Latest news with #OliverWilliams
South Wales Argus
12-07-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Newport teen's double Everest challenge raises £4,000 for charity
Oliver Williams, a 15-year-old schoolboy, took 52 hours to cycle 66 laps of Risca bike park on his mountain bike - the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest twice. He is no stranger to challenges. Last year he cycled 33 laps of the same bike park, which took him more than 24 hours to complete. Oliver was riding through the night with only short breaks along the way. Oliver's dad Tim said: 'This year, he's pushed himself even further. The goal was to double last year's challenge. That's 66 laps and double Everest elevation in a single ride - a staggering 17,698 meters of climbing and descending. 'For context, that's more than three times the elevation gain of the most mountainous stage ever used in the Tour de France and because he's ridden off-road trails, there was barely any rest, even on the descents.' Oliver smashed his £500 fundraising target with more than 183 donations raising £4,120. The money will go to the Wales Air Ambulance, which Oliver has seen in action first-hand, often responding to accidents involving fellow mountain bikers on the hills. Oliver said: 'When I came up with the idea of completing a double Everest on a mountain bike, my family said it was too much and tried to put me off — especially when they realised that nobody else my age had completed this before. But I'm stubborn and love a challenge! 'Doing it for Wales Air Ambulance felt relevant to me and my sport. The support from the local community especially the Risca Riders, was awesome and kept me going." Debra Sima, regional fundraising manager for Wales Air Ambulance, said: 'What a huge challenge Oliver set himself. His determination is outstanding, and he should be so proud of himself for completing it. 'Fundraisers, like this, will help us to continue to be there for the people of Wales when they need us most. Oliver has played a part in saving lives across the whole of Wales, thank you so much!' You can support Oliver at
Business Recorder
10-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Economic reforms, transformation: Aurangzeb briefs leading global investors
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said that Pakistan is not just reforming, it is transforming, and 'it is open for business and for investors seeking impact, scale, and certainty- Pakistan offers all three.' He made this statement during a strategic meeting held with a group of leading global investors in London, including Oliver Williams, Emerging Markets Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at Amundi, and Maud Le Moine of Lion's Head Global Partners, to discuss Pakistan's economic outlook, reform agenda, and future investment prospects, Said a release issued here on Friday. The Finance Minister provided a comprehensive overview of Pakistan's macroeconomic recovery, citing key achievements including a primary budget surplus of PKR 3.6 trillion, a current account surplus, inflation reduced to 0.3% (April 2025), and a drop in debt-to-GDP ratio from 75% to 65%. These indicators, he noted, have not only stabilized the economy but have also led to improved sovereign credit ratings and renewed confidence from multilateral and bilateral partners. In the discussion, the Minister emphasized that Pakistan is firmly staying the course on reforms, aiming to transition from a consumption-led to a sustainable, export- and productivity-led growth model. He highlighted new tax reforms aimed at bringing real estate, wholesale, retail, and agriculture sectors into the formal net, while ensuring end-to-end digitalization of the tax authority to minimize human discretion and reduce corruption. Minister Aurangzeb outlined the government's ambitious sectoral diversification strategy, citing the upcoming minerals conference and the landmark copper agreement expected to contribute USD 2.8 billion annually to exports by 2028. He also drew attention to the thriving digital economy, where Pakistan is now the third-largest global player in IT freelancing, and reiterated the central role of digital transformation in enabling inclusive and equitable growth. He further briefed attendees on Pakistan's plan to issue a Panda bond as part of its active debt management strategy, and on future steps under the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS). Discussions included the restructuring of state-owned enterprises (Wave 5), ongoing pension reforms, and the preparation for ESG bond issuance in FY2026. Amundi, one of the world's top 10 asset managers with over €2 trillion in assets under management, reaffirmed its interest in Pakistan's sovereign instruments and ESG-aligned investments. Oliver Williams welcomed the clarity and credibility of Pakistan's macroeconomic direction and expressed a strong interest in the country's upcoming bond issuance plans.
Business Recorder
09-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Global investors respond positively to Pakistan's economic reforms
Global investors have responded positively to Pakistan's reform and economic transformation agenda, as leading firms, including Amundi and Lion's Head Global Partners, reaffirmed their interest in Pakistan's sovereign instruments and upcoming ESG-aligned initiatives. The response came during Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb's strategic meeting with a group of leading global investors in London, including Oliver Williams, Emerging Markets Fixed Income Portfolio Manager at Amundi, and Maud Le Moine of Lion's Head Global Partners, to discuss Pakistan's economic outlook, reform agenda, and future investment prospects, read a statement released by the Finance Division on Friday During the meeting, Aurangzeb said that Pakistan is not just reforming, it is transforming, and 'it is open for business and for investors seeking impact, scale, and certainty- Pakistan offers all three.' The finance minister briefed attendees on Pakistan's plan to issue a Panda bond as part of its active debt management strategy, and on future steps under the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDS). Aurangzeb meets CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Discussions included the restructuring of state-owned enterprises (Wave 5), ongoing pension reforms, and the preparation for ESG bond issuance in FY2026. As per the statement issued by the Finance Division, Amundi, one of the world's top 10 asset managers with over €2 trillion in assets under management, reaffirmed its interest in Pakistan's sovereign instruments and ESG-aligned investments, read the statement. Oliver Williams also expressed a strong interest in the country's upcoming bond issuance plans. Meanwhile, Maud Le Moine of Lion's Head Global Partners — a firm specialising in emerging market advisory — offered targeted technical support to help Pakistan strengthen its investor communications, enhance credit rating engagement, and implement energy sector modelling. Lion's Head also reaffirmed its interest in supporting Pakistan's MTDS. The finance ministry acknowledged the offer and reiterated that any advisory engagement would adhere to public procurement processes, read the statement. On the issue of Pakistan's water treaty policies, Aurangzeb reaffirmed that the suspension of sovereign water rights is not acceptable. He also reiterated the government's commitment to inclusive growth, noting that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will continue in the upcoming budget. During the meeting, Aurangzeb provided a comprehensive overview of Pakistan's macroeconomic recovery, citing key achievements including a primary budget surplus of Rs3.6 trillion, a current account surplus, inflation reduced to 0.3% (April 2025), and a drop in the debt-to-GDP ratio from 75% to 65%. 'These indicators have not only stabilised the economy but have also led to improved sovereign credit ratings and renewed confidence from multilateral and bilateral partners,' the finance minister said. During the discussion, Aurangzeb emphasised that Pakistan is firmly staying the course on reforms, aiming to transition from a consumption-led to a sustainable, export- and productivity-led growth model. He highlighted that new tax reforms aimed at bringing real estate, wholesale, retail, and agriculture sectors into the formal net, while ensuring end-to-end digitalisation of the tax authority to minimise human discretion and reduce corruption. Aurangzeb outlined the government's ambitious sectoral diversification strategy, citing the upcoming minerals conference and the landmark copper agreement expected to contribute $2.8 billion annually to exports by 2028.
