Why James Timpson’s ministerial appointment is a masterstroke by Labour
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As Keir Starmer began handing out ministerial appointments in the wake of Labour’s landslide election victory, one name stood out. James Timpson, CEO of the family-owned Timpson Group and former chair of the Prison Reform Trust, was appointed prisons?minister.?
While some questioned the wisdom of awarding the position to someone whose company is best known for its key-cutting and locksmith services, these judgements overlook Timpson’s record as a business?leader.?
Despite not serving as a sitting MP (he was ennobled in order to be given a ministerial position), Timpson will bring a wealth of practical experience to his new role – something that is far too often missing from government appointments. Sam Forsdick explores what Timpson might bring to the job - and teach politicians about leadership. Read more.
What it takes to build the perfect finance?team
As pressure mounts on finance chiefs to support their organisations in more effective ways, having a resilient and adaptive team has never been more important. Or, as it turns out, more challenging.
Only a third of finance leaders (35%) say they have sufficient skills when it comes to strategic thinking, according to a 2023 survey by software firm Blackline. Fewer still are confident in their teams’ technological skills (29%) and ability to analyse data (34%).
To further complicate matters, career expectations from young finance professionals are changing and finance chiefs must adapt accordingly if they are to attract and retain top talent. In this rapidly shifting landscape, asks Sam Birchall how can CFOs get team-building right? Read more.
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Five ways CMOs can do more with?less
As the cost of doing business continues to rise and budgets dwindle, marketing leaders are frequently being asked to do more with less.?
Marketing budgets have declined 15% year on year and less than a quarter of CMOs (24%) have sufficient budget to execute their 2024 strategy, according to Gartner’s most recent CMO spend survey. With less money available to spend, how can marketers get creative and reimagine their campaigns for the second half of the year??
Five marketing experts, from brands including TikTok, Samsung and Kimberly-Clark, spoke with Francesca Cassidy to share their advice on getting creative with limited budgets. Read more.
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