Matt Scott

I am an award-winning multimedia journalist and editor specialising in data-led journalism covering the business and finance sectors. I have particular expertise in management and leadership issues, entrepreneurship, SMEs, general insurance and pensions and employee benefits and frequently write about wider business issues.
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StrategicRISK •

Brexit: Breaking up is hard to do

Businesses are largely still in the dark over exactly what Brexit Day will bring next March, but practical plans need to be devised and enacted now. And risk managers must be central in preparing for every eventuality, deal or no deal. Brexit Day is looming, and negotiations continue to hit stalemate. But this must not stop risk managers developing plays for every outcome if they want to protect their business from whatever the future holds. Fast forward. It’s 29 March 2019 – Brexit Day – the
StrategicRISK •

Brexit: Choppy waters for supply chains

However Brexit plays out, the impact on international trade is likely to be great. As forecasted border delays threaten to sink UK manufacturing, supply chain managers are acting now. For those against the UK’s decision to leave the EU, one of the biggest factors in their position is the threat Brexit presents to international trade. At the moment, borders within the EU offer free movement of people and goods, and those goods are traded tariff-free in a frictionless environment aimed at making
Professional Manager •

4 in 5 managers have witnessed gender discrimination or bias in the past year

A CMI survey has found that inappropriate remarks, gender bias in recruitment and promotion decisions, and gender inequality in pay and rewards are still major barriers to gender equality in many organisations. The survey of 851 UK managers found that four in five managers have witnessed some form of gender discrimination or bias at work in the past 12 months. Asked what behaviours they had personally witnessed in the previous years, 50% of managers pointed to gender bias in recruitment/promot
Professional Manager •

Theresa May’s Industrial Skills Revolution: The facts, the opportunities, the reactions

Prime Minister Theresa May’s new industrial strategy for the UK includes a review of inward investments, plans for working with behavioural insight experts to identify potential exporters and provision for a £170m fund to set up institutes of technology across the country. CMI chief executive Ann Francke praised the Prime Minister’s announcement, and said it presented opportunities for UK Plc on the global stage. “I welcome Theresa May’s announcement today, recognising the need to invest in th

Debate: Can we curb the always-on culture?

We are an online training company, so we are very aware that people on our courses could be working at any time of the day or night – and they do. But we have tried to make sure they understand that the process of working with a tutor is asynchronous. We don’t attempt to be live 24/7 because it’s impossible and it wouldn’t even benefit people, since tutors need to think about their responses. Of course, the people taking our courses need a response in a reasonable time frame, but that is days,
Professional Manager •

Brexit: The implications; the solutions [New Future Forecast insights]

When it came to deciding on Brexit, the nation was divided. After the dust had settled, CMI’s Future Forecast survey polled managers across the country to find out what British managers think the outcomes will be, and what these will mean for UK Plc. The headline finding is that UK managers seem concerned about Brexit’s impact. Almost two-thirds (65%) of managers believe the Brexit vote will have a negative impact over the short-term, while 49% think the long-term effects will also be negative
Professional Manager •

Are men the key to achieving gender diversity? Have your say in our latest survey

The UK will need two million new managers to meet predicted growth, according to the latest research from CMI, but hundreds of thousands (possibly 500,000) of female managers are disappearing from the workforce. And with male managers still 40% more likely to be promoted than women, the opportunities for women to succeed in management are often limited compared to those afforded to their male counterparts. CMI’s own research has revealed that for managers who have stayed with the same employer
Professional Manager •

The power of mentoring (and how it can help you)

Philip Davies got involved in mentoring when his company went through a restructuring process; he helped those colleagues leaving the company to find work elsewhere. “I found I got a lot of enjoyment and fulfilment out of helping them to prepare for interviews. It then wasn’t a big step to go on to registering for mentoring for CMI,” he says. “If I was in the job market, I don’t doubt at all that being a mentor would be looked on as a good thing; if I was recruiting, it would give me a good fee
Professional Manager •

