Korn Ferry: Modernizing the Military: Britain's Bold Gamble

When Sarah Brown graduated this year, she surprised her friends by enlisting in the British Army. Her father had done the same two decades earlier. Yet the force she joins looks nothing like his: smaller, leaner, but wired with technology that was the stuff of science fiction in his day. “It doesn’t feel like the Army he knew,” she says. “It feels like the future.”

For many decades, Britain was NATO’s heavyweight spender, pumping more than 4% of GDP into defense every year. But after 1991 the money slowed, and with it the size of the armed forces. Today troop numbers are at historic lows. Now, the government says the pendulum must swing back — modernization and deterrence are the watchwords. “Given the threats, we can’t afford to be unprepared,” says Edward Dinsmore, Korn Ferry’s senior client partner for organizational strategy. “This is about rebuilding readiness.”

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France: Blackberries ripe; Macron's government overripe. @REALConstable, Occitanie @BATCHELORSHOW

By SIMON CONSTABLE

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Ambadeargentina, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

UK: MANSION TAX @REAL CONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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English: NPS staff, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

FRANCE: HEAT WAVE LIFTS @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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H. de Sarrepont, Hennebert Eugène (1826-1896)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

WSJ: FINANCIAL FLASHBACK Decimal Stock Pricing

A look back at Wall Street Journal headlines from this month in history

• 25 YEARS AGO: Decimal Stock Pricing

A quarter-century ago, in August 2000, the New York Stock Exchange and the old American Stock Exchange began shifting their pricing systems to “decimals” from fractions. At the time, it was a big deal, promising benefits by lowering costs and other innovations.

“It was a watershed moment for U.S. equity markets,” says Daryl Jones, director of research at investment analysis company Hedgeye.

Shortly before the switch, The Wall Street Journal started converting its stock listings to decimal form—starting with its Nasdaq list. (It would take several months until Nasdaq itself went decimal for trading, and the NYSE and Amex fully converted for all stocks.)

The longstanding method of U.S. stock pricing—tracing to the 17th century, in fact—used fractions such as 1/8 of 1/16. For instance, a stock priced at $10 1/16 could move up to $10 1/8. But starting in August 2000, stocks began to be priced in increments of 1 cent, which could allow a price of $10.01 or $10.02, etc. READ more here.

 

Briefings Magazine: ‘We need massive amounts of electricity.’ Nuclear Power’s Sudden Comeback

By SIMON CONSTABLE

More than three-quarters of a century ago, nuclear-powered electricity was born in Chicago. A team of scientists led by Enrico Fermi created the first sustained nuclear reaction. It lit up four light bulbs, a relatively small amount of energy, but it led the way for much more. Indeed, the heyday of building atomic power plants had begun. In 1951, Russia started building a grid-connected reactor, the only one that year. And by 1979, the peak year, 234 plants were under construction globally.

But heydays don’t last forever. While nuclear energy was presented as cheap and clean, its reputation quickly got soiled after some epic disasters. The first, in 1957, was in northwest England at Sellafield nuclear reactor. In 1979, there was a partial nuclear meltdown at US-based Three Mile Island. In 1986, the Chernobyl, Ukraine, plant exploded, immediately killing 31 people. In 2011, a tsunami disabled the cooling system of a nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. “Everyone thought nuclear power was safe, then something happened and got everybody concerned,” says Rob Thummel, senior portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital. “That’s kept nuclear on the sidelines; people wanted to shut it down.”

So what is happening now? Read more here.

UK: POTUS ASKS PM AFTER NORTH SEA. @REALCOSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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British official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

FRANCE : PLUMS AND BLACKBERRIES, @REALCONSTABLE, OCCITANIE. @BATCHELORSHOW

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Bibliothèque nationale de France , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Korn Ferry: AI Job Applications Spur… In-Person Interviews?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The candidate’s application looked great, and the firm was ready to hire her. Then came a question from one HR rep: Did the candidate actually write the résumé and cover letter, or had AI written them for her?

A new study shows that half of UK-based graduates seeking jobs are using AI to write their applications, up from 38% in 2024. And many HR pros believe the number is even higher, creating a thorny issue as firms try to figure out whether it was the candidate who wrote the great cover letter and list of suggestions—or AI. “Individuals are very cautious about revealing they are using AI, because some employers don’t respond well,” says Bryan Ackermann, Korn Ferry’s head of AI strategy and transformation.

The advantages of applying with AI are well-known. It can increase the number of job applications a person can pump out. More importantly, it may be able to defeat the automated hiring filters companies use—and that applicants need to get through. “The candidate can use AI to get data and shape their application,” says Tim Manasseh, Korn Ferry’s senior partner, EMEA, for global consumer products. READ MORE HERE.

