If sanctions are imposed on Russia how many more Ukrainian Oligarchs will emerge?

I need to take you back a little to understand how London has emerged from a souvenir city, rich in heritage, to its present all singing colossus.  If you will ‘the greatest city on earth!’

Through the reforms of the 80s, spearheaded by Thatcher, London started to shed the shackles of its socialistic past by getting rid of exchange controls and deregulating a plethora of byzantine systems and traditions whilst it embraced the new age technology of the 21st Century.  The time zone and geographical location of this great City of ours between the East and West gave us a unique advantage and whilst back then financial services were restricted to insurance it is today an all embracing frenetic hub where more IPOs take place than anywhere else in the world. Continue reading

The Art Of Closing A Deal

I’ve been in business now for 40 years and I’ve learnt every ‘trick of the trade’ to help close a deal when circumstances conspire against you.  When I say a ‘deal’ this could as easily apply to personal relationships, redeeming a loan or as generic as changing lanes in a traffic jam. It all involves relationships with humans and getting the best out of any situation however fraught. Continue reading

Scottish Devolution

Firstly, Mr Cameron, wisely, has set the date for the Scottish Devolution Referendum much earlier than Mr Salmond would have liked.  To compound matters Mr Carney was invited to Scotland and made it quite clear that for a devolved Scotland to share The Pound as a common currency they would have to cede sovereignty in terms of taxation and spending.  This effectively would defeat the object of the devolution process that is designed, presumably, to give the Scottish people more say in local issues Continue reading