BT, Asda, Persimmon: Business news in brief on Monday June 13

BT bosses want to Remain in Europe; Asda chief executive steps down; Andy Murray invests in ‘Uber for beauty' service

Andy Murray, former Wimbledon champion has announced three more investments in British startups (Getty)

BT bosses want to Remain in Europe

BT has joined forces with trade unions to tell employees about the benefits of remaining in the EU.

Sir Mike Rake, BT chairman; Gavin Patterson, the firm’s chief executive and the leaders of the CWU and Prospect unions urged staff to vote for the UK to stay in the European Union, although they said that the final choice was up to employees.

The BT letter said the referendum was so important that the signatories felt they had a duty to explain their views.

Asda chief executive steps down

Walmart, the owner of Asda, said on Monday that Andy Clarke, the UK’s supermarket’s chief executive is stepping down to be replaced by the San Clarke, the head of Walmart’s Chinese business.

Clarke has served as chief executive for six years and is leaving at time when the retailer has reported seven straight quarter of declining sales.

The appointment comes as a surprise after Andy Clarke said last week in an interview that he would be succeeded by Roger Burnley.

Andy Murray invests in ‘Uber for beauty' service Blow.LTD

Andy Murray, the 2013 Wimbledon Champion, has invested in a London blow-drying business.

The tennis player invested an undisclosed sum into Blow.LTD, a tech start-up that sends hairdressers to user’s homes, via Seedrs, a crowd funding firm.

The service has been dubbed the “Uber for beauty” by investors. Murray made two other investments: one in Beeline a navigation app for cyclists and another in Dog Tracker Nano, a geofencing device to keep dogs safe.

Persimmon management in line for £600m bonus

Persimmon has been asked to rethink an executive pay plan that could see top executives at the housebuilding group share approximately £600 million.

Jeff Fairburn, the chief executive, could earn more than £100 million under the scheme. Mike Fox, from Royal London Asset Management, said the payments were too high “in all circumstances”. The move comes as executive pay is under increasing scrutiny from shareholders.

The company has defended the payouts, saying that since the scheme was put in place Persimmon has increased the number of new homes it builds by half.