The Midlands Engine a Financial Centre of Excellence · Source:ONS,2016. 8 123Welcom ctWh Ml 3WiWelcom ctWdl m almoWn3 s43WDrWhva3oo3 a3. ... — Edinburgh 46,700 — Manchester 45,100

The Midlands Engine | Midlands Financial Centre of Excellence 1

The Midlands Engine a Financial Centre of Excellence

The Midlands Engine | Midlands Financial Centre of Excellence2


Welcome to the Midlands 4

Driving Economic Growth 6

Key Company Locations 8

Growth Opportunites 9

Industry Strengths 10 Insurance 10 Banking 11 BusinessProcessingandFinancialServices 11 FinTechOpportunities 12

Talent Pool 13

University Expertise 16

Key Locations 25

Lifestyle 37

Global connections 41


Welcome to the MidlandsThe Midlands is one of the most dynamic areas in the UK. Located at the heart of a connected transport network, it has close proximity to London and access to 75% of the UK within 2 hours.Hometoover10millionpeopleandaround430,0001businessenterprises,theregionincludesthecitiesofBirminghamandNottinghamalongsideCoventry,Derby,Hereford,Leicester,Lincoln,Stoke-on-Trent,WolverhamptonandWorcester.

Ourlocaleconomyisworthmorethan£200billion,generatingnearly13%oftheUK’sGrossValueAdded(GVA),andexperiencinggrowthof21%overthelastfiveyears.1Source:ONS2018


We’rehometoover100,000businessesinBPFS,employing770,000.Weexport£55bnworthofgoodsto178countries,growingatarateinexcessofthenationalrate.TheMidlandsisindeedanengineofgrowthattheheartoftheUK.

ThehomeofShakespeare,RobinHood,JRRTolkienandSirIsaacNewtonistodayatthecentreofplansforanewhighspeedrailnetworkandaninnovationhubforadvancedmanufacturing,automotive,lifesciences,digitaltechnologiesandrailtechnologies.

BirminghamAirporthandlesover13millionpassengersacross140routesannually,whileEastMidlandsAirportistheUK’ssecondlargestcargohandler.Intotal,45%ofBritishrailfreightand33%ofheavyroadfreightgoesto,fromorthroughtheMidlands.

TheregionhasthefastestimprovingrailnetworkinEuropeandby2033willbethehubofthecountry’snewHS2highspeedrailnetwork–expandingcapacityandconnectingtoLondoninlessthan50minutes.

Theregion’s20universitiessupportaworld-classscienceandinnovationbasemakingtheregionaglobalcentreofexcellenceinareassuchasadvancedmanufacturing,engineering,financialservices,lowcarbonandautonomoustechnologies,healthcare,lifesciencesandagri-foodanddrink.

Ahighqualityoflifealsoattractspeopletolive,work,studyandinvesthere,withtheMidlandsregionblessedwithfiveAreasofOutstandingNaturalBeauty,60historichouses,twoUNESCOWorldHeritageSitesandathrivingcultureofsport,musicandthearts.


Driving Economic GrowthThe Midlands region is located at the very centre of the UK, anchored by some of the most historical and commercially important areas, including Birmingham, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Wolverhampton.WithineasyreachofLondonandmajorUKcities,theMidlandsishometoWorld-classcompanyheadquarters,innovativeentrepreneursandhigh-qualityuniversitieswithaglobalreach.

TheareabenefitsfromoneoftheyoungestpopulationsinEuropeandisadynamic,thrivingandbusiness-focusedregion.

Withapopulationrepresenting115%oftheUKtotal,andahighly-skilledtalentpool,theMidlandshasthesizeandscaletoservicethelargestbusinessfunctions. 1Source:ONS,2017Mid-YearPopulationEstimates.

TheareabenefitsfromoneoftheyoungestpopulationsinEuropeandisdynamic,

thrivingandbusiness-focused


WithsomeofthelowestprimerentalcostsintheUK,theMidlandsofferscompaniesexcellentopportunitiesforhead-officeandoperationalsolutions.TheregionofferssubstantialgradeAofficespaceatupto60%lowercost1thanLondon,yetitislessthananhourfromthecapital.Whilstsalariesarelowerthanthecapital,residentialpropertiesandlifestylearehighlyaffordable,providingresidentswiththehighestregionalqualityoflifewithintheUK.2

TheestablishmentofcompanyheadquartersandmajorlandmarkinvestmentsfromhighprofilecompaniessuchasDeutscheBank,HSBC,Aviva,JaguarLandRoverFinanceandExperianhavebeenintegraltotheregion’sunprecedentedperiodoftransformation,growthanddevelopment.

