Joseph Brookes

The Tech Industry’s Gender Diversity Problem
Women are still dramatically under represented in the tech industry and the problem worsens the higher they rise within an organisation. That’s according to a report from McKinsey and Company and leanin.org which found efforts to address gender diversity “may be stalling.” Sign up for Which-50’s Irregular Insights newsletter The report,

Ant Financial’s MoneyGram acquisition Scrapped
Ant Financial’s acquisition of MoneyGram has been called off after the companies were unable to convince the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to approve the deal. The Chinese payments company, which operates Alipay, is an affiliate of the Alibaba group and had hoped to buy US

Online retail drives Australian Post Christmas Sales figure toward $18b
Australian consumers are tipped to spend nearly $18 billion in post Christmas sales, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA). The forecast is a near three per cent increase on last year’s actual figures. Sign up for Which-50’s Irregular Insights newsletter The figures come from ARA research conducted in conjunction

The Seven Macro Trends that will really disrupt banks
Banks need to start shifting their focus from short term problems and solutions to their long game, according to a Bain & Company report, which outlined seven macro themes that will transform the banking sector. Sign up for Which-50’s Irregular Insights newsletter Recent disruptions and trends have created “paranoia” and

American CEOs (still) embarrassed by Trump, think Bitcoin is a bubble
American CEOs are wary of the world’s most famous cryptocurrency Bitcoin, according to results from a survey held at a Yale CEO Summit. They’re also embarrassed by President Donald Trump’s performance after almost one year in office. The survey occurred during the Yale School of Management’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute

Uber – Public Transport Friend or Foe?
Ride sharing is often hailed as a way to reduce congestion and complement public transport. But new research suggests ride hailing companies like Uber may be producing a net increase in kilometres driven and undermining public transport. Sign up for Which-50’s Irregular Insights newsletter A UC Davies research report [PDF]

Retailers set to reap rewards of Open Banking
Retailers expect to be big winners following the rollout of open banking in Europe. According to an Accenture study, retail companies “could become the face of everyday financial transactions” when open banking payment systems come into effect in January. Sign up for Which-50’s Irregular Insights newsletter The Revised Payments Services

COVER STORY: Predictions are stupid, pointless and often wrong. Here’s eight shockers to end the year
Never pitch a prediction story to Which-50. Ever. Sadly this lesson is forgotten every year, and we are assailed by companies who feel compelled to issue vague buzzword-laden prophesies so bland they would make a Delphic Oracle blush with embarrassment. It’s never easy to pick through the entrails of the

How the tech world reacted to the FCC’s decision to scrap net neutrality rules
The American Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted 3-2 to repeal net neutrality rules – a 2015 Obama administration policy which prevented American ISPs from slowing or blocking websites. Critics argue the decision opens the way for ISPs to create a ‘pecking order’ for websites and corporations. Certain websites and

You can’t sit with us: CMOs yet to be given a seat at the exec table
Marketers are still struggling to elevate the role they play within the organisation, according to a new whitepaper from Marketo. The report called Can You Demonstrate The Value of Marketing? revealed that many marketers find it difficult to demonstrate their contribution to revenue. In many cases marketing teams are seen