It was great to see that last Saturday’s Independent led with a survey of the number of women on the boards of the FTSE 100. But it wasn’t so great to discover that of 329 executive directors, only 20 are women. It’s a very poor state of affairs that some simply blame on sexism or the conflicting demands of motherhood but it was also suggested that perhaps women weren’t competitive enough or didn’t want the top job. Whatever the reasons, what can be done about it? Are quotas the answer? Might boards and recruiters to think more laterally about who might be suitable? Do we need to demystify the requirements, the selection processes and, indeed, the role itself? Should we focus more on succession planning and place greater emphasis on structured boardroom training for the ‘marzipan’ layer of senior executives, where women are better represented? Hopefully we’ve moved away from the days when it was acceptable to comment publically on the innate ability – or, more accurately, lack of innate ability – of women to carry out the role at all but is this still the private view of at least some of the decision-makers?

1) Remember to take your hairbrush out of your hair before you attend your meeting.

2) Feeling thirsty? Be careful when picking up a jug of water to pour yourself a glass of water. The bottom has been known to fall out of said jug in the past.

3) Do not ask what the square footage of their offices is (unless you are an architect).

4) When trying to find a client’s offices, do not stand on the street corner by a puddle. Particularly avoid when you hear a car approaching.

5) Moderate your alcohol intake. Do not molest your client.

6) Do not mention your bitterness at your spouse’s affair with his/her secretary.

7) Do not lock yourself in the lavatory at evening client events. Offices tend to be locked up beyond a certain time in the evening, and there will be no hope of escape until the morning.

8) Remember to tell your loved ones where you are at all times. It can be embarrassing having your husband/wife/partner phoned up in the middle of night by someone asking for instructions on how to wake you up and how to get you home.

9) Be yourself. Do not invent a whole imaginary new persona in order to sell yourself/your product to your client. Someone may find out after all.

10) Try not to cry.

We’ve just been sharing a few memories of candidate interview experiences – and yes these have all happened!

1) Do not pick up a toffee in reception just before you go into an interview so that your jaws are so clamped together you cannot speak.

2) Do not wear a tie with Mickey Mouse (or even worse Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) festooned all over.

3) Do not bring your My Little Pony lunchbox to your interview.

4) Do not crack your knuckles or clear your nasal passages throughout your interview.

5) For men; cut off your ponytail. Remove your ear-ring.

6) For women; remove your ankle bracelet. Do not overdose on the perfume.

7) Do not fall asleep in your interview

8) Do not ask midway through your interview if they mind if you eat your sandwiches.

9) Do not call your interviewer ‘babe’ or ‘darling’ or other affectionate terms of endearment, even if you think you’re a shoe-in for the job.

10) Adjust your seating position throughout your interview. Do not sit so still that your leg goes numb, and therefore you fall over when you try to stand up to shake hands.

Over the last couple of weeks the news has been rife with articles that I have been keeping my eyes on:

- Deferred outsourcing deal in Bournemouth
- New Outsourcing deal for the Met
- BSF is on the chopping block
- The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) continues
- The MCA publishes findings about consultancies saving money for Central Government

…I could go on.

This leaves us all feeling a little confused. From where I’m sitting, despite the comments from the MCA, central government could be and area of difficulty. We have seen a decrease in the amount of work that is in the pipelines for our clients, and an increase in the number of candidates in that area: all the usual signs! This in re-enforced with the Home Office, traditionally a big spender on consultancies, closing its doors.

In local government things are more positive. They really see the need to bring in extra help from the consultancies. I have a couple of large brand consultancy firms who are asking me for local government specialists; ranging from partners to lead teams, to new qualified accountants to help deliver shared services projects. Yes Bournemouth has put theirs on hold, but Essex is still the benchmark for the Conservatives!

Infrastructure has kept me guessing for a while. Since before Christmas there has been talk of the demise of the PFI. Clients of mine have been trying to source people who can help them develop new business models to keep them in the running. Very interesting then that the PFI has been continued, the advisory businesses of the large accountancy firms will be interested. However, within this area, BSF, the vehicle through which the government invested in schools, has been axed. This is going to heavily affect consultancy in the Education space.

So, going forwards; where do I see the jobs coming in? In narrow areas. They are:
- Outsourcing – the large consultancies are partnering with government departments and local governments, and holding their hand as they implement shared services, and outsource their processes.
- Procurement - A key area that costs can be cut quickly
- Local Government – They are also looking for people to help them through this process. Some might argue that they have the most progress to make.

In conclusion, as I tweeted yesterday:
“So the news from BLT on Public Sector Consultancy: Central Gov (down) Local Gov (Up) Education (Big Down) Health (Up) Procurement (Big Up)”

Happy Job hunting, if you have any thoughts then do please give me a call, or comment back!

A couple of new books about management consultancy have arrived at BLT Towers in recent weeks.

Both are aimed at students who take consulting as part of their undergraduate or postgraduate courses, but are not dry and dusty academic tomes.

Anyone looking for an introduction to the world of managament consultancy will find them easy reads, and experienced practitioners will enjoy some of the stories gathered from around the industry.

