Some thoughts from an airport lounge as I head for another one of our offices and a meeting with clients

On a personal level the challenges of carrying the right clothes are paramount. Two weeks ago I was in the humid heat of torrential downpours in Singapore and this week I was slipping and sliding (literally as I went base over apex ) in the freezing temperatures of Montreal.

However, with oil hitting $110 a barrel, gold at $1,000 an ounce, the dollar in free fall and central banks cutting interest rates inflationary pressures are a global problem and it has got me thinking about how we can position ourselves at FRSG to help our clients. In order to monitor the effect this has for regulators and financial institutions alike FRSGlobal are addressing the issue of providing global regulatory reporting solutions. We are also, following expeditions to the Middle East, Turkey, India, Russia and China recently, expanding our coverage of the ‘E7’ - China, India,, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey . Read the rest of this entry »

Amid a shocking string of results in the run up to Christmas 2007 there were calls for the head of George Burley manager of Southampton Football Club. Now, based on his track record at Saints, Hearts, Derby and Ipswich he is being considered seriously for the country manager role with Scotland.. Two questions: How will further change and upheaval affect Southampton’s chances of promotion to the Premier League any time soon? And how will a third manager in three years affect Scotland’s chances of qualifying for one of the world’s major tournaments?

In the world of international banking the impact of the credit crunch will probably result in a reduction in IT spending of some 20%. However, there is renewed focus on understanding what the risks are that caused the initial problem. The key objective for many banks will be the need to develop a “single view” of risk across the bank. How will these changes affect FRSGlobal the risk management company with which I am involved?

In short there is plenty of upheaval, plenty of change - the question is:

Is change always for the worst? Read the rest of this entry »