The boss of the region’s largest business organisation has again slammed Westminster for “playing political chess” while the health of the economy is in the balance. Phil Smith, pictured, managing director at Business West – which runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative – said firms were paying the price for the failure of a...
Ambitious Wiltshire technology firms are being invited to enter a major awards scheme that recognises the UK’s fastest-growing businesses in the sector. Entries are now open for the 22nd annual UK Technology Fast 50 Awards staged by global accountancy group Deloitte. The awards are open to firms that use a proprietary technology in their business. The...
By Donna Kehoe, Bank of England agent for the South West of England UK temperatures reached record highs last month, but the UK economy has not been heating up this summer. Instead, as world trade tensions and worries about a no-deal Brexit have risen, the economy has been slowing down. On August 1, the...
Bath companies that export to Europe are being urged to register for non-EU trade ahead of a possible no-deal Brexit or face potential problems once the UK has left the European Union. The warning has come from Business West, the South West’s largest business organisation, which points out that if the UK quits the...
Mid-market private equity investor LDC has strengthened its South West & Wales team with the appointment of Stefan Gunn as investment director. Stefan, pictured, joins from NatWest, where he was a director in its Bristol-based structured finance operation with responsibility for originating and executing transactions across the South. In his new role in the...
Innovative companies from Swindon and Wiltshire are being invited to pitch to investors for financial support from £100,000 up to £2m. PitchFest South West provides ambitious businesses with an intensive expert training and investment programme designed to help them become both pitch and investment ready. They then get to pitch to a group of...
Global accountancy group PwC has appointed a new regional leader for the West and Wales. John-Paul (JP) Barker, who has led PwC UK’s strategy & consulting practice, replaces Katharine Finn, who has been in the role for four years. JP, pictured with Katharine, was also a member of the global strategy & leadership team...
Accountancy giant Deloitte has promoted eight senior staff across its South West practice, with two becoming partners and six appointed as directors. The new partners are Tess Williams and James Hunter, pictured below, while the six new directors are from three business areas and include Joanne Hale, Dan Pople, Tom Smith (all tax); James...
Chartered paraplanner Samantha Gratton from West of England accountancy group Old Mill has won a top national financial services award. Samantha, pictured, who is based in Old Mill’s Melksham office, landed the coveted Paraplanner of the Year title at last week’s Professional Paraplanner Awards 2019 in London. The awards - staged by Professional Paraplanner...
Chippenham-headquartered specialist IT group SCISYS looks set to be taken over by Canadian tech giant CGI in an approved offer that values it at nearly £79m. The surprise cash offer, which has been unanimously accepted by the group’s directors, was revealed to shareholders this morning in announcement on the London Stock Exchange. At 254.15p,...
