Do men take revenge for diversity quotas?
July 30, 2023
A new academic study (1) is challenging one of the central policies of gender diversity -boardroom quotas for women. They have been the central plank
Author: Simon Laffin
Politician, heal thyself
June 19, 2023
A company with just £24m annual revenue goes bankrupt with £1.9 bn of debts and a further £0.6m financing commitments. It made two appallingly large
Does good corporate governance lead to financial success?
March 14, 2023
Business is plagued these days with academic studies that come up with sensational conclusions, usually based on statistical regression. Many seek – and often get
FTX – the last word in corporate governance
November 21, 2022
In case any of us forget the importance of good corporate governance, have a look at the administrator John Jay III’s declaration* on the collapse
Can we all make better decisions?
March 10, 2022
Making better decisions is the holy grail of the boardroom. Corporate governance is full of rules and procedures, but very little on actual decision-making. There
Share buy-backs in trouble again
March 1, 2022
Lucy Tobin’s article in the Evening Standard drew my eye. Share buy-backs have always seemed to be controversial amongst commentators in the UK, and this
8 Tips to spot dodgy statistics
January 4, 2022
You’ve just seen a report that concludes what you ‘already knew’. Maybe it’s that having more diversity on a board increases profit, or that eating
Interview with PI World
October 25, 2021
A fascinating interview with Simon Laffin on what investors need to know about decisions made in the boardroom. Including, the most common problems facing a
Boards need education not regulation
September 9, 2021
I joined the board of Northern Rock a month after it suffered its humiliating run featuring long queues of anxious savers. This was my first
Is Morrisons property portfolio really worth £9bn?
July 7, 2021
“Fears over Morrisons estate being sold on cheap…The shops, warehouses and factories owned by Wm Morrisons could be worth almost £9 billion – double the