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James Cook

James Cook

James Cook is a digital editor at Business Leader.

What are the biggest spin-off companies of all time?

At the beginning of the week, the US celebrated 246 years since it declared its independence from the UK. Since then, the US has grown to become the biggest economy in the world. We took a closer look at the biggest corporate spin-offs of all time. This list is in no particular order. eBay and...

James Cook

Bassim Haidar

A conversation with billionaire Bassim Haidar about how he built his fortune

Bassim Haidar is a Lebanese national, Nigerian-born self-made billionaire. Starting his first business at just 20 years old, Haidar has gone on to establish Optasia, a large telecoms provider which operates in 19 countries and plays a major role in infrastructure in Africa and the Middle East. He now has a stake in a variety...

James Cook

Convivia announced as new shirt sponsor of QPR Football Club

Property and tech investment firm, Convivia, has been announced as the new shirt sponsor of Queen’s Park Rangers (QPR) Football Club. As sole Principal Partner, Convivia has signed a three-year deal that will see its brand displayed on the front property of QPR’s home and away strips. Founded by lifelong QPR supporter, Roy Ledgister, Convivia...

James Cook

Grace Beverley attends the GRM Gala 2023 at Sky Garden on August 06, 2023 in London, England

Who are the top entrepreneurs aged 25 and under?

Although many entrepreneurs have gotten more successful the older they’ve gotten, for some entrepreneurs age has proved no barrier to success. We looked at the top entrepreneurs aged 25 and under. This list is in no particular order.  Luca Schnettler – CEO, Qumata After dropping out of Queen Mary University London in 2017, Schnettler founded...

James Cook

The top 25 UK companies for senior leadership revealed by Glassdoor

Strong senior leadership is one of the most important factors for employee satisfaction. But according to employees, which UK companies are getting management right? And what are the warning signs of a toxic leadership culture? Today Glassdoor, the platform for insights about jobs and companies, reveals the UK’s Top Companies for Senior Leadership. The 25...

James Cook

Two king pieces facing off on a chess board

What are the biggest-ever rivalries in business?

Although some healthy competition can be good for business, as companies do what they can to get ahead, sometimes they end up stepping on their rival’s toes. We took a closer look at the biggest-ever rivalries in business. This list is in no particular order. Tesco vs Sainsbury’s The battle between the UK’s two largest...

James Cook

New research finds Midlands remains the UK’s number one hotspot for early-stage start-ups

The Midlands remains the UK’s hotspot for early-stage startups, according to Clarity, a new data asset from business advisory firm Quantuma. In a new report on the Midlands economy, the firm also reveals that the region is driven by a thriving manufacturing sector, which also leads in terms of growth prospects compared to any other...

James Cook

Can you have a vote of no confidence in the workplace?

Last night, the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson managed to survive a vote of no confidence, although it was the worst verdict on a sitting prime minister by their own party in recent times. Under Conservative Party rules, a vote of no confidence is triggered if 15% of party members – currently 54 MPs out...

James Cook

What’s next for the UK ‘futurecorns’?

You might have already heard of some unicorn companies – privately-held companies with a value of at least $1bn – but what about the companies that are set to break the $1bn barrier next? Known as the ‘futurecorns’, Business Leader recently caught up with a couple of them to discuss their plans for achieving this...

James Cook

Padlock symbol for computer data protection system

Who are the top CEOs in cyber security?

Not only can a cyberattack be detrimental to your company’s reputation, but it can also be very expensive. We took a closer look at some of the best CEOs in cyber security. This list is in no particular order. Robert M. Lee, Dragos Lee is the CEO and founder of Dragos. Dragos is a cybersecurity...

James Cook

Could the UK ever go into another lockdown?

For over 2 months, Shanghai’s 25 million residents were forced to quarantine due to a COVID-19 spike. Food was being rationed and residents were only allowed to leave their homes for mandatory COVID tests. Small protests broke out in the city and civilians were even taking to China’s highly controlled internet to voice their discontent....

James Cook

‘Nobody had built technology that was bespoke to the flower industry’, says Bloom & Wild co-founder Aron-Gelbard

Founded in 2013 by Aron Gelbard and Ben Stanway, Bloom & Wild has seen its business significantly increase its year-on-year turnover. Currently, the company is on track to more than triple revenues over the last three years. This rapid expansion has made Bloom & Wild the European leader in online flower delivery. Last year, the...

