Business Diary: New bank boss is your real high flier

Our congratulations to Diana Layfield, who was appointed regional chief executive officer for Africa by Standard Chartered Bank yesterday. Ms Layfield shouldn't have too many problems finding her way round in her new post: her impressive CV, which boasts an education from Oxford University and Harvard plus a stint at McKinsey & Co, also reveals that Layfield spent two years piloting relief planes for the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations in Africa.

What bond guru wears in bed

Bill Gross is one of the world's foremost authorities on bonds – certainly Pimco, the fund he runs, is the biggest global investor in them. Naturally, then, you will have wondered what Gross and his wife wear in bed. But wonder no longer – Gross's latest monthly newsletter reveals his wife goes for a robe while he likes a T-shirt and boxer shorts. Rest assured that Pimco's update also includes a short section on the direction of the bond markets.

Birmingham is proud of alumni

A breathless missive arrives announcing that "three lucky final-year undergraduate students from the University of Birmingham will get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain first-hand career insight and guidance from famous Birmingham graduates at the top of the business, financial and consumer sectors". The graduates in question turn out to be Goldman Sachs managing director Martin Devenish, Premier Oil chairman Mike Welton, and Sainsbury's commercial director Mike Coupe. Well-respected in their respective industries certainly, but isn't "famous" pushing it a bit?

Yet more barbs for Barber

In the words of the PM, "calm down dear". The Daily Telegraph has published yet another poisonous barb aimed at Lionel Barber, the editor of the Financial Times – this time ridiculing a part of the FT's royal wedding coverage. It's at least the fifth item of this type the paper's City diary has run in recent months. Surely it's time to forgive Barber for criticising in January the Telegraph reporters who posed as Vince Cable's constituents and trapped the Business Secretary into being rude about the Murdochs?

businessdiary@independent.co.uk