28 February 2006

When the battle for P&O was at its height in the UK, DP World tried to stir up a dust storm behind the scenes, citing "strategic concerns" over the Chinese connections of rival bidder PSA (Mudlark, January 27).

So some might think the Dubai company is reaping just deserts in congressional xenophobia on the pretext of "security". But US advocates of open markets, seemingly everywhere but at home, may also learn in due course that what goes around comes around.

Very strange goings-on at PartyGaming,?where?Richard Segal has stepped down as chief executive less than a year after the online gaming group floated.

Talk had persisted since September, when the shares crashed, that Segal would leave. It intensified recently when the company paid Empire Online $250m (GBP144m) to settle a contract dispute, after saying it wouldn't part with a penny.

Segal leaves with a year's salary of GBP585,000 and 7.5m options, worth about GBP10m, which he can cash in during the summer.

So what next for Segal? "I am a level one-qualified Football Association coach," he says, having reached the standard by coaching his son's team. "Perhaps my future is in football."

Matthew Gribbin's decision on Tuesday to leave the board of Northern Foods with immediate effect completes the exodus of the old guard.

Since Pat O'Driscoll joined as chief executive two years ago, the three executive directors she found on arrival have gone. Howard Sims went in June 2004; Sean Christie, finance director, left five months later. Gribbin, who spent 25 years with the company, was latterly responsible for group strategy. He has agreed to be available until June while he "considers a number of options", and will not receive a pay-off.

He will not be replaced, but Northern Foods says this does not herald a change in strategy, which will now be the prime responsibility of O'Driscoll and Jez Maiden, finance director. Those two, plus Stefan Barden, appointed in January to run the chilled division, are now its only executive directors.

Akers Biosciences, the 0Aim-listed maker of rapid diagnostic tests, has bought WNCK, US distributor of disposable breathalysers, one of its growth lines. Next move in its vertical integration: upstream to buy a distillery?

Financial Dynamics' street cred will be done no harm by the PR firm's new mandate to advise on the merger of girls' boarding schools Heathfield, Ascot and St Mary's, Wantage.

Stephen Burch, newly installed US chief executive of cable operator NTL, says he is learning a new language in the UK: "I've learned that fortnight means two weeks and a stone is 14 pounds."

His colleagues are also hearing new vocabulary. The heavily marketed "triple play" the package of fixed-line telephony, pay television and broadband may become a "quadruple play" thanks to NTL's acquisition of Virgin Mobile.

But Burch prefers another word. He says: "We want to inspire ourselves to push for more fourplay."

James Eden, banking analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, swooned over Royal Bank of Scotland's results and share buy-back. In a note headed "Thanks Fred We Love You", Eden said: "I was going to name my new baby Gemma but I'm now thinking about Frederica."

mudlark@ft.com

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