CITY DIARY

Per-Erik Mohlin, president of the Volvo Car Corporation, will be parking his Harley Davidson in a new spot from October as he moves up to become executive vice-president of the group in October. Mr Mohlin deserves his promotion: he managed the almost impossible by convincing young professionals that they needed to drive a Volvo as much as the "average 2.2-family with a dog in the back". He will be replaced by former Tetra Pak executive, Tuve Johannesson, currently head of Volvo Construction Equipment.

Let's hope Ian Dahl, who takes up the role of chief executive-designate at jewellers Asprey in September, likes animals - specifically tigers. For a rather large specimen, belonging to current incumbent, Naim Attallah, is to be found draped over a chaise-longue in Asprey's boardroom. Mr Attallah loves his tigers and many a picture has been taken of him reposing on his beloved tiger skin. But his mascot very nearly disappeared for good following a burglary of his offices.

Devastated by the loss of the skin - "I was not bothered about anything else," he says - he placed an advertisement in the press and offered a reward of pounds 1,000. Unable to sell the skin, the burglars were nabbed by police when they tried to claim the reward. So where is the famous skin likely to repose when he finally hands over the reins? All the secretive Mr Attallah will say is that, wherever he reposes, his tiger skin will repose, too.

London-based broker Sedgwick's moved into the world of on-line publishing in conjunction with Reuters yesterday. Both parties are keeping quiet about how much money there is to be made in such a venture, but sources say this is only the first step on the publishing ladder for the broker.

The service draws on information scoured from Sedgwick's own database and does well to present the traditionally opaque accounts of insurance companies in one digestible format. But those hoping to learn some of Sedgwick's secrets will be disappointed to learn that the broker will filter information very carefully,keeping the juicy bits to itself.

British Airways' dirty laundry is to be washed by Sketchley's. The dry cleaner's chief executive, John Jackson, is cock-a-hoop about the coup because the amount of dirt in question is no small matter. Out of Heathrow, the BA generates 4.2 million napkins and tablecloths a year; 3.3 million head rests and sheets; 4 million blankets; 42,000 kilos of seat covers; and 73,000 kilos of crew uniform. At Gatwick, BA generates only 800,000 napkins and tablecloths.

Equality has yet to arrive in the City. Only 20 of the 1,376 finance directors in the UK are women, according to Crawford's Directory of City Connections, and it seems that they have a harder time than most.

The latest survey of the accountancy profession from the Harrison Willis Group says that under 20 per cent of female accountants surveyed believed they had the same promotion prospects as male colleagues and only a measly 18 per cent said they expected to be able to reach partnership or director level.

Pay also came in for criticism - with 39 per cent of women suspecting that their overall package was likely to be less than that of the man working next to them.