David Biggs – “Management Consulting – A Guide for Students” is published by South-Western CENGAGE Learning; see it on Amazon.com

Joe O’Mahoney – “Management Consultancy” from Oxford University Press; see it on Amazon.com

If you read them ( or have read them ) we'd love to know your thoughts...

After entering the Management Consulting arena 3 years ago with Top-Consultant.com I’ve now joined BLT and come over to the side of recruitment.

It’s been an interesting 3 years and the market has changed significantly in that time.
Back in the day it was the height of the MC boom, companies couldn’t hire fast enough and the world was pretty peachy. Over the last 18 -24 months the bubble burst and we saw a rare contraction in the industry and redundancies were commonplace.

Now we’re seeing an upturn, not a massive one but, since January there’s been a definite momentum shift. The crystal ball question is how the budget cuts and the austerity measures will impact the MC industry? They will make firms more hesitant to sign things off in the short run, there is no doubt about that, and whilst there is no let up in the request for candidates into pipelines, the number of hires for those with a strong reliance on public sector clients has tapered off.

The MCA claim the benefits delivered by consultants to central government last year totaled £3.2bn and with savings to be made, consultants are likely to play a central part in deciding where the savings will be made in the longer term.

After many consultancies had hiring freezes for most of 2009, we are now seeing those with private sector clients rapidly looking to increase their headcounts, with PwC hiring 57 Partners already this year and Deloitte looking to bring on 1,100 graduates.

So I embark on my recruitment journey at BLT and am looking forward to catching up with faces new and old along the way.

NHS hospital offers consultant £1,000 a day to help cut costs. This was one of the headlines in the Telegraph online last Friday.

The trust in Essex plans to pay the “turnaround director” twice as much as the Prime Minister and more than the head of the entire NHS. And this comes at a time when the chancellor has announced a two year public sector pay freeze.

In last week’s budget, George Osborne said that departmental budgets would be cut by up to 25% but that protected departments such as health and education would not be subject to these cuts.

Tom Clougherty, executive director of the Adam Smith Institute think-tank, said “That does seem like a very high, possibly excessive, salary. If this guy is so good that he does decrease costs far more than would have happened without him then it may be money well-spent.”

But he admitted: “I suspect that in the spirit of value for money they could probably get a good turnaround expert who would do a good job for less than that.”

Under the Labour government, spending on the NHS tripled to £105billion a year in a bid to expand the workforce, cut waiting times and improve buildings, but official figures suggest that productivity has fallen.

Figures published last week by the Cabinet Office show that the Department of Health is the biggest spender on consultants and temps, paying out £265m to 1,000 non-payroll workers in 2009-2010.

Last year a secret report by McKinsey, the management consultancy, set out how 137,000 jobs could be cut and non-essential services dropped to save up to £20bn in the health service over five years.

There is a definite need for change in the public sector as a whole and management and interim consultants can play a lead role in bringing about change. But surely this can be achieved at less cost to the public purse?

Last week, George Osborne announced his plans for a banking levy that will be implemented from January 1st next year.

The Chancellor hopes to raise £2 billion annually from the levy which will be based on a bank’s total liabilities, excluding tier one capital and other relatively low-risk debt based on the banks’ balance sheets. It will be initially set at 0.07% and will not be deductable for corporation tax purposes.

The British Bankers Association was quick to respond to the proposal saying that we must ensure bank taxes do not hurt our national interests or provide an unfair advantage for other businesses operating here. Although this levy will apply to all banks regardless of nationality, there are also other countries creating similar levies. It is therefore important that bank levies are co-ordinated internationally so that international banks do not find themselves taxed multiple times for the same thing.

There was opposition to the proposal from Aldermore, the new British bank. It wants all SME lending to be exempt from the banking levy, to make it easier for small businesses to access the funding they need.

At last weekend’s G20 summit, Europe did not get global support for a bank levy, but it did get G20 backing for some form of contribution from the financial sector to pay the cost of government interventions in that sector according to a set of common principles.

In light of the comments from the BBA, is it right for the Chancellor to push ahead with the bank levy in its current form? And if so, what can be done to prevent banks being taxed multiple times?

The NHS has always been a ripe stomping ground for Consultancies; the woes and sizeable invoices made by consultants on the Connecting for Health programme are highly publicised.

A year before the end of New Labour, the DoH, headed up then by Alan Johnson, commissioned a report by the strategy firm McKinsey & Co, to look at generating efficiencies in the NHS. Their response: cut the work force by 10%, and through our other processes, realise £13-20bn in saving over 3 to 5 years. That’s a 15-22% reduction in overall NHS spend.

Wow – that’s a bombshell, and it was smothered by Labour. Yesterday it was published by Conservative Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. You can read the report here:
http://bit.ly/aA6fEs

But health secretary Andrew Lansley has distanced himself from the advice, claiming it is indicative of a "top-down" approach that would not achieve its aims.

The Department of Health released the plan, Achieving World Class Productivity in the NHS, under Freedom of Information on 2 June 2010. Dated March 2009, it had not previously been made public, although its proposals to cut 137,000 posts were leaked last year.

