Business Diary: March 22

Lord Kirkham, the man behind sofa retailer DFS, last week revealed the secret of dealing with difficult shareholders.

Speaking as part of the Billion Pound Panel debate at the Yorkshire Mafia conference in Leeds, he recalled his first AGM in Doncaster after the company floated in 1993.

Diary has cleaned up the punchline for publication.

“I asked: ‘shouldn’t we do a little bit of preparation ahead of the meeting?’ But I was told not to worry as there are usually no questions,” Lord Kirkham told the audience.

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“However, when it came to asking if there were any questions, someone stood up and said: ‘I have one question – it’s in six parts’.

Lord Kirkham said he was caught off guard until someone on the board handed over to him a piece of paper which said: “Tell him to get lost”.

The Mafia women to bare all for charity

DIARY readers won’t need long memories to recall a time when every organisation under the sun seemed to be stripping for a charity calendar.

The latest group to decide that it’s time to disrobe is the Yorkshire Mafia Ladies, part of the Yorkshire Mafia network.

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Its members have decided to strip for charity with the production of a calendar for supermarket chain Asda’s Tickled Pink charity campaign, which raises cash for breast cancer research.

The group has also “re-branded” and will now be known as Yorkshire Mafia Women.

Formed in September 2010 as a sub-group of the Yorkshire Mafia, the group now has almost 400 members made up of senior businesswomen in the region. Sarah Louise Walker, the founder of the group, said: “We are really excited to have unveiled our new-look logo and name and I am overwhelmed by the support for our soon to be produced charity calendar for 2012 – which we hope will raise lots of money for this fantastic cause. So watch this space.

“I am constantly inspired by the women in the group who represent the very best that Yorkshire business has to offer. Collectively, we are stronger together and the premise behind the group is not to be frilly but to be a gritty network of professionals who share the belief that we have incredible expertise in the region and should all work together.”

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The Yorkshire Post was media partner for the Yorkshire Mafia’s first conference.

Haribo are sweet on the Royal wedding

THE Queen is not known to be a fan but it’s widely believed that her grandson and his bride-to-be are keen on Haribo. Now the British arm of the German sweets giant, based in Pontefract, has produced a new version inspired by the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Hearts & Rings and Other Nice Things was sent to the Peaches Spar Store in Bucklebury, Berkshire, where the couple are said to be customers, before it is rolled out to other shops around the country next month.

Herwig Vennekens, the Belgian-born managing director of Haribo, said: “As a brand we are always looking to create new and exciting treats and the Royal announcement inspired us to develop Hearts & Rings and Other Nice Things, which is a product that celebrates love and friendship.”

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Haribo UK is one of West Yorkshire’s largest private sector employers with 520 staff at its Pontefract factory, its only domestic site where gums, jellies and liquorice are made for the UK and Irish market, as well as exported to countries such as Canada, Australia and Kenya.

Home comforts for the relocation experts

New Fenner chief executive Nick Hobson is an expert at relocating. After emigrating between the UK and the US four times, he and his wife Pam have got it down to a fine art – buying their new home in Barton-upon-Humber before even arriving in the UK.

“We bought a house just before Christmas with the full intention of moving straight into it,” said Mr Hobson.

“My wife and I have learnt that the best way to relocate is to buy a house first.”

That’s all well and good, but the approach has its downsides – they’ve still got their American home to sell.