Future Events, Dear Reader, Future Events

It’s summertime, folks, so the main theme of this edition of Now and Z/Yen is events. And if you normally plan your autumn schedule around Z/Yen sponsored activities (who doesn’t?) this piece will certainly get you started.

Z/Yen’s involvement with Gresham College continues apace. Professor Michael Mainelli’s regular lecture series enters its final (additional) year, [“see enclosed brochure” for print version]. Michael is very grateful to readers for providing examples for his lecture “It’s a Mad, Bad, Wonderful World” (see the May issue of Now and Z/Yen) and would be grateful for yet more examples of unusual commercial practices from around the world.

Further, this autumn Ian Harris has been persuaded to step up to the podium and come to the Gresham party for a one-off lecture on commercial ethics on 6 November.

Z/Yen are also sponsoring several other events at Gresham, including:

• All At Sea (2 events on the same day),
• The Sir Thomas Gresham Lecture - Sir Thomas Gresham,
• Symposium: What Makes A Good Auditor?

Finally, on the Gresham front, congratulations to Michael who has also become a Trustee on Gresham’s Council now.

PEFC Governance Reviewed

Z/Yen is delighted to announce the publication of the Governance Review that it conducted for the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC). PEFC is the world’s largest forest certification scheme, which undertook the review as part of the implementation of its Strategic Plan adopted in October of last year. Key recommendations of the review included augmenting the capacity and responsibility of the PEFC International Headquarters in Geneva, the creation of a Stakeholder Forum with voting rights, and engagement with a wide variety of partners contributing to global efforts combating deforestation in developing countries and fighting global warming. The full text of the Review can be found here: www.pefc.org

The Z/Yen team for this project was Alexander Knapp, Ian Harris and Michael Mainelli, facilitating an expert panel (see Now and Z/Yen March 2008). Many thanks to all the Now and Z/Yen readers who participated in the consultation. PEFC is now busy planning the implementation of these ambitious and important recommendations.

Caught Harris, Bowled Mainelli

A large Z/Yen contingent sallied forth to Brentwood in Essex, late July, to contest the new Bartlett-Harris Cricket Trophy. A Charles Bartlett Invitation XI (curiously similar to the old Children’s Society team) took on an Ian Harris Invitation XI (not discernibly different from the Z/Yen team of old). Z/Yen’s highlight of the day must have been Monique’s superb batting. But before that the lowlight of the day must have been the opening batting partnership between Messrs Harris and Mainelli; that managed to send any spectator who remained awake to sleep. Stick to the day job, fellas. But things were very different in the field, when those two teamed up for Ian Harris to take a sharp catch off the bowling of Michael – the first time he had ever bowled in his life. Ian also took several wickets with his moon-balls, including both Bartletts (father and son) in the same over. So perhaps Messrs Harris and Mainelli might choose to give up the day job in favour of cricket after all. As is so often the case, Ian’s team came second, but in any case The Children’s Society always wins, on this occasion to the tune of several hundred pounds raised towards that good cause. And a really good time was had by all; players and spectators alike.

Racing Events, Dear Reader, Racing Events

Z/Yen chose the wettest day of the decade for its works outing to the Lingfield Races. Mercifully Lingfield is an all-weather course, so the fun, team bonding and deep research was not interrupted. And deep research was at least partly the order of the day, as Z/Yen’s position on the relationship between gambling and financial services (see Now & Z/Yen – Betting On The Future for example) is starting to generate real client work. However, the Lingfield day’s deep research mainly comprised fail-safe investment strategies such as “choosing the horse with the name I like”, “choosing the one whose jockey is wearing my favourite colours” and “choosing the one with an Irish/Aussie/Arabian owner/trainer”. Strangely, the bookies all seemed to think that these were excellent investment strategies. But joking apart, the day was a great success for all involved.