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Wednesday, 18 March 2026
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Utilities sector faces communications talent exodus at a moment of peak public scrutiny
That’s according to new research from specialist recruitment firm Murray McIntosh.
The Strategic Communications Report 2026 reveals unprecedented levels of workforce mobility within Utilities communications teams, with over half (52%) of strategic communications professionals in the sector planning to move roles within the next six months, while almost two-thirds (64%) have interviewed for a new position in the past year.
The findings signal a sector under growing strain, as communications professionals grapple with rising regulatory complexity, sustainability pressures and heightened public and media scrutiny. With customer trust, affordability, environmental performance and resilience firmly in the spotlight, the loss of experienced communications talent risks further weakening already strained relationships between Utilities providers and the public.
Evolving skills landscape placing further strain on comms teams
At the same time, skills expectations within communications roles are evolving rapidly. Beyond core communications skills, demand is rising sharply for technical capabilities, including data literacy, AI, data science and coding. This reflects the Utility sector’s increasing reliance on digital transformation, predictive analytics and data-driven decision-making to manage complex infrastructure, customer expectations and regulatory obligations. Notably, 82% of communications professionals believe AI has already impacted, or will imminently impact, their role, the highest level recorded across all industries surveyed.
Lauren Maddocks, Associate Director, Policy and Public Affairs at Murray McIntosh, told That's Business: “Utilities organisations are operating in one of the most scrutinised environments of any sector, yet they are at real risk of losing the very communications talent needed to navigate that scrutiny.
"When public trust is fragile, and expectations around transparency, sustainability and accountability are rising, experienced communications professionals aren’t a ‘nice to have’, they are fundamentally critical.
“Firms that don’t address the upcoming exodus in time and effectively pipeline communications professionals risk a revolving door of talent at precisely the wrong time. At a time when public trust in Utilities is already fragile, employers that fail to recognise just how crucial communications talent pipelining is will find themselves exposed, not just to skills shortages, but perhaps more importantly to reputational and operational risk.”
You can read the report here https://www.murraymcintosh.com/downloadable-content/strategic-communications-salary-labour-report
UK Foundations Hit Record Highs for Transparency and Accountability
The 2025–2026 assessment of 100 grant-making foundations has delivered the strongest results in the initiative’s five-year history, with clear progress in diversity, accountability and transparency across the sector.
Record-breaking performance
This year’s findings highlight a sector moving in the right direction:
12 foundations achieved an A grade overall, the highest number ever recorded
Three foundations secured straight A’s across all categories (diversity, accountability and transparency), a rare achievement
Only seven foundations received D grades across all areas, down from 12 last year
Every assessment criterion was met by at least one foundation, reinforcing that best practice is both realistic and achievable
The message is clear: standards are rising, and more organisations are meeting them.
Real progress—but more to do
Danielle Walker Palmour, Director of Friends Provident Foundation, says the shift is meaningful. He told That's Business: “Five years ago, the Foundation Practice Rating found that as foundations we had work to do especially in diversity. These results show we’re making headway.”
While progress is evident, she also acknowledges ongoing challenges, particularly as the operating environment becomes more complex.
Spotlight on leadership
Among the standout performers is Mission 44, founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton, which achieved a rare “AAA” rating.
The organisation focuses on improving access to education and STEM careers for young people, with CEO Jason Arthur emphasising the importance of inclusion:
“Valuing and listening to diverse voices, particularly young people, is central to everything we do.”
Community foundations lead the way
Community foundations continue to outperform the wider sector. All seven assessed this year received A or B ratings, reflecting strong local engagement and accountability.
Emma de Closset, Chief Executive of UK Community Foundations, credits their success to a grassroots approach: “We’re rooted in the communities we serve. That closeness drives transparency, trust and responsiveness.”
A sector in transition
Despite the positive results, the report also highlights emerging pressures. Some foundations are pausing or closing, while others face increased scrutiny—and even personal targeting of staff and trustees.
This raises important questions about how far transparency can or should go in a changing landscape.