On shifting care from hospitals to cheaper locations, McKinsey says that, based on experiences in the US and Germany, these techniques would save between £1.9bn and £2.5bn annually

What does this mean for the health consulting market? Good things. Change is always good for the consultancies, and I think the NHS is going to continue to require that help. There is going to be lots of change management, process improvement and so on. We need these savings to happen.

This sentiment is reflected in what we are seeing from our clients – I have senior level roles at 4 consultancies that are looking for people to grow this offering in the health space. If your interested then please get in contact – 0207 419 0909

Recent research from Interim Partners shows that more than 10% of interim executives receive payment of over £1,000 per day and a further 74% get paid more than £500 per day.

Interim executives don’t get the benefits such as holiday pay and pensions that permanent employees receive and therefore their take home pay tends to be greater than regular staff members.

Due to the recession, a third of interims had to cut their rates last year but 38% of the interims surveyed expect to see an increase during 2010.

Despite the financial crisis, demand for interim executives in the financial sector actually increased. Interims with experience in corporate turnaround, cash management, procurement and cost cutting were able to maintain, and in some cases, increase their rates.

Although we are now officially out of the recession, the financial services sector is again expected to be the biggest user of interims in the coming year and it is expected that the highest demand will be for change management specialists.

Doug Baird, Managing Director of Interim Partners, explained this by pointing out that many of the large financial institutions had had to freeze all but the most essential hiring over the past 2 years and now that the recovery is underway they need to reorganise their business priorities. To do this they need to apply change management and it is usually only interims or management consultants who possess the requisite skill set to accomplish this.

Interim Partners research also reveals that a lot of interim executives think the government should outsource more Whitehall functions to the private sector. Another cost saving measure they could consider is reducing headcount by investing more in IT.

Intensified by the recent cuts announced by the Coalition, the NHS is predicted to be the biggest user of interims over the next 12 months, followed by Central Government and Local Government.

Doug Baird, said: “From their hands on experience of implementing cost saving programmes across thousands of public and private sector organisations, interims say that the best way of balancing savings against service is through outsourcing.

“A lot of interims have spent the credit crunch implementing belt-tightening measures for businesses so they are definitely a constituency worth listening to.”

Another survey conducted by Alium Partners has revealed that 54% of the latest interim assignments were for company or divisional turnaround projects.

Probably due to the formalised cuts in public sector funding, 78% of senior interims expect to work in the private sector this year and they expect to see a high demand for their expertise in leading cost reduction programmes and operational efficiency projects.

Although the private sector looks set to benefit this year from the use of interim executives, what are the prospects for those wishing to work in the public sector?

George Osborne has already announced £6 billion will be cut from the public purse over the coming year; we still don’t have all the details on where cuts will fall.

Would the Chancellor be wise to reduce the number of interims drafted into the public sector at a time when change is called for? Or, in the short-term, would he be better advised to increase the use of interims with change management expertise in order to end up with a more streamlined, efficient public sector in the future?

Trying to find your ideal career can be a tough job in itself, taking up lots of time and often you have nothing to show for your hard work. There are so many careers, businesses and opportunities in the world so it's impossisble for you to site down and consider them all. There is often no one to turn to for advice and help.

This is where a life coach comes in. Life coaching can help you find out exactly what you want from a job. Perhaps you want to make a lot of money to support your family, or perhaps you want to make a difference to the world. Whatever your ambitions a life coach can help you realise your dreams and help you find a career that is perfect for you.

A life coach will help you set small achievable targets to enable you to reach your overall goal of a better job. It may be that you need to study a new qualification, do some volunteer work or make a new group of friends. Whatever you need to do in order to get the job a life coach will make sure you stay focused and reach all your targets.

To find out more about how life coaching can help your career why not visit Life Coach Directory. It is a network of qualified and insured life coaches based in the UK. Each life coach has their own profile so you can get to know a little more about them. You can search by town postcode or county to find your local life coach. Don't keep putting it off, get help finding your dream job with Life Coach Directory.

Earlier this week the government rolled out details on how it plans to cut the budget deficit.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced that ‘wasteful’ spending is to be cut, in pursuit of a healthier looking government debt. First on the chopping block… ‘Discretionary’ spending, including consultancy!

From what we know certain areas will be safe from extensive cuts.
Mr. Osborne and his Treasury Chief Secretary David Laws said the reductions would be made while maintaining services in key areas such as the NHS.
So does this mean NHS consultants can breathe a sigh of relief?

This is a far cry from the message that came across from the Conservatives before the election. If you can recall IBM’s work with Essex County council was praised as being a model for efficiency. This was followed up soon after with TCS’s deal at Cardiff; I could go on.

Many are deliberating as to what it all means for the UK consultancy industry, and what areas are likely to be worst hit; but these mixed signals from the government leave us guessing.

Interestingly, here at BLT we are seeing a lot more interest in Public Sector consultancy roles. Many of our clients have given us a raft of requirements in this space. So, despite the headlines, we feel confident that this market will be growing this year.

If you would like to hear more about the opportunities we are working on call the Management Consultancy team on 020 7419 0909, or email Stephen Humphreys, consultant at BLT looking after some of these roles, srh@blt.co.uk

Over 650 of the UK’s leading tax professionals packed the Hilton ballroom on Thursday evening to celebrate a successful year for the tax profession. Josh Bottomley, the Managing Director of organisers Lexis Nexis, began the Taxation Awards 2010 evening by delivering a positive key-note opening speech.

