Purpose – The “digital divide” between the “haves” and the “have nots” in the developed world is now less about access to the web than it is about understanding how to actively participate in the networked society. The paper shows how people with the skills, time and confidence to...

Audit committees have been an integral part of risk management in financial services organisations for longer than in the rest of the economy. But the pressures on audit committee performance are growing. The authors, who have provided a guidance document published by the ICAEW, show how...

Reinsurance and financial‐services organization Swiss Re has repositioned its alternative risk resources after a radical reorganization. Strategic imperatives included establishing a new performance culture among its 500 associates, who mostly work in virtual teams as part of the new Swiss Re...

When UK financial‐services provider Prudential decided to introduce extensive remote working as part of its drive to build stronger customer relationships, the company was keen to ensure that its employees not only had the technology, but also the skills, to maximize the individual and...

Financial‐services company De Lage Landen (DLL), a subsidiary of the Rabobank Group, is capitalizing on the power of its information systems to support effective induction training. DLL, founded in The Netherlands in 1969, is today an international leader in providing partnership in...

Launched only three years ago, UK e‐commerce banking organization Egg already has more than 1.7 million customers and around 2,000 employees. Employee training has had to be reformed to cope with a growth rate which has exceeded even the company’s expectations.

Emphasis on effective internal communication has proved successful for independent financial advisers NBJ Life and Pensions, a member of the Norman Butcher & Jones Group, which is one of the largest independently owned financial‐services companies in the UK. NBJ has offices in Bromley, Hove,...

Major UK building society West Bromwich is developing cultural harmony and gaining the benefits of a diverse workforce through its revised equal‐opportunities policy and action plan. West Bromwich, which employs around 800 people, is building cultural harmony rather than cultural conformity...

Purpose – Reviews an article written by John Willmott, director of organizational change at Norwich Union Insurance. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – The...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to explore the role of brand advertising in restoring trust in the sector. Consumer confidence in financial services has been bruised and battered over recent months. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses data from a variety of respected...