Why it matters for business
For organisations partnering with charities or foundations, these improvements are significant. Stronger governance, clearer accountability and more inclusive practices make for more effective funding—and better outcomes.
As Palmour puts it: “How we fund matters just as much as what we fund.”
Bottom line: The UK foundation sector is improving fast—but in a more challenging environment than ever. For businesses, donors and partners, that makes transparency and trust more valuable than ever.
Read the full report: foundationpracticerating.org.uk/cohort-results-2025-2026
UK Payroll Systems Under Pressure as Year-End Exposes Cracks
New insights from CloudPay reveal that year-end pressures are exposing deep-rooted weaknesses in payroll infrastructure, and many organisations are struggling to adapt.
Legacy Systems Are Holding Businesses Back
For many companies, payroll modernisation isn’t just slow, it’s stalled.
According to the data:
61% of employers say integration complexity is delaying progress
29% point to legacy systems as their biggest barrier
This paints a clear picture: outdated technology and disconnected systems are preventing payroll teams from operating efficiently at a time when precision and compliance matter most.
More Than Just Paying Staff
Payroll has evolved far beyond simply processing wages. It now plays a critical role in:
Maintaining compliance
Supporting business decision-making
Protecting employee trust
Ensuring operational continuity
Yet many organisations are still relying on fragmented, ageing systems that can’t deliver the accuracy or insight modern businesses demand.
A Systemic Problem, Not a Temporary One
CloudPay warns that this isn’t just a seasonal issue driven by year-end workloads — it’s a structural problem across UK payroll.
John Pearce, Chief Customer Officer at CloudPay, highlighted to That's Business that businesses are facing “systemic barriers to progress,” with outdated infrastructure and poor integration limiting their ability to modernise.
At a time when payroll accuracy and employee experience are under increasing scrutiny, these limitations could have serious consequences, from compliance failures to reputational damage.
The Case for Payroll Transformation
The message is clear: payroll transformation can no longer be treated as a future project.
Businesses that invest in modern, cloud-based payroll systems stand to gain:
Greater agility and scalability
Improved accuracy and compliance
Better workforce insights
Stronger resilience in high-pressure periods
Those that don’t risk falling behind, not just operationally, but competitively.
The Bottom Line
Year-end isn’t just a busy period for payroll teams, it’s a stress test.
And right now, many UK payroll systems are failing it.
For forward-thinking businesses, the opportunity is obvious: modernise now, or risk being left behind.
Tuesday, 17 March 2026
IoT SIM Card disrupter transits 70m MB in 2025 on track for 100m+ in 2026
The company processed 36.5 million MB in 2024 increasing to 71.5 million MB in 2025, an impressive 49% rise driven by growing demand for resilient, multi-network IoT SIM Cards.
This growth is being fuelled by UK organisations migrating major connectivity contracts to KeySIM as they seek greater control, security, and performance from their IoT deployments.
Built on a Tele2 core network and enhanced through private breakout across multiple UK data centers KeySIM delivers high-performance IoT services including private APNs, VPN connectivity and fixed IP addressing.
The business supports over 500 UK enterprises across sectors including security, healthcare, retail, and infrastructure and remains firmly on track to exceed 100 million MB of data throughput in 2026.
KeySIM is led by co-founder Graham Robinson who brings over 20 years’ experience in IoT, including the development of a SIM-powered lone worker solution — experience that has directly shaped the company’s network architecture and service offering.
Graham Robinson, Co-Founder of KeySIM, told That's Business: “This level of growth reflects a broader shift in how organisations approach IoT connectivity, with increasing emphasis on security, control, and performance.
KeySIM’s architecture has been designed to meet these requirements, and current growth levels indicate strong ongoing demand.”
Vida Bank reports strong growth in first full year as a bank
Mortgage applications climbed to £2.6bn during the year, reflecting strong demand from brokers for Vida’s specialist mortgage solutions.
The lender also attracted over £2.4bn in retail deposits from in excess of 75,000 savers, significantly strengthening its funding base and reducing the overall cost of funds.
Profit before tax jumped to £9.4m from £3.6m in 2024 as the specialist lender accelerated mortgage growth and successfully launched its retail savings franchise.
