Academic push-up for Mone

Another week, another insecure tycoon feels the need to paper over a lack of academic qualifications by accepting an honorary degree (either the height of vanity or a begging letter – depending on if you’re giving or receiving).

This time University of Hertfordshire (Hatfield Technical College, as was) has doled out the award to Ultimo bra founder, Michelle Mone (possibly pictured below in the outfit she chose to receive the Chancellor).

Mone left school at 15 (to help support her ill father) but snubbing academia didn’t overly hinder her as she’s now supposed to be worth about £45m. Also receiving a gong was Tesco’s clothing boss, Terry Green. Sadly, there’s no room for a snap of him sporting the supermarket’s trolleys.

Every title helps

I see that Tesco boss, Sir Terry Leahy, has become the latest businessman to accept an Honorary Degree - a pointless bauble that's either a) the height of vanity to accept or b) a shameless begging letter if you dole them out.
The retailer has been "honoured" by the University of Hertfordshire (Hatfield Poly as was) with a gong he can now add to the other honorary award he has from Cranfield University (formerly Cranfield Institute of Technology) - plus the 2:1 in management science he obtained from UMIST in 1977 when he actually had to pass a couple of exams.
This latest degree means Sir Terry joins a growing club of business knights who are rather partial to collecting these trinkets. Among their number is the great Sir Derek Wanless - who loves publicising awards from former Polytechnics yet doesn't like talking much about his time as head of Northern Rock's risk committee.
Why do these people do it?

Tappin keeps tappin' away

More Wikipedia trouble for Steve Tappin, the former headhunter-cum-author-cum-executive coach whose online encyclopedia entry flatters a touch.
You'll recall that I pressured him into altering the page once before, after he used it to claim he was a "CEO confidant for some of the CEOs of major global corporations such as Tesco, Deloitte and RSA". Sadly for Steve, Tesco, Deloitte and RSA didn't agree.
Despite the minor correction, however, it seems Tappin's tinkering has not satisfied the Wikipedia independence police, who have slapped a health warning on the Steve Tappin page.
"This article is written like an advertisement," it informs the website's contributors. "Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view. For blatant advertising that would require a fundamental rewrite to become encyclopedic, use {{db-spam}} to mark for speedy deletion. (August 2009)".
Ouch!

The Secrets of Steve Tappin

Has Steve Tappin - once a headhunter, then an author (briefly) of The Secrets of CEOs and now some sort of coach to chief execs - been pulling a fast one with his entry on Wikipedia?
Tappin has been claiming via the online encyclopedia that he's a mentor to some of the top names in British business, including Sir Terry Leahy, John Connolly, and Andy Haste, posting: "Steve is a CEO confidant for some of the CEOs of major global corporations such as Tesco, Deloitte and RSA applying the Secrets of CEOs to global corporations".
Oh really?
Tesco clarifies: "Sir Terry was interviewed last year for a book co-authored by Steve and Andrew Cave called The Secrets of CEOs. I am not aware of any other connection between the two."
RSA adds: "I can confirm that Andy Haste has not hired Steve Tappin, or anyone else, as a mentor," while Deloitte simply refuses to comment.
Strangely, after I raise this, Tappin's Wikipedia entry miraculously changes.
It now reads: "Steve is a CEO confidant for some of the CEOs of major global corporations. He is actively involved in many of top performing global businesses such as Tesco, Deloitte and RSA applying the Secrets of CEOs.”
Which is quite different.