News

November 2011
The Mogrammers are supporting Movember

thecitysecret have formed a team called The Mogrammers who are taking part in Movember to raise money for charity. Please see more at The Mogrammers donation page and all donations will be gratefully received.

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men's faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

July 2011
thecitysecret head East.

thecitysecret have been working with a Russian Investment Bank on a number of projects for the last couple of months and have picked up some more work.

The projects have involved consultancy work which was looking at existing systems and process, benchmarking against best practice and coming up with a recommended future state. Following presentations to senior management the requirements were then written for the technology groups.

A further project has been developing an internal market for a trading desk with the addition of a client interface where they can route orders and see executions.

The expertise and track record of working with top tier investment banks meant that thecitysecret were able to advise the bank on best practice and pass on the knowledge to help them build robust solutions.

January 2011
Northern City Specialists expands team.

Barney Brown has joined thecitysecret from UBS where he was a Managing Director within the Group CTO function. In this role, he was responsible for delivering strategic Technology change programs that spanned across all divisions within UBS Group. Prior to this his focus was to manage the technology delivery of the Risk Renewal program within the Investment Bank, including the liaison with Financial Services regulators in the UK, US and Switzerland.

Barney brings a wealth of experience of implementing large scale technology strategy and change across multiple asset classes. Before joining UBS, he was a Partner at m.a.partners, a management consultancy which focused exclusively on Capital Markets. Barney focused on delivering large-scale Technology change initiatives for clients which included Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, HSBC and UBS, and was responsible for the development of key client accounts and the expansion of consulting services.

Martin Worner commented

'The addition of a Business Development Director will bring a fresh focus on building the business over the next decade. Barney brings a depth of experience to the company which will help drive this forward'

Barney Brown added

'I am delighted to be joining the management team at thecitysecret, and look forward to working with the team and our clients on the opportunities that lie ahead. With the cost pressures that most banks are facing at the moment, I am excited to be part of a solution that helps our global financial markets clients reduce their costs of delivery whilst maintaining a very high quality product'

November 2010
thecitysecret were recently recognised for their commitment to being "Green" and were awarded Highly Commended Business in the Richmondshire Green awards 2010.

The judges of this years Green Awards were particularly impressed by thecitysecret's idea to hibernate PCs over night and at weekends. See the article for more details.

October 2010
thecitysecret were delighted to play host to the Newcastle VBUG developer seminar.

Thank you to everyone who came along. George Adamson presented an excellent introduction to jQuery after an eventful journey to the North East. See his twitter account for more details.

View the VBUG website for future events in the North East.

September 2010
Being in a lovely location makes bad days a whole lot easier to deal with. - Yorkshire Post 9th September 2010

Martin Worner admits sometimes he can't quite believe his luck. Ten years or so ago he was working long hours in the City in an investment bank. The job brought its own rewards, but it also meant long hours and a daily fight with a thousand other commuters trapped in the rat race.

However, in 2000 Martin had something of a Eureka moment, left London behind and decided to go it alone amid the tea shops and outdoor stores which line Richmond's market square. read more

June 2010
Secrets of success in aftermath of crisis. - Yorkshire Post 17th June 2010

Increasing activity in equity markets has spurred a North Yorkshire software firm to go on a recruitment drive. Richmond-based thecitysecret was forced to shed staff at the height of the financial crisis, as customers scaled back on spending. Now the company, which writes software for London-based hedge funds and investment banks, plans to boost staff numbers to 40 by the end of the year. read more

April 2010
We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Still as Special Industry Adviser, Simon was until September 2009 Chief Operating Officer of Brewin Dolphin Holdings PLC. After 14 years of executive experience in the electronics and engineering industry, which included starting a software company, he entered a City based consultancy practice in 1987. He joined Wise Speke in 1990, which was acquired by Brewin Dolphin in 1998 and in 2001 was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Group. He is an Industry Practitioner to the Financial Services Authority, a Non-Executive Director of the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Chairman of Durham Cathedral Finance Committee. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Simon graduated from the University of Durham with a B.A. in Law, Politics and Economics.

Martin Worner of thecitysecret commented

'Simon has an excellent background and it allows us to access a breadth of knowledge and experience essential to the continued success and growth of the company. I am very pleased that he has agreed to act as a consultant to us and I think his role will be a key factor in the development of the business.'

April 2010
Climate Change Capital has signed up thecitysecret to help look after their in-house trading system.
There was a good fit as thecitysecret has sustainability at the heart of their business as well as being able to provide a flexible package with the relevant business and technology skills.

Local Charities benefit from eCards
This Christmas thecitysecret sent 230 eCards. For each card sent we donated £1 and if the card had a reply we doubled it. As we received 57 replies, £287 was donated to Swaledale Mountain Rescue Service and Great North Air Ambulance.
Thank you to everyone who took part.