BLT hosted a great table, with guests from the Big 4 accountancy firms and leading commercial businesses.

As in previous years, we were proud to sponsor 2 of the awards and we offered our heartiest congratulations to all of the winners.

The award for the Best VAT team went to Ernst & Young’s health indirect tax team. The award was collected by E&Y partner and team leader Audrey Fearing. Winner in the best tax team in a large firm category went to the Mazars employment tax services team. Both of these winners are long standing clients of BLT and we are delighted to celebrate their success.

Law firm McGrigors were on the shortlist for the best VAT team award and although they were sorry not to win, the team was delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award. It was also great to see the public sector once again on the shortlist in the form of the Lancashire County Council VAT team.

For the first time this year there was an award for Taxation’s rising star. This was won by Caroline Villar from Legal and General and we congratulate her on her achievements so far and look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

The tax personality of the decade award went to Alison Lovejoy, the retiring editor of Tax Journal magazine. Alison is much loved by the tax fraternity and won a standing ovation from her peers.

Comedian Hugh Dennis was an excellent presenter and delivered a hilarious set that was clearly enjoyed by all. After the awards and the cabaret, the guests enjoyed celebrating in the casino and on the dance floor.

Many congratulations to all the winners and those shortlisted and we look forward to celebrating another year of tax success in 2011.

Liz Watt, Guy Barrand, Emma Wade and Sheila Mandal will be hosting a table of key clients at the Taxation Awards 2010 tonight.

The Tax awards, which take place at London’s Park Lane Hilton, are the ‘Oscars’ of the tax world and around 500 of the great and the good in the tax world will be there to celebrate the previous year’s achievements.

Some of the most respected figures in the tax industry sat on the judging panel and they had the unenviable task of trying to pick the best from a very high-quality field.

For the 10th successive year, BLT is proud to sponsor 2 of the awards at the prestigious glitzy black tie gala event. This year we are again sponsoring the Best VAT team and Best Tax team in a large firm.

Liz and Sheila will be presenting the awards, whilst Guy and Emma will be entertaining the clients at our table.

Apart from finding out the winners of the awards, one of the most hotly sought after pieces of information is which comedian will be doing the cabaret! LexisNexis have set a high standard in this regard – last year it was Michael McIntyre and in previous years they have had Rory Bremner, Jasper Carrot, Marcus Brigstocke and Bob Monkhouse.

We congratulate all those who made it through to the final shortlist in what was a truly challenging year for everybody and we are looking forward to seeing all the finalists and chatting to our clients this evening!

The careeroverview blog recently posted a fascinating story about the 10 most famous tax evaders of all time.

However much we may dislike paying taxes, we are legally obliged to do so. We’ve selected a couple of the stories to convince you to keep it legal. (You can read the full list HERE)

Number one on the list is movie star Judy Garland. Judy Garland portrayed dreamy and optimistic characters and yet in real life she was completely the opposite. She struggled with self image problems, was addicted to drugs and suffered severe depression. Between 1951 and 1952, she did not pay any taxes. She was audited by the IRS and had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes at a time when she was already having financial problems.

The top 10 list also includes other members of the entertainment industry who have got themselves into hot water with the taxman including Wesley Snipes, Nicholas Cage and Sophia Loren.

But it’s not only movie stars who’ve found themselves in trouble over unpaid taxes. Be warned, it can happen to anyone!

Richard Hatch won the first season of the reality TV show, Survivor. His prize was $1 million and he got another $10,000 when he appeared on the survivor reunion show.

Additionally he received $321,000 for appearing on a radio show. None of this income was declared on his tax returns!

He was found guilty of tax evasion in 2006 and sentenced to 51 months in jail. After three years he was released to home confinement.

HMRC is currently clamping down heavily on tax evaders and large penalties are being imposed on anybody found guilty of deliberately trying to defraud the revenue. Is it worth trying? In light of the examples above, the answer must be a resounding NO.

The Labour Party failed to deliver gender equality on pay and in the boardroom. On average woman receive 16.4% less pay than their male counterparts, whilst only 12.2% of them are FTSE 100 directors.

The 2010 general election did produce a small rise in the number of women MPs; up from 126 to 142, but they still account for only 22% of the total.

Based on current trends, it will take 73 years before women have equal representation on FTSE 100 boards. According to the Conservative Party Manifesto, this lack of diversity should not be allowed to continue.

Their slogan for the 2010 campaign was “the year of change”. But how would they change the current situation that is preventing talented women from contributing their ideas to the boardroom?

The Tories will require the list of directorship appointments to include 50% female candidates, and this rule would apply to both executive directors and NEDs. In addition, all non-executive director position would have to be advertised to ensure that all potential candidates have the opportunity to apply.

In their manifesto, David Cameron also laid down strict rules on the subject of equal pay. Any employer who is found guilty of gender pay discrimination by an employment tribunal will have to undergo a compulsory pay audit covering the entire company. In a further bid to ensure equality, the Tories would ban employers from inserting gagging clauses into employment contracts. Currently these clauses forbid employees to discuss their salary with colleagues.

