As businesses respond to the current crisis, the owner of independent corporate finance business, Pall Mall Capital, speaks with The Leaders Council regarding the pandemic and the best way to move forward. Meanwhile the prime minister has taken efforts to tackle the country’s obesity levels.
Leadership in Focus
For the past two decades, John Cutts has directed Pall Mall Capital, informed by his previous tenure at WestLB Panmure. His specialism in structuring and executing complex transactions, particularly across borders in Europe, has well prepared him for the current complications caused by Covid-19, in addition to a future in which the UK is distinct from the EU.
Cutts told The Leaders Council of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that the past decade has changed his operations considerably.
He notes: “Five or ten years ago it would not be possible to operate as we are now. The transition, the media, the flexibility, the technology was not available five or ten years ago.”
Yet for Cutts, the current situation is perhaps more reactionary than he would have liked. Citing Bill Gates’ 2015 Ted Talk, in which he discussed the fact the world was woefully ill-prepared for a pandemic, Cutts believes that the consequences of Covid-19 will be far reaching.
“We are now reacting to an event,” he said, “and I think the consequence of this, six months from now, nine months from now, is that, whereas before you would have happily had a meeting in a crowded board room, now people will think twice.”
Yet he offers some words of guidance for those who are concerned by present circumstances, concluding: “The best thing to do now is to organise going forwards.”
For those in business at present, it seems wise to take head of Cutts’ hard-won wisdom.
Leadership Today
Prime minster Boris Johnson has formally launched the government’s plans to reduce the levels of obesity across the country, stating that the government will aim to be supportive as opposed to “excessively bossy or nannying”.
Johnson’s claim follows criticism regarding just how effective these new measures will be. Said measures include a ban on junk food advertising before 9pm, however, there is currently no indication that a sugar tax will be extended onto food.
Helen Whatley, the junior health minister, noted that while the sugar tax on drinks had succeeded in prompting manufacturers to reformulate the quantity of sugar in drinks, there were currently no plans to widen it.
For Johnson, contracting Covid-19 resulted in a revaluation of his own health. He confessed that prior to contracting the virus, he had “wanted to lose weight for ages and ages”.
The prime minister now begins his day by going for a run with his dog, saying that: “The great thing about going for a run at the beginning of the day is nothing could be worse for the rest of the day.”
Leadership in History
Just over four centuries ago today, Viscount Dundee defeated the royalist force under General MacKay in the Battle of Killliecrankie, the first major engagement in the Jacobite rebellions.
Part of the internal conflicts in the UK from this time, now referred to as the Wars of Three Kingdoms, the Jacobite forces had aimed to defeat the government forces, choosing terrain which was best suited to their model of attack.
In spite of having almost half the number of those in the government forces, Dundee was able to secure an entirely unexpected victory.
In the final minutes of battle, Dundee was killed but the first major engagement in the Jacobite rebellions stands as a testament to what bold leadership and committed teamwork can achieve.
