Latest news with #Deans
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Carlisle-based MD named 'Car Finance Business Leader of the Year'
The managing director of Borderway Finance in Carlisle has received an industry award. Mike Deans has been named 'Car Finance Business Leader of the Year' at the Car Finance Awards at The Monastery in Manchester. Mr Deans said: "It was a shock when they read my name out. "It's one of the biggest events in the industry with some huge businesses in the room. "This isn't just for me, it's recognition for everyone at Borderway." Mr Deans was joined at the black-tie awards ceremony by Charlee Byers, sales support administrator, and Leah Farish, administration assistant. He joined Borderway Finance in 1998 as a trainee account manager and worked his way up to sales and marketing director before becoming managing director in 2016. He credited his team for the company's success. Mr Deans said: "The business is all about the people. "You have to have the right people. "If they're not receptive and don't want to come on the journey with you, you'll fail. "This is a great accolade for everyone at Borderway Finance." According to a spokesperson for the company, "Borderway's sales have grown strongly, especially since the Covid pandemic. "It provides exceptional customer service, achieving Feefo's top Platinum Service Award – based on verified customer reviews – for the last four years." Mr Deans' leadership has helped the company earn a three-star rating from Best Companies for 'world-class' workplace engagement. He has also chaired a car finance interest group for the Consumer Credit Trade Association and joined the association's board in November 2023. In addition, he was invited to join Credit 500, a network of leading figures in the credit industry, and has served since 2023 as a director of People First, an advocacy charity based in Carlisle. Mr Deans said: "Whatever you do in business, there's always a customer at the end of it who expects a level of service and expects to be looked after." Outside of work, Mr Deans enjoys photography, videography, and spending time with his family and their Staffordshire bull terrier, Cooper. If Mr Deans hadn't worked in car finance, he might have been a DJ – given he used to present the weekend breakfast show on CFM.
Irish Examiner
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Irish bitcoin buyers clouded by an overwhelming sense of distrust
It's 9.30am on a Saturday, and more than 500 people have flocked to Dublin's Green Isle Hotel. Queues of eager attendees arrive early to register for what would later be described as the first day of the rest of their lives. Searching for financial freedom, how to get rich quick, and ways to protect their wealth from bad actors, these people are looking to the event for answers. This is the Bitcoin Ireland Conference 2025. We've all heard the warnings about unbacked cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. 'Like buying a lottery ticket,' in the words of Central Bank of Ireland governor Gabriel Makhlouf, who has likened it more to a Ponzi scheme than a legitimate investment. However, at this conference, the governor's warning falls on deaf ears. If anything, his disapproval only further emboldens these sceptics to buy more. Unlike their portfolios, the crowd was largely diversified. Young adults from the age of 17 sat alongside retirees. Attendees from across Ireland bonded with people from Europe and beyond. Women of all ages also helped fill seats, with a 'Women in Bitcoin' initiative and a women-only panel helping to boost engagement. Naval gazing... Just after 10.30am, we were already warmed up, with the third speaker of the day telling an attentive crowd that fiat currency was a scam used by governments and central banks against you and to enslave you. 'Bitcoin is sovereign. You are not,' warned Karl Deans of the British-based Sovereign Project, an organisation known for its radical stance against taxation. Operating on the view that nobody is required to obey laws they have not explicitly consented to, the group offers paid courses on how to protect your signatures, titles that can 'steal your status,' and how to 'short circuit a fraudulent court'. 'Mr is the lowest-ranking officer on a vessel,' Mr Deans told conference attendees. 'If you are a Mr, you cannot question the general. 'This is why they have an infantry in the army. They're infants. They cannot speak. That's why you have a soldier, because he sold his soul to the service.' Putting aside his fundamental misunderstanding of navy rankings and basic etymology, Mr Deans's fixation on words and their origin set the conspiratorial scene that would later become omnipresent throughout the conference. The 'financial astrologer' His talk was followed by the second female speaker of the morning, Claire Marrinan, who introduces herself as a 'financial astrologer'. Her website, The Bitcoin Zodiac, explores the 'dynamic world of cryptocurrencies through the lens of financial astrology', and offers courses on mastering cryptocurrency and blockchain that can be unlocked for just $149. Her philosophy is that by analysing the position of celestial bodies, it can help predict macro trends and asset fundamentals, which can ultimately lead to predicting price action. However, Ms Marrinan does not claim to be an expert and wouldn't dare to call herself one. Artwork displayed at Bitcoin Ireland Conference which was available to purchase with Bitcoin. 'We outsource every single thing in our lives to an expert,' she says during a panel discussion alongside like-minded bitcoin advocates. 'This has been an absolute scam. Now is the time to take back. Educate yourself, whether it's your health, educating your children, or your finances. 'Every single aspect of your life that we outsource to experts, we need to reclaim. We can first start by buying bitcoin.' Distrust as a hallmark From the word go, the conference was clouded by an overwhelming sense of distrust. Not just in governments or central banks, but in every facet of everyday life. As Ms Marrinan emboldened the audience to take matters of health and education into their own hands, I watched as a man sitting in front of me studied his phone intently. He wasn't checking messages or scrolling on social media, he was examining the security cameras set up all around his home — both outside and in. He spent minutes replaying footage of a family member as they cooked breakfast in the kitchen, before meticulously scrutinising all other camera angles placed within the house. He checked the cameras twice in one hour. The price of bitcoin currently stands at around €96,000, having peaked at more than €102,000 at the beginning of this year. It remains volatile, with monthly changes oftentimes exceeding 30% up or down. But its volatility is not a concern to this conference's crowd. As they see it, it's about taking a long-term view. This is reflected in the term HODL ('hold on for dear life'), a popular mantra among crypto enthusiasts. Confidence in Bitcoin 'Bitcoin still has potential to reach €7m, maybe €8m,' one conference investor tells me. Crediting himself for being ahead of the curve, having first bought bitcoin more than seven years ago when it averaged around just €7,000, he says he's since been able to leave his job as an architect. How? By selling his house to buy bitcoin. 'I never have to work a day again, I'm sorted now. My only regret is that I didn't buy more sooner,' he tells me, urging me to take his advice and buy some bitcoin of my own. Standing beside him was an old college pal of his who joined the bitcoin game much more recently, first buying it just over 18 months ago. He sees his financially free friend as somewhat of a guru, looking to replicate his success so he too can retire early. That hasn't happened yet and, given that he too has sold his home on the back of his friend's advice, he's running out of options. I look to my friend, and I want what he has. I'm in a job that I hate while trying to support a young family. It's incredibly tough. I want the freedom and the security he has, so I don't have to worry about these things. To these people, bitcoin is not just an asset but a lifeline. It offers an escape from the grind of a nine-to-five office job which, according to them, is no better than a prison cell. For every investor who has already won big, there are four or five others who want to take their first step on the bitcoin ladder but can't due to financial constraints. Many feel powerless, unable to join in on the fun while still enslaved by the central banks — but at least they're in the know. Many conspiracy theories are predicated on the idea that those involved in them know something that the general public doesn't. This was relayed to me many times by attendees and even the event organiser who, upon hearing that I had an undergraduate degree in economics and a master's in finance, told me that I knew nothing about money or its value, adding that a young woman like me would want to educate herself properly about the things mainstream education refuses to teach. Choose the orange pill... Unlike the other attendees, I have yet to be 'orange-pilled' — a Matrix-inspired term describing those who have declared their dedication to bitcoin. Filled with an intellectual superiority, bitcoin enthusiasts speak with convincing authority that is compounded by an overwhelming sense of urgency. You need to buy bitcoin, and you need to buy it now. 'If you want your last name to mean something in this world, buy as much bitcoin as you can,' one conference speaker said. Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf said in 2023 that buying cryptocurrencies was akin to buying a lottery ticket, saying: "Describing it as 'investment' is, needless to say, an abuse of the word." Picture: Vivek Prakash/Bloomberg Newcomers to bitcoin eat this up, with many not realising that a speedy push to buy and a HODL mindset bodes well for those who already own it. The more people that buy and hold it, the higher the price goes, and the more profit made by long-term investors. While conspiratorial at its core, it would be disingenuous to describe all 500-plus attendees as paranoid truth seekers. Their conclusions may be irrational, but what brought them there is not. ...or a lottery ticket They want to be the next great success story. They want the financial freedom these gurus promise. Most are completely disinterested in any argument that questions the legitimacy of bitcoin or its upward trajectory. For a second, the strength of the echo chamber almost convinced me that I needed to consider this. That was until I remembered that many speakers believed they should buy bitcoin when Mercury is in retrograde. So will I be buying bitcoin as a result? Probably not, but I might treat myself and buy a few lottery tickets instead.
