Embattled outsourcing giant Interserve, which is a major government contractor, has just four days to win shareholder support for the board’s deleveraging plan, ahead of a crucial general meeting on 15 March to resolve what the company admits is ‘a critical financial situation’, raising fears of another Carillion-style collapse

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced the final rules on a new public register that enables consumers, firms and other stakeholders to find information on key individuals working in financial services

The Treasury has signalled it plans to increase the number of female entrepreneurs in the UK by 50% by asking lenders for details of the gender split of business investments, after research found women face too many barriers to setting up a business

Dan Hurd, Hunter Kelly and Craig Lewis of EY’s restructuring team have been appointed joint administrators of upmarket fashion retailer L.K. Bennett Ltd, which has collapsed putting some 500 jobs at risk at the company, whose shoes and dresses have been favourites of the Duchess of Cambridge

Closing the UK’s gender pay gap would increase female earnings by £92bn, a rise of 20%, according to research from PwC

The Treasury select committee is calling for the government to do more to tackle economic crime, saying the anti money laundering (AML) regime should be strengthened, with proposals including introducing corporate liability legislation, reforms to Companies House, and removing HMRC’s responsibility for AML supervision

Finance Mole fishes for an inoffensive name for the cunning German sales plan, but is left on the hook by the CFO

Myfanwy Neville, a partner at accounting and advisory firm BKL, describes herself as a ‘working class woman from Wales' who has become 'middle class' through her work. Here she gives voice to the negative experiences women still have in breaking into senior leadership roles at accounting firms, even when their working environment is‘trying’ not to discriminate

A survey from ICAS has found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of finance professionals believe that a no-deal Brexit is ‘very’ or ‘quite’ likely, but only half say their organisation has prepared for that outcome from the current negotiations over the UK’s withdrawal from the EU

The entrepreneurial founder of Ross Boyd ltd, which has expanded from Ireland across the UK, has announced a restructuring of the accountancy practice, bringing in its first outside shareholder, following the appointment of a new director who has taken a stake in its Belfast operation

Chris Pole and Mark Orton, partners from KPMG restructuring, have been appointed joint administrators of Synseal Group, which has been sold to Aperture Trading, in pre-pack deal which preserves over 1,000 jobs

The UK is lagging behind the US in holding large companies to account for serious economic crimes such as financial fraud or money laundering, according to research by Corruption Watch, which is calling for more effective legislation