Latest news with #Rothschild
Bloomberg
10 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Luxury Supplier MinervaHub Asks Banks to Alter Terms of Its Debt
MinervaHub SpA, a supplier of materials for fashion and accessories, is renegotiating debt terms with lenders as it battles a downturn in the luxury sector. The Milan-based firm is working with bankers at Rothschild & Co. on the talks, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because they're not authorized to speak publicly.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Vendor Spotlight: Emma Rothschild, Bitchin' Blooms
Floral designer Emma Rothschild's job title? 'Founder, marketing director, creative director—all of the above.' However, despite her dizzying array of responsibilities, including starting and running her own business from scratch, Rothschild never breaks a smile when talking about her work. 'We're all just playing with flowers,' she says, and, undeterred by the incontrovertible challenges and intensity of what she does, she never seems to stop having fun. Within a short couple of years, starting with only her own apartment and a resume consisting of a Master's in Nonprofit Administration and Management, corporate work, and no floral design experience whatsoever, Rothschild has turned play into work, founding her own floral design business, Bitchin' Blooms, that has worked with brands including Nike, Glossier, Totême, Ana Luisa, and more. I always really loved art in design and color. My mom does floral arrangements from the garden. My grandpa always did really fun and unique fruit plate designs. So, I always just was interested. And then, when I was in grad school, I basically emailed every florist I could find under the sun in L.A. asking if I could freelance, if I could do it for free, get any experience I could. And luckily, a few people said yes. So, that's when I started doing it. And then, I worked at some flower shops, and then started Bitchin' Blooms. My first experience doing flowers, I lied a little bit and said that I already had flower experience because there was a florist that needed a lot of freelancers for Valentine's Day, and, I figured, 'It's the busiest holiday of the the year, they're not going to know if I have no idea what I'm doing.' So, I just kind of jumped into it and, like, the night before, was researching flower names to make sure that if they asked me anything, I knew what it was. And, I was just making little bouquets for Valentine's Day. Before Bitchin' Blooms, I did a bunch of freelancing under florists, and then I worked at two different flower shops. One of them had a very distinct kind of classic style, and then the other one was a lot of building bouquets on the spot for people. So, whatever they wanted, you just kind of had to make it, and make it quickly. What led me to open my own business was really wanting the creative freedom to do, kind of, whatever I wanted at any given moment. I would say that when you work at a flower shop, sometimes you have to adhere to specific styles. So, I really like having that ability to do anything. I got my master's in nonprofit administration and management. So, I had quite a few internships in the nonprofit arts world, and then I also worked in marketing at a women's healthcare clinic. And, although that fulfilled a different part of my personality and what I enjoy, I really missed the creative aspect. So, when I realized that Bitchin' Blooms could be my full time job, I just decided to kind of dive in. Switching from corporate America-y jobs to this was kind of scary, mostly exciting. I have a lot of really supportive people around me that were urging me to make the jump for a long time before I did it. And, I just kind of had a moment where I was always doing Bitchin' Blooms while also working. But, it just got increasingly more difficult to split my time, and I had wanted to do flowers since I started it. And, it just felt like it was a moment where I could actually sustain myself and do something I really wanted to do. I would say the biggest trends right now are more color and more unique and interesting flowers. I think people are starting to veer away from the whites and greens and those, kind of, classic looks and going for bright 'pops.' Some of the trends right now are Ikebana style—so the minimalist arrangements that just have a few different really cool stems. I would also say anthurium and orchis are specifically really big right now. And, just more color. Lots of color—which I love. 'I'm really excited that there's a lot of young women that are starting to be floral designers,' says Rothschild. I would say the main thing that sets me apart from other floral vendors is the personal aspect. When you're coming to Bitchin' Blooms for your wedding, you're going to be working with me, specifically, from start to finish. So, I'll give you my cell phone number, so if you see flowers out in the wild that you love, you can send it to me so that I know something that you're, you know—that's popping up that you're really into. I also would say that I use really unique flowers and designs. And then, another thing is that I don't have a minimum for my weddings, so even if you have a really small brunch or a microwedding, we can definitely make something that'll be special. I think that people choose me because of the colors that I use and the natural style that I go for. So, something that's more unique. You're not going to see just roses—well, sometimes you do, but they'll be with reflex, or there'll be something that's different about it, that you wouldn't just see typically. And, I do think that there is a personal aspect to coming to someone like me, where you know that you're talking to the person who's designing your flowers, and they're overseeing everything, and there's that direct communication so that it's not just, you know, hiring 1-800-FLOWERS to do your arrangement or your wedding. You're hiring someone that you know and you can talk to and bounce ideas off of. I ruptured my Achilles last year, and a week after I did that, I had a wedding on the Malibu Pier. So I was in a cast on crutches. But, when you're running your own business, and you want to make it work, you do. So, I had my mom help, I had my boyfriend help. We ended up forgetting the crutches when we got there, so we had to zoom over to CVS. But, luckily, we had plenty of time, and it actually ended up being one of my favorite weddings. Some of the challenges during peak wedding season are definitely… sleep. You get up at 5:30 in the morning to go to the flower market, and then you have to stay fresh to make sure that your designs look the way that you want them to. And, another challenge would be knowing when to turn your phone off, when you're running your own business. You want to answer every email within 15 minutes and just be really on top of it, but that's just not possible, and it's definitely good to know when to take a break. I would say the most challenging aspect is more the mental side of it. Because, you know, you're doing a wedding—it's a really special day for people, you want to make sure that the bride loves her bouquet, that the photos turn out just how she wants them to. So, I would say the most challenging part is just making 100-percent sure that you're on the same page as the couple, so that the end product really reflects what they want. 