Having been Managing Partner of Grant Thornton Ireland for 9 years, I was naturally drawn to the mixed views of Irish businesses in our 2013 Future of Europe report which we released this week. The report revealed much support for what the euro has achieved, but very little appetite for further integration.
The Q1 IBR economic update contained a major surprise: For the first time, not one of the BRIC economies made it into the top five for business optimism.
The latest update from our International Business Report (IBR) provided some encouraging signs for the health of the global economy. On the back of easing demand conditions, both investment plans and business confidence are up.
Our annual look at M&A sentiment around the world shows that the shift in acquisitive focus amongst businesses uncovered last year – from domestic to cross-border – is becoming increasingly popular as a key strategy for companies looking to facilitate growth.
There was much cause for optimism in our annual look at women in business through the International Business Report (IBR). The survey reveals that the proportion of women in senior management roles has climbed to 24% (up from 21% in 2012), back up to levels seen before the financial crisis.
The outlook has improved somewhat since the ANC’s Manguang conference at the end of last year. It is encouraging for business leaders to see the adoption of the national development plan, with various measures to tackle unemployment, poverty and inequality.
I confess to being somewhat surprised when I first saw the most recent data from our International Business Report (IBR), revealing that the number one recruitment challenge for business leaders is a lack of key technical skills in candidates.
On 18 January, the National Bureau of Statistics in China revealed that the economy’s working-age population shrank by 3.45m in 2012.
The United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron, today set out a path by which the country could leave the European Union by 2017.
The big New Year business story was that politicians in the United States had pulled the economy back from the brink of the ‘fiscal cliff’, albeit slightly later than planned.
On the one hand, the results from our once-every-two-years look at the world’s leading emerging markets were encouraging. Business leaders across the world are looking at international expansion opportunities.
Your questions answered by Nigel Davies, your questions answered by Nigel Davis