UK: TAXING THE PENSIONERS BEYOND THE GRAVE @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

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State Archives of North Carolina Raleigh, NC, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

FRANCE: THUNDERSTORMS AND COPPER TRADING ALL-TIME HIGHS. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

By SIMON CONSTABLE 

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Maxime Raynal from France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

UK TAXES AND INFLATION. @REALCONSTABLE CONTINUED @BATCHELORSHOW

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A German light cruiser in action, probably at the Battle of the Falkland Islands, 8 December 1914 

William Lionel Wyllie, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

PRICE OF COPPER: @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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George Paterson Dawson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Last Minute Special Offer: Art Retreat in Southern France

Hello! Just to let you know. My wife is hosting an amazing art retreat here at our village of Cordes sur Ciel in South West France this September. There are only three spaces available to the lucky few. If you would like to join her friendly group at the stunning location of St Jean, you will be treated to a wonderful week of art and gourmet French food and wine. 

Check out the retreat here: https://www.inspirecreativeretreats.com/

Korn Ferry: A Merger Boom, An HR Headache

When it comes to mergers, the people in the human-resources department are often among the last to hear. Frequently they’re also the ones hit with an enormous workload. 

A recent report found that 54% of British companies surveyed see M&A activity increasing. That’s generally good news for a national business environment that has been struggling for growth, but it raises the bar for CHROs, who must lead their newly formed firm through a slew of talent-merging issues, as well as determine how to combine different hiring, benefits and pay policies. “HR often gets invited late in the process,” says Grant Duncan, a Korn Ferry senior client partner and sector lead in the firm’s Consumer practice. By then, the corporate decisions may already have been made. “As a result,” Duncan adds, “there is little the HR team can do to help out.” Read more here.

ENGLAND; BAYEUX COMES TO THE UK. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Myrabella, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

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FRANCE; WILDFIRES AT MARSEILLES. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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WSJ FinancialFlashback: 30 YEARS AGO: Nasdaq 1000

  A look back at Wall Street Journal headlines from this month in history

By SIMON CONSTABLE

In July 1995, the Nasdaq Composite Index surpassed the 1000 level for the first time. It took a while for the index to get there, but in hindsight, breaching the 1000 level was a monumental signal that better things were coming. And it did. On average the Nasdaq index has outperformed the S&P 500 for most of the past two decades.

The Nasdaq composite launched in February 1971 with an index level of 100. At the time, Nasdaq was a fledgling stock market that could boast it was the first to be fully electronic. Initially, it was just a quotation system rather than an electronic trading platform. 

Surpassing the Nasdaq 1000 level quickly gave way to an accelerated rally that lasted until Nasdaq breached 5000 in March 2000, according to Nasdaq data. It took until May 2015 to cross the 5100 level. And those levels now look as dated as an old cellphone: The Nasdaq composite as of last week’s close was at five figures: more than 20601.

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UK: BACKBENCHERS NIX PM STARMER & CHANCELLOR REEVES. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW OCCITANIE

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Diliff, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

FRANCE: BAKE OFF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW OCCITANIE

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Murray Foubister, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kiplinger’s Retirement Report: Hiring a Financial Adviser: 10 Questions to Ask

 By SIMON CONSTABLE

Hiring a financial adviser is a key way to manage your retirement nest egg with less stress. Many people get overwhelmed when tackling retirement planning. Even those with big paychecks and a Wall Street education often seek a financial adviser to help them.

It’s a smart thing to do. You leave the investing work to experts. That gives you time and confidence to focus on important things like family and career. However, deciding which adviser to pick is a big deal. They will be looking after your financial nest egg. You will need to know a lot of things about them before deciding who to choose.

Different types of advisers have different credentials. Any financial adviser selling or recommending certain securities must pass Financial Industry Regulatory Authority exams and may need to register with federal and state regulators. Read more here.

Boaventuravinicius, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

NATO: PM STARMER STRUGGLES TO FIND THE MONEY FOR DEFENSE PLEDGE OF 5%. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

By SIMON CONSTABLE

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FRANCE: HEAT WAVE AND COUNTRY LANES WITH JUNO. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW OCCITANIE.

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FRANCE: HEATWAVE AND FRENCH WITH HEAVY USE OF AC, AND HAYING. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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UK: STARMER THE TRUMP WHISPERER. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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POTUS: HOOVER SIGNED SMOOT HAWLEY JUNE 1930. @REALCONSTABLE @BATCHELORSHOW

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Herbert E. French, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons