Business Diary: 08/05/2010

Greece seeks to rebuild its battered brand

In times of crisis, companies turn to their public relations agencies. So why shouldn't countries do the same? Bloomberg reports that Greece's government is holding a beauty parade of London PR agencies in the hope that a top spinner might be able to do a little to restore its standing in the world. Maitland, Brunswick and Financial Dynamics are all in the frame. A word of advice to the winning agency: get your fees paid in advance.

Lambert is thankful for former failures

Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, was keen to explain why Britain isn't in the same boat as Greece when he popped up on the BBC's election coverage in the early hours of yesterday. Not least because, Mr Lambert pointed out, not being in the euro gives Britain a pressure valve courtesy of our independent currency. Still, the survival of sterling is no thanks to Mr Lambert – in his former role as editor of the Financial Times, he campaigned to persuade Britain to join the single currency.

Justice for pension savers, San Diego-style

Strange goings-on in San Diego, where the city council is suing its own pension scheme trustees over who should make up the $2bn hole in its fund. The trustees want the California authority to write a cheque for the whole sum, while politicians think workers should be forced to pay higher contributions. A showdown in court beckons.

One door shuts, but another one opens

Some sweet news for Trevor Datson. Like many other communications staff at Cadbury, Datson, the head of financial PR, felt obliged to quit the company following its hostile takeover by Kraft (they had, after all, spent several months badmouthing the Americans). Now he has landed on his feet, picking up the top communications job at Tesco, where the sweeties range is a little wider.