Although the Labour Party manifesto does touch on the subject of equal pay, it does not say it will be enforced. The wording reads: “We will ENCOURAGE employers to make greater use of pay reviews and equality checks to eliminate unfair pay gaps, including inequalities in pay between men and women.” There is no mention anywhere in the manifesto document about implementing measures to tackle the gender unbalance in the boardroom.

Nick Clegg did have better news for women, but only for those working in larger companies. The Liberal Democrats manifesto stated they would introduce fair pay audits for every company with over 100 employees to combat discrimination in pay. Like the Tories, the Lib Dems made no mention of tackling boardroom inequality.

Company Secretaries are deeply involved with diversity as a factor in overall board evaluation and the many female CoSecs out there will no doubt welcome the Conservative party’s stance on equality in the boardroom.

But there could be a fly in the ointment! The ‘old boy’ network has for a long time prevented women from being truly successful in the business world. Does it still play a significant role in the modern business world and if so to what extent will it prove to be a barrier to the Tories plans?

The Labour Party failed to deliver gender equality on pay and in the boardroom. On average woman receive 16.4% less pay than their male counterparts, whilst only 12.2% of them are FTSE 100 directors.

The 2010 general election did produce a small rise in the number of women MPs; up from 126 to 142, but they still account for only 22% of the total.

Based on current trends, it will take 73 years before women have equal representation on FTSE 100 boards. According to the Conservative Party Manifesto, this lack of diversity should not be allowed to continue.

Their slogan for the 2010 campaign was “the year of change”. But how would they change the current situation that is preventing talented women from contributing their ideas to the boardroom?

The Tories will require the list of directorship appointments to include 50% female candidates, and this rule would apply to both executive directors and NEDs. In addition, all non-executive director position would have to be advertised to ensure that all potential candidates have the opportunity to apply.

In their manifesto, David Cameron also laid down strict rules on the subject of equal pay. Any employer who is found guilty of gender pay discrimination by an employment tribunal will have to undergo a compulsory pay audit covering the entire company. In a further bid to ensure equality, the Tories would ban employers from inserting gagging clauses into employment contracts. Currently these clauses forbid employees to discuss their salary with colleagues.

Although the Labour Party manifesto does touch on the subject of equal pay, it does not say it will be enforced. The wording reads: “We will ENCOURAGE employers to make greater use of pay reviews and equality checks to eliminate unfair pay gaps, including inequalities in pay between men and women.” There is no mention anywhere in the manifesto document about implementing measures to tackle the gender unbalance in the boardroom.

Nick Clegg did have better news for women, but only for those working in larger companies. The Liberal Democrats manifesto stated they would introduce fair pay audits for every company with over 100 employees to combat discrimination in pay. Like the Tories, the Lib Dems made no mention of tackling boardroom inequality.

Company Secretaries are deeply involved with diversity as a factor in overall board evaluation and the many female CoSecs out there will no doubt welcome the Conservative party’s stance on equality in the boardroom.

But there could be a fly in the ointment! The ‘old boy’ network has for a long time prevented women from being truly successful in the business world. Does it still play a significant role in the modern business world and if so to what extent will it prove to be a barrier to the Tories plans?

Lily Allen is a Londoner, we found this out last night at The AWCS (Association of Woman Chartered Secretaries) quiz night at Ye Olde Cock Tavern on Fleet Street

Eager to improve on our rather disappointing performance last year – when the evening was great fun but our general knowledge definitely wasn’t up to scratch - we jumped at the opportunity to redeem ourselves. Equipped with our secret weapons (2 members of the wider BLT family) we joined 50 or so company secretaries and friends all equally keen to secure first place glory. Initially all went well – we found we’re not too bad on….??? Then disaster - the Geography round -struck; 3/10 just wasn’t good enough..!

Nevertheless, the abundance of laughter, food and drink more than compensated for poor technical performance and, as the night came to a close, we were more than happy to hear we had redeemed ourselves – a little - with a respectful place of third…from the BOTTOM!

PS We weren’t great on the company secretarial round either but maybe next year..!

If you would like more information about the AWCS and how to join, please follow the link.

It’s the summer of 2002, Enron is in the middle of exploding in unprecedented ways, and their auditors, Big 5 firm Arthur Anderson have just been found guilty of obstructing the course of justice; they surrender their license to act as auditors and begin to dissolve. The world of professional services is rocked to the bone.

Fear and trepidation grip the remaining Big 4 about how to go forwards. Concerns had already been raised about conflict of interest between firm’s accountancy and consulting practices. In February 2000, Ernst & Young sold their consultancy to CapGemini for $11bn.