'The secret to my success is blind optimism—and,' Rothschild jokes, 'having a mom and boyfriend who will work for free.' My flower style is very colorful and architectural and really plays with heights and textures. Something that's always inspired me, and that I've always loved, is art, in general. I almost was an art history major in college, and I've loved Impressionists and just seeing those vibrant colors and the way that they melt together. So, I think that definitely inspires me. And then my biggest inspiration is, just, what's freshest at the market. Because sometimes you can go into the market, and you think you're going to do something, and then you find out that the dahlias look terrible that week, and you just have to pivot and find something else that matches what you're thinking. And, the colors of the market are just so fun and exciting to look at. Thank God [my style] has evolved, because sometimes I look at old pictures, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I can't believe that passed. But, I would say the main thing that has evolved is being able to play with the depth and texture. I think, when I started out, arrangements were really flat, and although they were colorful, and pretty flowers were in them, they were very one-sided, and you couldn't see the different flowers because they were kind of just too mushed together. And now, I've really been playing with depth and height and just trying to make the shapes a little more interesting than your average flower arrangement. My personality is definitely not go-with-the-flow—and I think all of my friends would say that, too. I think I'm a problem-solver type. If there's something that needs to be figured out, I don't stress out about it. I'm just going to make sure that it happens and go for it. And, I'm a perfectionist sometimes. Like, when it comes to flowers, I will be looking at something forever to make sure it looks perfect. And then, for other aspects of the business, like Instagram or something, I just want it posted, and I don't want to think about it anymore. And then, I think being light-hearted is just an important part of owning your own business and going for it, because you can't take things too much to-heart—even though sometimes I do—because it's just, you're in customer service, at the end of the day. So, you can't take every little comment to, you know, impact your entire business or being. 'I think being light-hearted is just an important part of owning your own business and going for it,' Rothschild says. The most difficult part of my job? I don't know—I feel very lucky to be able to do flowers for my job. I think the most difficult aspect would be admin stuff, in general. Like, you have to figure out taxes and bookkeeping and become an LLC, and all of these things that you just don't think of when you start arranging flowers. You think that you're going to get to do creative stuff all the time, but there's a lot of backend work. And then, also, cleaning up is always hard, and you never want to do it at the end of the day. My approach to marketing at the beginning was—none. I just posted everything. And, sometimes I'll scroll all the way back on my Instagram, and I think about deleting things, and I don't, because I feel like it really shows the evolution. But, I think when you're starting out, you know, you just have your friends support you and follow you and go along. And then recently, I've tried to have a more strategic angle to my marketing, where I'll show people how I make the arrangements, going to the market, and kind of the behind-the-scenes of it. And, I also got a little pedestal to put in my apartment so that all my photos look more professional. What do I hope for the future of my business? I would love to be, well—currently my flower studio is my apartment, so I would love a formal flower studio with gorgeous lighting to take pictures in. And, just more of what I'm doing now. I do, you know, brand events and weddings. And, you know, having a wedding a week, or a brand event and then a wedding, or something like that I think would be really cool. Sometimes, I'm like, 'Yeah, I want to have a staff'—I kind of like just having it be me, and making everything, and doing these more 'micro' weddings. I think it's nice keeping it small. My team generally consists of my mom, and my boyfriend will do all the heavylifting. I have hired freelancers in the past—luckily, from my past flower experiences, I have a lot of friends in the flower world doing their own things or working at flower shops or have moved on, but still have that skillset. But so far, I don't hire a consistent team. [Note: Emma has, since we interviewed her, moved into her very own 'formal' flower studio and done a series of events and collaborations with various brands.] My favorite flowers to work with—I'll probably just keep going and going—but I love sweet peas, peonies, anthurium, orchids, dahlias… I'll keep it to those five, I would say, are my top, top flowers. I think my dream flower arrangement would be really colorful. I love working with pinks and oranges and vibrant greens and, like, a pop of purple. And, it would definitely have a lot of orchids, anthurium, sweet peas—all those. And also allium, which are the giant, purple, ball flowers. They're in the garlic family, and they're just a really fun flower to work with. I know what my dream wedding would be, and it would be at the Ojai Valley Inn, specifically, and it would have a lot of orchids and anthuriums and dahlias and sweet peas and all the flowers that I mentioned. And, it would be very florally dense. I think something that I do in my arrangements is I don't use a lot of greenery at all, if any, so it would definitely be bloom-centric. And, just, everywhere, flowers—flowers up the trees, down the centers of the tables. And, also, food styling. I think food styling with flowers is really cool.
