Love conquers all

It is sometimes said that tough times also bring out the best in us. And if you haven’t already seen this lovely video about Stephen Ryan ’s journey to EY Ireland then now is the time. It shows some of the challenges Stephen and his brilliant Mum Brigid faced along the way, as well as the role EY helped in making him finally feel at home in the wider world. It is definitely worth a watch.

In it to win it

Talking of conquering all, the much-anticipated MCA Awards shortlist was announced this week and what a performance. EY has achieved a record-breaking 30 finalists , with huge credit due to all who were nominated, let alone made the cut. Also, to the backroom heroes who co-ordinated and supported our entries. Of course, we’ll have to wait until the awards night in October to find out who goes home with a gong, but as the saying goes, you have to be in it to win it!

The Extreme E factor

As if that wasn’t enough, we’re on the telly. The latest round of the amazing EY-supported motor racing series Extreme E is now available on ITV X. Backed by F1 champions Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, Extreme E races electric cars, stages events in locations that raise awareness of climate change and is the first championship to have equal numbers of male and female drivers. The latest off-road action took place in the former Glenmuckloch opencast coal mine in Scotland, soon to be a key renewable energy site. Find out more in this great article by Michael Green (apt surname) of our Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) practice.

They think it’s all Rover

More electric news with the announcement that iconic British car brand Jaguar Land Rover now plans to build its new battery factory in the UK rather than (as was rumoured) Spain. And my smart EY-Parthenon colleagues are behind the wheel with a fascinating article exploring how and why public charging infrastructure must be scaled up as EV adoption increases. Bright sparks.

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

I’ve mentioned before the contradictory nature of many current economic forecasts so it was great to hear clear-sighted EY-Parthenon’s Chief Economist Gregory Daco share his views on what’s ahead for the global economy . My key takeaway is that while recession fears are easing, inflation still represents a barrier to growth. And if your focus is more European than global, register for EY’s European Economic Outlook 2023-25.

Tune in, take dog out

It’s always worth listening to whatever my colleague Bridget Walsh has to say so do tune in as she talks to key PE player Jenny Johnson, CEO of Franklin Templeton, about the impact of retail investors joining the PE market. More expert insight from my colleague Peter Witte, CFA who delves into current PE themes and market dynamics in his latest EY NextWave Private Equity episode . We seem to be producing more and more great podcast content, so I’m definitely going to have to find a longer dog walk.

Opportunity knocks for ESG

My colleague in Germany Dr. Johannes Zuberer explains here why focusing on ESG can drive value creation for PE companies. His argument is supported by EY-Parthenon data which reveals that PE investors with better ESG ratings achieve better returns. So, creating value can help the planet.

Major Jeff to ground control

When you think about the technological progress made over the last 50 years it seems astounding that the last time a human landed on the moon was the Apollo 17 mission back in 1972. Not only is that set to finally change, but the enduringly handsome Jeff Bezos is now developing the landing craft. My only worry is that, with no doorsteps on the moon, where is the Amazon boss going to leave his precious cargo?

And finally …

Where do you stand on inviting dogs to weddings? No? Me neither. Well, this next news item might make you think again. When a hungry bear turned up uninvited at a wedding in Arges County, Romania the human guests failed to stop it tucking into the wedding feast but a trusty pet dog had no problem escorting it out of the venue with bearly a murmur.... Taxi!

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