Leadership
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Heriot-Watt University launches a global Professional Academy. The online platform offers more than 50 stackable, university-credited courses designed to help professionals upskill rapidly while building towards postgraduate qualifications. Courses span business, psychology, sustainability, and specialist sectors, with content co-developed alongside leading industry partners.
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UK employees want flexibility at work, rejecting rigid office rules. A new report from Owl Labs shows 86% demand flexible hours, with a four-day week and work-to-rule tactics becoming mainstream. The findings highlight the growing expectation for autonomy, fluid schedules, and supportive technology.
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Britain will ease high-skilled worker visas to attract global talent. UK finance minister Rachel Reeves said the plan would counter new U.S. restrictions, with potential cuts to fees under review as London courts displaced workers.
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Four in ten leaders call for stronger C-Suite alignment. New research finds that CEOs back HR chiefs as equal partners in transformation, but finance and operations leaders remain sceptical of their influence.
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Reeves faces £18bn shortfall if public sector gains fail. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that the government’s budget strategy rests on historically ambitious assumptions for productivity growth, with potential consequences for spending, taxation, and public services if efficiencies do not materialise.
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AI is not yet reshaping jobs, but leaders must prepare. The New York Fed reports rising adoption of artificial intelligence without widespread layoffs, with most firms retraining staff. History suggests disruption lags adoption, leaving leaders a crucial window to redesign roles, embed trust, and invest in future skills.
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Todd Davison wanted SMEs to borrow without risking everything. His insurance venture has grown steadily, offering protection for directors against personal guarantee liabilities, and is now preparing for international expansion into other markets where guarantees are common.
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UK employees missed nearly ten days of work last year. The CIPD’s 2025 Health and wellbeing at work report finds sickness absence rising to its highest level in over a decade, with mental ill health and musculoskeletal issues among the leading causes.
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Nominations are open for Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot. Now in its 54th year, the prestigious award recognises exceptional female founders and business leaders who embody the pioneering legacy of Madame Clicquot. Two awards — Bold Woman and Bold Future — will be presented in London in 2026.
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Qantas reduces executive bonuses by 15 per cent after breach. The airline cut incentive pay following a data hack affecting millions of customers, even as it delivered near-record profits. The decision reflects a wider trend of boards linking executive accountability to cybersecurity amid a rise in high-profile corporate breaches.