Canada Standard
12-06-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
What family firms like Rothschild can teach Canadian businesses about resilience
Family businesses constitute a vital component of Canada's economic landscape. They make up 63 per cent of privately held firms, employ nearly seven million people and generate about $575 billion a year. While Canadian family-run businesses express international ambitions, their overseas engagement tends to be more conservative compared to their non-family counterparts. In today's turbulent economic environment - marked by geopolitical tensions, technological disruption and shifting trade patterns - international competitiveness is more important than ever. Around the world, family firms have shown remarkable resilience in the face of external shocks. Some of the world's longest-standing corporations are family-owned, having endured world wars, revolutions, natural disasters and pandemics. For Canadian family firms aspiring to expand abroad, such examples offer both inspiration and insight. Among such long-standing multinationals is Rothschild, a centuries-old European family-run investment bank. Our case study of Rothschild, based on historical analysis, highlights how the family's enduring relationships, reliable routines and long-term goals gave it significant advantages in international business. At the same time, however, families can contribute unique biases, especially "bifurcation bias" - a tendency to favour family resources over equally or more valuable non-family ones. Our study reveals that bifurcation bias can compromise a firm's international trajectory, especially in distant and complex markets. Initially a merchant business, the firm was founded in the late 18th century by Mayer Amschel Rothschild, a Frankfurt Jew. Rothschild and his wife, Guttle, had 10 children, including five sons: Amschel, Salomon, Nathan, Carl and James. In 1798, Rothschild sent Nathan to Manchester, England, which initiated the firm's growth in that country and a transition from merchant operations to financial transactions. By the 1820s, Rothschild became a multinational bank, with Amschel, Salomon, Nathan, Carl and James leading banking houses in Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Naples and Paris, respectively. In the 19th century, the Rothschild's strategy of relying on family members initially worked well for the firm. The five Rothschild brothers corresponded in a coded language and shared a common pool of resources at a time when shared balance sheets were uncommon in international banking. Their close familial bonds allowed the brothers to move information, money and goods across international borders with a speed and reach that wasn't accessible to competitors. Rivals, by contrast, had to worry about protecting sensitive information and enforcing commitments. This internal cohesiveness safeguarded the Rothschild's business, facilitated transactions and allowed them to maintain resilience through the periods of significant political upheaval: the Napoleonic wars, revolutions and, ultimately, the First World War, which interrupted economic and social progress in Europe. However, this same over-reliance on family became a disadvantage when Rothschild expanded into the United States. The Rothschilds showed an interest in the American market as early as the 1820s. However, their repeated attempts to send family members to the U.S to expand operations failed, as none were willing to stay, preferring the comforts of European life. Since they were unable to establish a family-based anchor in the country, the Rothschilds appointed an agent, August Belmont, to run the U.S. operations on their behalf in 1837. However, Belmont wasn't given the authority to exercise entrepreneurial judgment, make investments or enter into deals. He also didn't have unrestricted access to capital, was never entrusted with an official Rothschild mandate or acknowledged as a full-fledged partner. The Rothschilds were unwilling to delegate such decisions to someone who was not a direct male descendant of the founder, Mayer Amschel Rothschild. This failure to use Belmont as a link between the family - with its successful experiences, capabilities, routines and connections in Europe - and the American market - with its growing opportunities and the valuable networks Belmont had begun to develop - ultimately prevented Rothschild from replicating its success in the U.S. The Rothschilds were eventually eclipsed by the Barings and JP Morgan banks in America. Both competitors followed a different path in the market by opening full-fledged U.S. subsidiaries under their corporate brands with significant funds and decision-making autonomy. Bifurcation bias does not always have an immediate negative impact. In fact, biased governance practices remained inconsequential for the Rothschilds - as long as there were enough capable family heirs available to lead the bank's dispersed operations. In the short- to medium-term, the family's connections, time-tested routines and mutual reliability built a well of resilience that sustained the bank through the 19th century, one of the most volatile political periods in European history. But as a firm's international ambitions outgrow the size of the family, bifurcation bias can damage competitiveness, both in international markets and at home. At some point, family firms must shift from emotional, biased decision-making to efficient governance systems, which may involve incorporating non-family managers and selecting