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Deans ‘absolutely stoked' to come away with all PBs
Caitlin Deans after being crowned the national 1500m freestyle champion at the national championships in Auckland. PHOTOS: SIMON WATTS / BW MEDIA What a week for Caitlin Deans. The smile plastered across her face as she looked up at her time said it all as she wrapped up what had been a phenomenal week in the pool at the national championships in Auckland. The Dunedin Olympian executed her plan to perfection and cruised to the women's 1500m freestyle title in a big personal best and Otago record of 16min 12.18sec. The Neptune swimmer was the only athlete to break the 17min mark. Olympic team-mate Eve Thomas collected silver in 17min 11.55sec and Sophie Hay secured bronze in 17min 20.72sec. It was yet another qualifying time for the world championships in Singapore for Deans — seeded at 16min 17.40sec heading into the race — who went under the time by 12sec. "Absolutely stoked," Deans told commentators. "To come away with all PBs [personal bests] is more than I could have asked for, so I'm really happy." It was a standout week for Deans, who won silver in the freestyle 800m, and bronze in the 400m and 200m, and qualified for the world championships in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m. "This week has taken me by surprise to PB all of those, so that's just given me a lot of confidence about where I'm at and heading into Singapore later on," Deans said. Kiwi swimmer Alfie Weatherston Harvey is flanked by Ethan Stocks (left), of Roskill, and Jack Barton, of North Shore, after winning the men's 17-18 years 1500m freestyle. It has also been a standout week for Kiwi swimmer Alfie Weatherston-Harvey, who wrapped up with a fourth podium finish. He showed his strength across multiples strokes and finished with bronze in the men's 17-18 years 800m freestyle in 8min 34.90sec. Kiwi team-mate Liam Rees shaved more than 2sec off his personal best to claim bronze in the men's 17-18 years 200m IM in 2min 11.75sec. Otago were strong across the board and returned home with 11 medals from a successful championships. Former Dunedin swimmer Erika Fairweather won the women's 200m freestyle in 1min 56.56sec. Olympian Hazel Ouwehand shattered her national record in the 50m butterfly in 25.42sec, shaving 0.45sec off the record.
RTHK
02-05-2025
- Sport
- RTHK
Barbarians to play in South Africa for first time
Barbarians to play in South Africa for first time The match will be the first since the epic 31-31 draw at London's Wembley Stadium in 2016. Photo: AFP The Barbarians will break new ground when they play a match in South Africa for the first time by taking on the world champion Springboks in Cape Town on June 28. The fixture will be the ninth between the Barbarians and the Springboks and the first since November 2016, when the teams were involved in a 31-31 draw at London's Wembley Stadium. The Barbarians, rugby union's most famous invitational side will again be coached by Robbie Deans, with the veteran New Zealander set to select a multi-national squad that will be announced in due course. "We are hopeful of putting together a combination that will provide the sort of spectacle that the occasion deserves," said Deans in a Barbarians statement. Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus added the match would be ideal preparation ahead of his team's July internationals against Italy (two Tests) and Georgia. "It's always exciting to face the BaaBaas, and this match will be particularly special as it marks the first time that we will face them in South Africa," said Erasmus. "For us this will be the perfect opportunity to get the players match-ready for the official international season, which starts a week later." (AFP)
The Mainichi
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Rugby: League One considers paternity leave policy for players
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan Rugby League One is considering modifying its leave policy to make it easier for players to take time off for the birth of a child, a source familiar with the discussion said Thursday. As with national team matches, team lineups for League One games are registered 48 hours before kickoff, with subsequent changes allowed only for "unavoidable circumstances, such as injury or sudden illness," and subject to approval by officials. While there have been cases of players taking time off for childbirth under the provision for "unavoidable circumstances," the league hopes to clarify its policy by adding specific language about paternity leave. Saitama Wild Knights head coach Robbie Deans raised concerns about the absence of a specific provision following his team's April 11 game against the Mie Heat. Deans said there had been a lack of clarity about how to handle the potential unavailability of one of his players, Australian-born Japan international Jack Cornelsen, who was present for the birth of his child a day before playing the match. Paternity leave for athletes has come under the spotlight since Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani recently went on the Los Angeles Dodgers' "paternity list" for the birth of his daughter. The Japan Professional Baseball Players Association subsequently said it was looking to propose establishing a paternity leave system similar to Major League Baseball's.