In the summer of 2002, following in the footsteps of EY, and walking in the shadow of Arthur Anderson, KPMG spun out their US consultancy to form BearingPoint, and sold their European operation to Atos Origin for £423m and PwC sold their global consultancy to IBM for $3.5bn. Deloitte decided to keep theirs…

February 2010, The Times runs a story about the rebuilding of KPMG and PwC’s consulting practices:

“KPMG, the auditor, plans to treble its consulting revenues to £600 million in the next four years, adding 300 new consultants to their staff this year. KPMG’s ambitions mirror those of PwC, which aims to treble consulting revenues to £1.3 billion over the next three years. PwC plans to hire 2,000 new consultants, including 100 partners. Deloitte is also expanding into new advisory practices. Last week it made a surprise move into commercial property by buying Drivers Jonas, one of Britain’s oldest real estate firms.”

It is a well known fact that although the revenues in audit and tax are dependable and reliable, unlike in consultancy. However, the margins are far greater in consultancy, and the Big 4 could not be kept out of the action forever; and the back end of the biggest recession for fifty years seemed like a good time!

As you can imagine, BLT greeted this news with much joy, as have our candidates – it was certainly brought the smile to the face after the last couple of years.

We are now very proud to announce they we are working very closely with the firms, helping them secure the best talent in the market to drive this growth for them, particularly in the public sector arena.

To find out more about consulting opportunities with the Big 4, please watch the video, call the Management Consultancy team on 020 7419 0909, or email Stephen Humphreys, consultant at BLT looking after some of these roles, srh@blt.co.uk

It feels like everyday that another headline screams out at us about the failings of the UK social care system.

One day it’s an incompetent service line manager, a director here or their getting the chop; or most moving of all, the next victim of a horrendous crime, committed under the nose of social services.

There are also funding issues. Just today I read the headline “London faces a social care funding crisis that could cost town halls £800 million and jeopardise the care of thousands of vulnerable adults”.

There is clearly a problem.

Consultancy is not something that has happened on an enormous scale in these areas before. The Big 4 have had teams that do this, Deloitte particularly. There is also the odd boutique, such as Cordis Bright.

Following the recent revelations in the press, one particular client of ours has decided to get their hands dirty in this area, and see what difference can be made. BLT are getting stuck in as well, looking for the brightest and best in the social care sphere to join this team to revolutionise this beleaguered industry. We are building this team from scratch for this firm, on an exclusive basis.

BLT’s consultant looking after this assignment, Stephen Humphreys, said that:
“I am really excited to be tackling this project. This is a rare opportunity for me to build a team from scratch, which is going to do such important and altruistic work. The social care field is one that desperately needs the trained eye of a consultant. However, it also in an area that needs specialist attention from people that know the sector – and it’s them that I am looking for!”

To find out more about these opportunities, either watch our video or Stephen a call on 0207 419 0909, or send him an email to srh@blt.co.uk

The scope and significance of corporate governance and the role of the company secretary at the hub of this far-reaching arena was amply evidenced by the experts presenting, the topics discussed and the delegates in attendance at this year's ICSA Corporate Governance Conference last Wednesday.

If further evidence was needed to prove the importance of the issues, their complexity and the potential extent of their impact, the day's programme - with its healthy mix of robust debate and enthusiastic consensus more than provided it. There's a great deal going on out there which will deliver huge challenge but also great recognition and reward for company secretaries and their wider community.

2010 is going to be busy and I wonder what will be on the agenda next year? Whatever the detail, I think everyone is clear it's going to be 'upwards and onwards'!

By Caroline Evans

CSS - together with the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (WCCSA) - struck lucky with a first-class networking event aimed at company secretaries in the early stages of their professional career.

Organised by Kerry Porritt, Liveryman, a 20 strong group donned bowling shoes and descended (literally!) onto the lanes of the exclusive American-themed ‘All Star Lanes’ bowling centre in Holborn. Strengthened by a cocktail or two and the encouragement of team mates, some serious bowling took place. Whilst technical skill levels were certainly varied – from an enthusiastic score of 28 to an expert total of 158* – the evening proved that lack of expertise is no barrier to enjoyment!

Plenty of post-match analysis – took place over a traditional American supper – burger & fries; all in all, a very relaxed and original way to build professional relationships.

*Well done, John Rowland-Jones; who emphatically proved that the multi-tasking abilities of Chartered Secretaries are not confined to the board room!

See our photos of the night below:

For more information on the WCCSA and how to join click here.

Michelle and I found out at this year’s CSSPG’s Annual General Meeting. Members old and new gathered at Royal Over-Seas League, James Street on Thursday 25th February 2010 to receive the Chairman’s Report, review the Accounts for the year, re-appoint the Auditor, elect Officers, agree the subscription levels and discuss any other business relating to the professional practice group.

This was followed by dinner and talk from Seamus Gillen, Director of Policy, ICSA. He delivered an encouraging and insightful speech about the ICSA and its plans for this year, focussing on the growth and expansion of membership, rebranding of the institute and, most importantly, raising the profile of the company secretarial profession, particularly in the not-for-profit sector.

It was inspiring to hear such positivity after what can only be described as a difficult year all round, and to look forward to the roll-out of all the plans for the CSPPG and ICSA.

I spent last Tuesday in the company of a very important group of people; non-executive directors. We were all on an extremely well run and informative technical course run by the ICSA.

For my co-participants it was a refresher day, focussing on key areas of the extensive legislation, much of it very new and complex, that applies to their role. For me it was my first insight into exactly how demanding the NED remit is.

