaders go about their daily routine? We spoke to David MacDonald, Owner and CEO of Cullen Eco-Friendly Packaging, about his working...

September 8, 2023

Puerto Vallarta buildings and beach

‘When the economy isn’t doing well, business travel tends to get curtailed’

We spoke to Tim Hentschel, co-founder and CEO of HotelPlanner, about the hospitality industry, scaling a company, and much more. Before we start, can you tell us a little about HotelPlanner and your role in the company? I launched HotelPlanner in 2003 in San Diego with my co-founder & CIO John Prince to help solve...

August 25, 2023

Hootsuite strengthens executive team with Elina Vilk as chief marketing officer

Hootsuite, the global leader in social media management, has recently announced Elina Vilk as chief marketing officer (CMO). She will join the company’s executive leadership team which is an industry anomaly at 75% women, and will report to CEO, Irina Novoselsky. Irina Novoselsky, CEO of Hootsuite, commented, “As I looked for our next CMO, Elina...

August 15, 2023

Virgin Experience Days appoints Christoph Homann as CEO

Virgin Experience Days has announced the appointment of Christoph Homann as CEO as the business enters its next phase of growth in the experience gifting markets in the UK and US. Christoph was most recently CEO of Wishcard Technologies, a digital gift card business headquartered in Germany, where he more than doubled revenue and EBITDA,...

July 5, 2023

The rise of AI: Searches for Chat GPT jump 2633% since December

It’s difficult to go online currently without seeing some sort of discourse surrounding AI programmes, such as ongoing debates surrounding generated art-stealing designs, the potential for Chat GPT to replace copywriting, and even OpenAI, the maker of Chat GPT testing a new tool to detect AI created content. But just how much more have we...

February 8, 2023

Cultured meat market predicted to be worth $13.7bn by 2043

Entering 2023 marks a decade of progress in the cultured meat industry. Ten years ago, the world was introduced to the first lab-grown burger, and this year, it is possible that American consumers will have the opportunity to taste this revolutionary food for themselves. The end of 2022 saw a major milestone for the industry,...

January 31, 2023

83% of businesses want employees back in the office, only 20% are prepared to do so, survey reveals

A survey of over 3,000 employers and workers has shown that although 83% of the businesses wanted their employees to be based within the office for at least three days per working week, only 20% of employees were prepared to do it. A whopping 41% of employees questioned stated that they didn’t want to return...

January 5, 2023

Rising costs top risk for big businesses in 2023

Three-quarters of senior decision-makers (76%) in large businesses identified rising costs as the biggest risk to their business in 2023, according to the brand new ‘Drivers of Change’ research from Proteus. Despite this, most businesses will increase corporate spending next year. Delving into the details, a massive 56% said rising energy costs are a big...

December 9, 2022

Mozilla announces growth plans for 2023 following 125% growth in 2021

Mozilla has announced its latest company growth as well as ambitious plans for 2023 and beyond in a report announced last week. Mozilla Corporation, the for-profit side of the overall Mozilla organisation, generated $585m (£487.4m) from its search partnerships, subscriptions, and ad revenue in 2021 — up 25% from the year before. While the majority...

November 30, 2022

Research suggests phone calls preferred for customer service

A survey by Salesforce identified that 61% of consumers still prefer to speak to someone over the phone when they require assistance. In addition, 75% also believe that calling a business will lead to the quickest response time. Further research by Epsilon suggests that 80% of individuals have a greater willingness to buy from organisations...

October 4, 2022