Meet the Chartered Manager: The perpetual learner

It’s never too late to stop learning. Even in his mid-forties and at the peak of his career, senior police officer Karl Thurogood took it upon himself to acquire some serious further qualifications. Having been a manager for more than two decades, Thurogood knows the traits of a great leader. And he knows that a good manager never stops learning. In his career with the police, he has held many roles: from street policing to working as a traumatic risk manager, helping police officers deal with
Professional Manager •

Have your say on the future of the new Master’s level apprenticeship

Work is underway on the launch of a revolutionary new Master’s Level Degree Apprenticeship for senior leaders looking to reinforce their management learning, as well as those looking to take the leap to director-level roles. The new apprenticeship is reinventing executive education by introducing a development programme that combines both management theory, through ongoing study for a Master’s degree, and practical application through the work-based elements of the process. The proposed scheme
Professional Manager •

All you need to know about the new gender pay gap reporting regulations

CMI has welcomed the Government’s publication of its gender pay gap reporting regulations, hailing it as “a big boost to productivity”. The reporting regulations, which come into effect in April 2017, will require private companies with 250+ employees to disclose how many men and women they employ at every quartile, and how much they pay them. The move will affect 8,000 employers, requiring them to publish their data on their website, as well as submit it to an online Government database open
Professional Manager •

The best places to work in 2017 (and what makes them so special)

Glassdoor has revealed the UK’s best companies to work for, with internet travel giant Expedia topping the list for the second year running. The rankings are based on testimonials from existing employees, giving true insight into what makes these organisations so successful. Diarmuid Russell, Glassdoor head of international, said the awards were recognition for creating a company that people want – and love – to work for. “Company culture and the employee experience are critical consideration
Professional Manager •

Lessons in lean from high-productivity companies

While, on a national economic level, Britain struggles with productivity; on an individual organisational level, we are home to some fit-as-a-butcher’s-dog companies that have doing less with more in their blood. So, over the past three months, working with leading company-data provider Jordans, Professional Manager has been unearthing unheralded examples of productivity in action. Using proprietary methodology – drawing on Companies House filings to identify profitable, growing, financially s

CBI lays out plans for £200bn productivity boost

Unlocking higher regional productivity through better-managed businesses could add £208bn to the UK economy over the next decade, according to the latest CBI research. While some areas of the UK have benefitted from an uptick in productivity over recent years, too many cities, towns and regions have been left behind, limiting opportunities for millions across the country. The CBI’s new report, Unlocking Regional Growth, sponsored by solicitors Irwin Mitchell, draws on special access to ONS dat
Professional Manager •

Brexit: It’s affecting you already

Brexit. Love it or hate it, the result of the EU referendum is going to change the way you do business. Whether it’s handling employment contracts for EU nationals, or once again being allowed to sell bananas by the pound, Britain leaving the EU will have a big impact on your organisation. Legal expert Chaman Salhan, founder of 2ndOpinionNow, says that the scale of the changes on the horizon means managers need to start planning now, even though the date of the country’s departure from the EU
Professional Manager •

The Autumn Statement: What can we expect from Philip Hammond

The 2016 Autumn Statement will be Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first big test since taking over from his predecessor, George Osborne, who was replaced in Theresa May’s post-Brexit reshuffle. And while the Autumn Statement will not be as weighty as what we have come to expect from the full Budget, this ‘Budget-lite’ is still expected to have a significant impact on managers across the country, especially in an anxious post-Brexit economic and political environment. What is Hammond expected to sa
Professional Manager •

Meet the Chartered Manager: The golf bag leader

The days of staying in one industry sector for your whole career are long gone. Senior leaders now regularly move between industries. For James Boag, Fellow of CMI, careful planning and preparation underpin a successful career move. At the height of his army career, James Boag was second in command of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery with responsibility for 1,100 soldiers, one of the largest regiments in the British Army. Such a prominent, 17-year career moulded Boag into a versatile leader, and h
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