From the existential threat of the pandemic to the current cost-of-living crisis, no one will say the decade so far has been kind to the hospitality industry. As COO and CFO of Choice Hotel Group, which owns and operates a number of four- and five-star hotels, few have a clearer view of the challenges and opportunities ahead than Tim Whyte FCCA. In a career that has brought him from managing Irish bars in Eastern Europe to the corporate restructuring and re-energising of luxury hotel brands in Ireland and Europe, Whyte says: ‘It’s about focusing on what the customer wants.’ Check in to read his full story.
While the UK may be gripped with general election fever, many eyes are still looking across the Atlantic towards Washington DC and who might win the keys to the White House in November. But what could the results of the US presidential election mean for business? We unpick the scenarios.
It is less than a year since the Taskforce for Nature-related Financial Disclosures released its recommendations on how organisations might report their use and dependencies on nature, and there are already signs of increasing recognition and traction. See nature’s visibility in finance.
In a similar green vein, the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive was passed by MEPs by a majority vote in April, a move whose impact will be felt beyond the EU’s borders. The directive targets both environmentally and socially detrimental activity, and requires corporates – as well as their supply, production and distribution partners – to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts such as slavery, exploitation, biodiversity loss, pollution or destruction of natural heritage. Read about the impact of this significant milestone.
Talking of milestones, May saw ACCA celebrate reaching the 250,000-membership landmark. Find out how ACCA has grown to such an impressive figure, having reached the 200,000 mark just seven years ago. It also happens to be ACCA’s 120th anniversary this year.
May also marked European Mental Health Week. According to Mindgram’s mental health ambassador Maciej Żylewicz, now is the perfect time to create a personal strategy for achieving better wellbeing. Find out how finance professionals can have the potential to be wellbeing superstars.
Finally, who pays the most in corporate tax? Commentators, including US treasury secretary Janet Yellen, have called for a global minimum corporate tax to prevent multinationals from sheltering profits in tax havens. Others argue that lower corporate rates allow corporations to report more income and boost real business activities. A number of countries in Europe and the Americas figure at both ends of the scale, according to the latest Tax Foundation and Visual Capitalist figures.