James Cook

Why is the construction sector so male-dominated?

99% of the UK’s on-site construction workers are male. Of the women making up just 11% of the entire construction workforce, 87% are limited to desk, design and secretarial roles. These shocking statistics have remained a constant for decades. When women account for 47% of all employed people, how has this disparity been allowed to...

James Cook

Ocushield Founder secures £1m after turning back on Dragons’ Den

A start-up founder has bravely turned down two of TV’s fiercest entrepreneurial ‘dragons’ to furrow his own path – and has now landed private investment worth 1000% more for an even smaller stake. Eye health innovator and qualified optometrist Dhruvin Patel created Ocushield while at university in 2015 to combat the effects of harmful blue...

James Cook

Steven Bartlett mentors 16-year old Jenk Oz after competition win

Jenk Oz, the 16-year-old Founder & CEO of social enterprise company Thred Media, was recently mentored by Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett after winning Vodafone’s latest edition of its Shout Out for Small Businesses competition. Launched last year, the Shout Out for Small Businesses competition celebrates entrepreneurs using digital skills and technology to drive their...

James Cook

New research ranks the UK 11th in the world for work-life balance

A recent study by Small Business Prices has revealed that the UK has been ranked 11th out of 37 countries for its work-life balance – with the Netherlands in the number one spot. Whilst some people may enjoy the constant hustle and bustle of the business, others may prefer a quieter life, with as little...

James Cook

Toyota to close all 14 of its Japanese factories due to suspected cyber attack

Toyota, the world’s best-selling carmaker, has closed all 14 of its factories in Japan due to a suspected cyber-attack on one of its major suppliers. The company, which has a production target of 8.5 million vehicles for this year, will reportedly be unable to produce more than 13,000 cars due to the disruption. Japanese factories...

James Cook

Labour turnover in 2021 highest in not-for-profit sector

According to an analysis of labour turnover between January 2021 and January 2022, by Cendex, part of XpertHR, the total labour turnover of all companies surveyed stood at 14.4%, whilst voluntary labour turnover was at 9.5%. Organisations in the not-for-profit sector saw much higher rates of staff moves with a total labour turnover of 18.1%,...

James Cook

Glassdoor reveals 25 best UK jobs for 2022 with stem and tech roles on top

With job hunting amongst UK employees expected to peak at nearly 30% by mid-February, Glassdoor, the online platform for insights about jobs and companies, has released the 25 Best Jobs in the UK for 2022. This follows their announcement of the Best Places to Work in 2022 last month. The list combines salaries and overall...

James Cook

Majority of UK employees prefer hybrid work according to a new report

Envoy, a workplace platform that helps teams manage hybrid work, released the results from its latest UK Return to the Workplace Report. The study gauges sentiment among 1,000 UK workers who go into the office at least once a week. Despite being fielded during December’s Omicron surge, the report reveals that given the option, most...

James Cook

The ‘Great Resignation’ and how it can be turned into the ‘Great Reshuffle’

In this guest article, Dr Jonathan Lord, an HR expert from the University of Salford Business School, discusses how the ‘Great Resignation’ can be turned into the ‘Great Reshuffle’. The Great Resignation’ does not necessarily mean businesses simply accept that workers resign from their jobs, it can also be viewed as ‘The Great Reshuffle’ where...

James Cook

Monolith AI and Imperial College London secure £500,000 to create manufacturing AI

Monolith AI, the Artificially Intelligent Engineering (AIE) software company, and Imperial College London gained £500,000 funding from Innovate UK to launch a project to build a new type of artificial intelligence solution that will be able to assess if metal components are manufacturable and even explain why they might not be manufacturable. Monolith AI successfully...

James Cook

Konektio secures £2.1m to accelerate international expansion

Konektio, a UK business that aims to transform the industry with its Internet of Things (IoT) software platform has raised £2.1m to accelerate its international expansion. The Chesterfield-based business received funding from both the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), managed by Mercia and Foresight Group, along with existing investor...

James Cook

10 businesses that went bust in 2021

With the ongoing anxiety of Coronavirus looming over the UK, 2021 was always going to be a difficult year for businesses. Lockdown restrictions and supply chain issues proved too much for many businesses to bear. The Bank of England confirmed that a third of small businesses are now classified as highly indebted after months of...

James Cook