resources, locations and projects that do not carry emotional significance. Many successful family firms implement tools in their governance systems to detect and eliminate biased behaviour. For instance, family-owned multinationals such as Merck (Germany), Cargill (U.S.) and Tata Group (India) have checks and balances that prevent decision-makers from thinking only in family terms. The most successful strategies to safeguard against bifurcation bias invite outside scrutiny into corporate decision-making: appointing non-family CEOs, establishing independent boards, hiring consultants and granting partners decision-making powers. Today, as the global business environment faces arguably unprecedented volatility, firms are seeking to build resilience to survive the turbulence. While multi-generational family firms must learn to guard against bifurcation bias to thrive in international markets, their demonstrated ability to withstand external shocks offers valuable lessons for other companies. How can non-family firms emulate the Rothschild's success and longevity? The Rothschild case teaches us the value of having a shared organizational language, setting long-term goals, maintaining stable routines and placing a strong emphasis on brand reputation. These strategies can help any company, family-owned or not, build resilience during volatile times.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Four adorable meerkat pups born at Blair Drummond Safari Park settling into surroundings
The four meerkat pups - born on May 10 to parents Cardi B and Biggie at Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling - are starting to "show a bit of character". Four meerkat pups born at Blair Drummond Safari Park are starting to "show a bit of character" as they settle into their new home. The quartet, born on May 10 to parents Cardi B and Biggie, represent the third litter for the pair since they joined the park in 2022. Born blind, deaf and almost hairless, the one-month-old pups have now opened their eyes and begun exploring their surroundings. Meerkats, known for their social nature, live in close-knit groups called mobs that collectively raise their young. Carolyn Booth, Pets Farm Team Leader at Blair Drummond, said: "The pups are just starting to find their feet and show a bit of character – it's a brilliant stage to watch. "They're getting more confident by the day, and the rest of the mob has really stepped up to help raise them. It's a real family effort." The young meerkats have started nibbling on solid food, following the adults around and honing their digging skills. Just last month, an endangered giraffe has arrived at the safari park in a bid to boost breeding. Noinin, a seven-year-old female Rothschild's giraffe, was welcomed to the park on Thursday, May 1. The 16-foot tall mammal was transported from Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork, Ireland, first by ferry to Holyhead, Wales, followed by a 337-mile road journey north. She is set to be introduced to fellow Rothschild's giraffe Sifa, who came to Blair Drummond in 2023 as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. The aim is to create genetic diversity in the breeding programme. The species has seen a dramatic population decline of 30% since the 1980s, with less than 2,000 remaining in the wild, according to zoologists. The new arrival will be integrated into the park's giraffe herd as part of a carefully managed breeding programme aimed at supporting the survival of the species, and will live in a mixed species habitat. Noinin and Sifa are hoped to contribute to preserving genetic diversity and ensuring the long-term survival of Rothschild's giraffes. Kristine Fennessy Alexander, animal collection manager at Blair Drummond, expressed the safari park's excitement at its latest addition. She said: 'We're thrilled to welcome Noinin to the park. 'Rothschild's giraffes are facing significant challenges in the wild, and breeding programmes like this one are essential in helping secure the future of the species. 'Noinin has already begun exploring her new surroundings, and we are excited for her and Sifa to hopefully form a successful breeding pair.' The safari park opened in May 1970, and is currently home to over 300 animals, many of which are able to roam freely. Its animals include the African elephant, Barbary macaque monkeys, meerkats and the Siberian tiger.
Zawya
10-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Uzbekistan to privatise mobile operator UMS
TASHKENT - Uzbekistan has begun the privatisation of mobile operator Universal Mobile Systems (UMS), the government of the Central Asian country said on Tuesday. The government plans to sell 100% of the company's equity to domestic or international investors, and has tapped Rothschild & Co to serve as lead consultant on the transaction. KPMG will act as an additional financial consultant. UMS, also known by its brand name Mobiuz, provides mobile and internet services to more than 7.8 million customers in Uzbekistan, which has a population of roughly 37 million people. The company reported 2024 net revenue of 2.08 trillion Uzbek soms ($164 million). UMS was originally established as a joint venture between Uzbekistan and Russian telecom operator MTS before MTS sold its stake to the Uzbek government in 2016. Applications for bids will be accepted until August 1, Uzbekistan's state asset management agency said. (Reporting by Muhammadsharif Mamatkulov in Tashkent; Writing by Lucy Papachristou in London; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