It was daunting to discover the extent of their responsibilities but very reassuring also the see how much legislation and guidance is in place - and how well-qualified the NEDs I met are! It has made a very positive lasting impression on me. The number of NEDs is declining and I can understand why many people might baulk at the challenge but as the day taught me; our boards and investors - and all of us in fact - need our NEDs!

All Job hunting seems to be done online now – all of it! Whether that means Job boards like Times Online, CV databases such as Top Consultant or Monster, or through social networking on LinkedIn, its all in cyberspace!

Here at BLT we have had to move too – I hope you’ve seen the BLT TV on the front page of the website! 95% of our advertising has moved to the virtual space, just as the applications we receive have. On average we get 100 applications to the Management Consultancy team alone per day.

The ease with which applications can be made has changed the way that applicants apply to jobs, and this is not always in their favour. To help in this, we have come up with the Three Deadly Sins on online Job Hunting – I hope they help you with your search!

1) Applying to positions you are not qualified for.
The Web has streamlined how we communicate with each other. Postings are often seen on the Web that "may" be of interest, and candidates quickly apply to them without giving it more thought. I’m afraid that this is the path to failure. Most people who have this habit will then have a tendency to send a short email, along with a generic resume (or no resume at all!). These applications are easily identifiable, as there is rarely even a close match with the role applied for. This can frustrate the recruiter, and reduce your chances of being directed to more suitable roles. For these applicants the issue really is: If you are not interested in the position, why bother applying and, if you are indeed interested in the position, why don't you put more effort into it?

2) Lack of professionalism when applying online.
We are much more informal on the Web. Some people push this attitude too far however to the point of using the wrong "tone" when applying for a job. Keep in mind that a certain degree of formalism should remain. You probably have heard that when attending a job interview, better dress conservatively. At the end of the day, you will be hired for your competence, but you don't want your outfit to be a distraction! This is the same with job applications! You don't want anything to distract the recruiter/employer when reviewing your job application. Being too informal could have a nagging effect on some recruiters and might jeopardize your candidacy.

3) Failure to recognize competition.
The internet has levelled the playing field by allowing more job seekers to gain access to more job postings. Jobs posted online are accessible to anybody who has an internet connection. With this increased exposure comes increased competition. Yet, many job seekers fail to fully acknowledge this reality. When posting an opening online, an employer can be bombarded with as many as thousands of applications. Knowing that, you should ask yourself what you have done to stand out.

I hope these three pointers help. In conclusion, there are no shortcuts to finding a job. Time is of the essence. Choose which jobs are worth applying to carefully and spend as much time as needed to put all the odds on your side. You only need one job, so focus on tailoring each of your applications. It's not an odds game. Applying to many openings won't necessarily increase your odds if each of your applications don't make the cut.

Annual Report & Accounts – what they are and why they matter!

A big thank to everyone who attended and to Victoria Penrice for presenting our most successful seminar so far! Victoria did a great job in giving us an insightful presentation on how to handle the practicalities and politics surrounding the Annual Report & Accounts process.

Click here to see Caroline’s follow-up discussion with Victoria Penrice.

What do you think you, your children or perhaps your grandchildren will be doing in 20 years time? If you are worried you (or they) may be stuck in a dead end office job with few prospects and little excitement, think again.

Fast Future, which makes a living from predicting what might be about to happen, has come up with 20 new careers that it expects to emerge over the next two decades. My personal favourites are:-

Body Part Maker - Advances in science will make it possible to create living body parts, so we could need living body part makers, body part stores and body part repair shops. Footballers and other sports stars will probably find this particularly useful given their propensity of injury!

Memory Augmentation Surgeon - Surgeons could add extra memory to people who want to increase their memory and to help those who have been over-exposed to information and need more memory to store it.

Fans of Star Trek may be interested in a career as a space pilot or tour guide whilst the police force might include weather modification police, a special branch set up to control and monitor who is allowed to shoot rockets containing silver iodine into the air - a way to provoke rainfall from passing clouds.

Of course a lot of these ideas are merely pie in the sky at the moment but they do conjure up some interesting images. With scientific and technological advancements being made at such speed, who knows what the future has in store? One thing’s for certain, it’s bound to be an interesting couple of decades.

We’d love to hear your views on new careers. What new careers do you think will emerge over the next 20 years?

It’s not only employers that are feeling more confident that employment prospects will improve in 2010. Candidates also predict that the UK jobs market will bounce back towards the end of the year, according to new research from CV guidance firm CV Trumpet.

Its survey of 1,226 jobseekers found that almost half anticipate that the employment market will have fully recovered by the end of 2010 - with only 5% believing it will take until 2013 or longer before the job market recovers from the knock-on effect of the recession.
While 72% of respondents agreed that finding new work last year was more difficult than in 2008, only 36% agreed or strongly agreed that it would be more difficult to find a job this year (2010) compared to last year (2009).

Robert Odhams, founder at CV Trumpet, says: “Our research has revealed a distinct level of optimism regarding the job market next year. There is a 36% increase in the number of people believing that finding work won’t become any more difficult this year compared with last. This ties in with the result that jobseekers predict that the job market will have recovered within two years.”