As a result, Net Interest Income increased to £45.5m, while the Net Interest Margin improved to 2.29%.
Customer and broker engagement was also very strong, with mortgage customer Net Promoter Score (NPS) rising to +49 and broker NPS reaching +29, reflecting consistency in service delivery and a focus on underwriting responsiveness.
Anth Mooney, Chief Executive Officer, told That's Business: “Becoming a bank has transformed the scale at which we can compete. The specialist mortgage market remains our sole focus, serving customers with complex incomes or circumstances that do not quite fit the traditional high street lending model.
"Over the past year we’ve invested heavily in our decisioning capabilities and service model, combining deeper data insights with experienced underwriting judgment to assess cases more intelligently. That combination allows us to grow with confidence; building a highly scalable mortgage origination platform while maintaining the discipline and credit quality that underpins a sustainable specialist bank. Our approach is different to our competitors, but brokers and customers genuinely seem to love it.”
Stuart Sinclair, Chair of Vida Bank, told us: Having joined Vida during its first full year as a bank, I’ve been struck by the strength of the business, the clarity of its strategy and the commitment of its people. What stands out most is the sense of purpose that runs through the company, helping more people find a place to call home, and the discipline with which the team is building a sustainable specialist bank around that.”
To read their full Annual Reports and Accounts 2025, click here https://www.vidabank.co.uk/about-vida-bank/investors/
Neo Energy: The Tech Revolution Currently Transforming the Energy Industry
Where banking once evolved through digital-first challengers that redefined customer relationships, the energy industry is now entering its own moment of reinvention.
At the centre of this shift is PLAN-B NET ZERO, a fast-growing GreenTech company championing what it calls “Neo Energy”.
This week, founder and CEO Bradley Mundt is taking that message to Berlin, appearing at both the SET Tech Festival and delivering a keynote at Transform. His core argument is clear: the future of energy is not about incremental upgrades, but a complete rethink of how consumers interact with it.
A Sector Held Back by Data, Not Just Infrastructure
While headlines often focus on blackouts, grid strain, and infrastructure challenges, the underlying issue is increasingly digital. Many of today’s inefficiencies, from unused renewable capacity to bottlenecks in distribution — stem from outdated IT systems, fragmented data, and legacy processes that no longer reflect how energy is produced or consumed.
Traditionally, the energy market has operated on a simple equation: how much electricity is generated versus how much is used. But in a more complex, renewable-driven landscape, that’s no longer enough. The real value lies in understanding when, where, and why energy is used, and using that insight to deliver better outcomes for customers.
From Commodity to Customer Experience
This is where Neo Energy comes in. Rather than offering another tariff or gadget, PLAN-B NET ZERO is positioning its platform as an operating system for the modern energy market, open, data-driven, and built around user experience.
The goal is to move energy beyond its traditional role as a background utility and turn it into something more interactive and engaging. Instead of only logging into energy accounts when there’s a problem, customers could receive intelligent prompts, automated savings opportunities, and real-time insights tailored to their behaviour.
It’s a shift echoing the rise of neobanks like Revolut, which didn’t reinvent banking itself, but transformed how people experience it.
Transformation in Practice
Despite the ambition, PLAN-B NET ZERO is realistic about the challenges. The energy sector is complex, heavily regulated, and deeply reliant on legacy systems. According to CTO Steven Rohner, meaningful change won’t come from perfect digital blueprints, but from collaboration, experimentation, and steady progress.
Neo Energy, he argues, isn'ta standalone product but an ecosystem, one requiring partnerships, shared innovation, and a willingness to rethink long-established norms.
A Defining Moment for Energy
Founded in 2023 and already experiencing rapid growth, PLAN-B NET ZERO represents a new wave of thinking in the energy space. Its message is simple but significant: digital transformation in energy isn't just overdue, it’s an opportunity to fundamentally reshape the relationship between people and power.
As the sector faces mounting pressure to modernise and decarbonise, the rise of Neo Energy could mark the beginning of a more connected, intelligent, and customer-focused future.
To learn more please visit https://www.planbnetzero.com
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