Now & Z/Yen February 2009

Z/Yen Gets Deep Into Commercial Disputes

As we announced in November’s Now & Z/Yen, Taylor Wessing’s Global Intellectual Property Index (GIPI), created by Z/Yen, won an award for Excellence in Marketing and Business Development at the Law Society Excellence Awards.  We are currently compiling GIPI 2 – the first annual update.  Taylor Wessing have also asked us to conduct a further piece of research into commercial disputes, the best ways of conducting these and the jurisdictions under which to achieve the quickest and most desirable outcomes.  This will involve an online questionnaire so please help out if you have had any experience of commercial disputes.  Mark Yeandle will be leading the way on these projects, which might be a bit of a worry if item “Do You Know Where You’re Going To?” (see below) is anything to go by.

Tomorrow's Carbon Prices Today

Z/Yen people, in the form of Dr Kevin Parker, Jan-Peter Onstwedder and Michael, have been working with Tomorrow's Company on a fascinating project to bring the potential impact of climate change home to business people.  Our approach tries going beyond the science, politics and carbon abatement targets to look at the effect of carbon prices on real businesses.  Z/Yen has constructed a model that examines various abatement targets and coverage to work out a price for carbon.  One Z/Yen twist is to use historic price elasticity to estimate prices for electricity, transport and office space.  A number of people have helped to validate our model, to whom we give many thanks.

The model provides interesting insights, such as the importance of the percentage coverage of cap-and-trade schemes, or the huge impact on office space costs.  Tomorrow's Company is producing a booklet on the impact on businesses, but if we can obtain some additional funding we're hoping to provide the model online for everyone to use.  As Michael notes, in finance "pessimism is the new black", but if you use this model for strategic planning we might say "carbon is the new black".

And Talking Of New

Z/Yen is delighted to announce a new joiner, Leonor (Leo) Fishman, fresh from Girton College Cambridge.  In an attempt to ensure that she perpetuates a well-known stereotype, Leo cycles to Z/Yen most days.  Actually Leo brought with her experience from an internship at Intelligent Giving and also some “coal-face” fundraising work for Shelter, so she has slotted in well with our not-for-profit team.  She is already getting her teeth into a couple of our projects with UNISON and also some heavy-duty editing for Z/Yen publications.  Welcome, Leo.

Political Monk or Political Manqué?

If you ever want to embarrass Michael, just remind him that his first degree was in Government.  So how amusing to catch him hobnobbing with various politicos.  First, he joins HM Treasury’s Professional Services Competitiveness Group (see Now & Z/Yen November 2008 for the news as it broke), in December he mutters under his breath about Christmas drinks at No 11 Downing Street, then at the House of Commons for the Associate Parliamentary Group on Wholesale Financial, Markets and Services.  But we are all wondering if he’s about to break his oft-mentioned aversion to public office as we found him at the Securities & Investment Institute annual debate at Mansion House on 14 January, facing off against Dr Vince Cable MP, the Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Chancellor.
The topic was “In This Current Financial Environment, More Financial Regulation Is A Major Part Of The Solution” – Dr Cable and Alan Yarrow were “for” the motion, while Michael and David Bennett were “against”. Behind the scenes your intrepid Now & Z/Yen reporter can attest that Michael was terrified of the man whose “Mr Bean” comment about Gordon Brown was called by The Economist, "the single best line of Gordon Brown's premiership". In the event, Michael grew to admire Dr Cable’s style, while Dr Cable and Mr Yarrow graciously let Michael and David win by 61% to 39%.  Michael keeps muttering, but now it’s something about a monastery on an isolated mountaintop.

Do You Know Where You’re Going To

If you ever end up by accident at a monastery on an isolated mountaintop, chances are Mark Yeandle was leading the way, perhaps aiming for the seaside.  Here is an example of Mark’s directional challenges.  After our Z/Yen Christmas party, he and wife Jane set off from the City in the direction of their home.  So far, so straightforward.  Indeed, Mark was even equipped with a Z/Yen timepiece and compass to help them find their way.  All we know of what happened after that is a report from Geoffrey, Mark’s dad.  Apparently he was called out in emergency circumstances to rescue Mark and Jane from a railway station many miles from their home in Kent.  Mark muttered something about getting on the wrong train and/or both falling asleep – to be honest we were all too busy laughing to listen to his vague excuses.

Charities Coming Together In The Right Direction

There was a rare sighting of Ian Harris in Docklands in early February, when he addressed the Charity Finance Directors’ Group (CFDG) on the subject of Collaborations and Mergers.  About 90 people turned out in foul weather, which just goes to show the phenomenal drawing power of John Graham and David Lawrence (the other speakers). Or perhaps people were drawn to the stunning surroundings of Barclay’s 30th floor reception room.  Ian’s Z/Yen timepiece and compass came in doubly useful that day – firstly in getting him to the Docklands on time and secondly in helping to identify which direction was which from the different viewing points, a feat which helped even the slightly disoriented Barclay’s hosts! Joking apart, the subject of collaborations and mergers is very timely and pertinent to the charity sector at the moment, with many imaginative relationships being formed in the sector.  Z/Yen is delighted to be providing thought leadership in this important area of strategic charity sector work.