Employees who are prepared to be flexible could well benefit according to Keith Dugdale, director of global recruitment at the accountancy firm KPMG who says that "More forward-looking employers are looking at more flexible working patterns”. He adds that KPMG will be using much more creative ways of working, offering different types of contracts.

Another survey published towards the end of last year showed that 42% of respondents would be seeking pastures new in the new year, while 22% already felt more confident about their job prospects for 2010. Around two thirds of employees in banking and financial services (63%) and sales, marketing and media (61%) said they were looking to change jobs in 2010.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the job market is picking up and would you consider changing jobs during 2010?

Britain’s year-and-a-half long recession is set to draw to a close, after figures released earlier this week showed manufacturing was at its most buoyant for two years in December.

Manufacturing activity, as measured by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, reached 54.1 in December, the highest level recorded since November 2007. Any figure over 50 on the scale indicates growth — and the consensus of City economists before the data was released was that December’s figure would be 52.

Manufacturing represents about 15 per cent of the UK economy, and the battered sector has been helped by a recovery in car production, an uptick in exports helped by softness in sterling, and an end to the rundown of stocks. In November, UK car output was ahead by 15.7 per cent, the first increase seen since September 2008.

Malcolm Barr, a JPMorgan economist, said: “Although monthly releases remain choppy, the key orders and output readings are starting to run at levels well above the long-run averages for this survey, consistent with a manufacturing sector which is contributing to an upswing in growth.”

Investec is forecasting that the Office of National Statistics will say that the UK economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the last quarter of the year, as Britain finally follows France and Germany out of the downturn that began in the second quarter of 2008 in the aftermath of the banking crisis.

The UK job market is continuing its recovery at an accelerating rate, according to Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. Employer confidence is increasing and the number of vacancies is on the up, with the fastest growth in permanent jobs since July 2007. "Temporary and contract placements also rose at the sharpest pace for thirty months, which underlines the crucial role that flexible working models will play in helping job-seekers back into work," he added.

As we go into 2010 these news items do give us a glimmer of hope that things are getting back to normal. But will these trends continue over the coming months?

Many businesses have not settled down after the Christmas and New Year breaks due to the atrocious weather conditions that have hit the country over recent weeks. The freezing weather has already cost businesses an estimated £690million, and experts fear economic output could be hit by as much as £14billion over the next three weeks if the bad weather continues. Add to that the uncertainty that surrounds the upcoming election and the road to recovery may not be as smooth as some predict.

Could the current spell of bad weather push back our hopes of recovering from the recession or do you think the green shoots of recovery have been firmly planted? And what affect will the upcoming election have on the country’s finances?

Many of you will have seen some our previous Breakfast seminars, or even been to one. The new season is beginning in 2 weeks time with “Entrepreneurship, The Recession and 2010”- a special and engaging look at the entrepreneurial sector.

This recession has hit SME’s and entrepreneurial businesses the hardest. Whether you consult to these organisations, are one of these organisations, or are simply part of the business community, you need to know what the implications are for this key part of the economy.

Our speaker, Rebecca Harding, is an independent economist, founder and Managing Director of Delta Economics Ltd and the World Entrepreneur Society. Previously Rebecca was a Director of Research at Deloitte, Chief Economist at The Work Foundation and she has held senior academic roles various prestigious institutions, including London Business School and Oxford University. She has been a specialist adviser to the Treasury Select Committee on Regional Productivity between 2004 and 2005 and Chief Policy Adviser to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship (APPGE) (2007-2009). Recently she was engaged in round table discussions with the German President and senior business leaders and policy makers on the future of the East German economy. She is a prolific author, and recent media work includes appearances on Radio 4, Radio 5 Live and the World Service. She is frequently cited in the Financial Times, the Telegraph and the Economist.

Delta Economics are a research-led economics consultancy whose goal is to promote sustainable economic development through entrepreneurship and corporate responsibility. They work with organisations such as Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, HSBC, Grant Thornton and Barclays. All their research is focused on the end user and they specialise in “translating” complex economic and econometric concepts into an accessible format

On Tuesday 19th January 2010, at BLT’s office, Rebecca will look at the impact that the recession has had on entrepreneurs and their businesses across the world. Based on interviews with practitioners from the entrepreneurial sector and a large scale survey of business founders in the UK, she will look at how turnover, demand for finance, recruitment and management have all been affected over the last 12 months and discuss the coping strategies that entrepreneurs and the support services industry (accountants, banks, lawyers and consultants) have adopted to deal with the ‘perfect storm’ of financial crisis and economic downturn. Her talk will also look ahead to the prospects of recovery during 2010 and the implications for the entrepreneurial sector.

The event will begin at 8:00am, with coffee and croissants. Rebecca will speak from 8.30 for 25-30 minutes, followed by an opportunity for questions. There will also be time to meet the other guests and network with them. We hope that you’ll be able to join us for the event and that you’ll find Rebecca’s insights very valuable.

If you would be interested in coming, then please contact the organiser, Stephen Humphreys, by January 13th to srh@blt.co.uk to let us know if you would like to attend. Please use the Subject “BLT Breakfast Seminar”