Abusinessenvironmentinwhichcompaniescanthrive,theMidlandshasrecordlevelsofinfrastructureinvestment,increasinginternationalrecognition,arichtalentpoolandsomeofthecountry’sleadinguniversities.TherehasneverbeenabettertimetoinvestandgrowintheMidlands.

60%Officespaceatupto60%

lowercostthanLondon

£200bn+MidlandsAnnual

GrossValueAdded3

770,000EmployeesintheFinancial,Professionaland

BusinessServicesSector4

FinanceandBusinessServicescompaniescontribute£31billionto

theMidlandseconomy5

£28bn

1Source:ColliersOfficeRentalMaps,20182Source:Mercerstudy,March2015.3Source:ONS,BRES20174Source:ONS,BRES20175Source:ONS,2016


TheMidlandsemploys940,000peopleintheFinance,ProfessionalandBusinessservicessector.AnimpressivepresenceofFTSE100andmajorfinancialservices

Key Company Locationscompanieshighlightsthedistinctopportunitiesthattheregionoffersforstartingandgrowingabusiness.1

Midlands – Key Employers

Wolverhampton

Nottingham

Leicester

M6

M6

M1

A1(M)

M1

M5

M54

M50 M40

M42

M42M46Birmingham

Northampton

Milton Keynes

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 58, 59, 60, 61

9, 14, 61

Coventry

44

11, 18, 20, 21, 26, 37, 40, 44, 55, 56

13, 24, 28, 36, 53

10

5, 9, 22, 27, 37

Manchester Airport

Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Southend Airports

East Midlands Airport

Luton Airport

1. AFHFinancialGroup

2. AlRayanBank

3. Allianz

4. AMTrustEurope

5. Aon

6. AxaInsurance

7. Barclays

8. Beazley

9. BerkeleyInsuranceGroup

10. BNPParibas

11. CapitalOne

12. CertegyCardServices

13. CharterCourtFinancialServices

14. CoventryBuildingSociety

15. Defaqto

16. DeutscheBank

17. DirectLine

18. Domestic&General

19. Droplet

20. Experian

21. FirstResponseFinanceLimited

22. GlobalPaymentsUK

23. Handelsbanken

24. HastingsInsurance

25. HSBC

26. IkanoBankFinancialServices

27. Investec

28. KGJInsurance

29. Legal&General

30. LexisNexis

31. LloydsBankingGroup

32. LombardRiskManagement

33. MansfieldBuildingSociety

34. Markel

35. Marsh

36. Masterlease

37. MattioliWoods

38. MHR

39. Nationwide

40. NOWPensions

41. Obillex

42. OldMutual

43. ParagonGroup

44. PendragonFinancial&InsuranceServices

45. PhoenixGroup

46. QuilterCheviot

47. Royal&Sun

48. RoyalBankofScotland

49. Santander

50. S&Uplc

51. SecureTrustBank

52. StandardLife

53. StateBankofIndia

54. StoreFinancial

55. TDXGroup

56. TheNottinghamBuildingSociety

57. TheShareCentre

58. Thecitysecret

59. UnityTrustBank

60. WesleyanAssurance

61. ZurichInsurance


Growth OpportunitiesInvestment in the Financial, Business and related Professional services sector has grown as a result of the Midlands’ ability to meet high-quality locational requirements for headquarters, including operational functions that complement and strengthen an organisation’s business model.TheMidlands’valueinthissectorisbasedonitsrichcredentialsacrossallfunctionsandoperations.Thecriticalmassoftalentandresources,unparalleledphysicalinfrastructureandconnectivity,includingupto50%1lowergradeBofficerentalcoststhanthecapital,hasenabledtheregiontoemergeasaleadingdestinationforFinancialandProfessionalservices.

TheMidlandsregionprovidesaviablesolutionforfirmsseekingtorelocatesignificantareasoftheirbusinessthatcurrentlyresideinhighercostareas,aswellasthosewishingtoconsolidatedepartmentsspreadacrossmultiplelocations.Theprofessionalecosystemisconstantlyevolving,whichrepresentsanunprecedentedopportunityforfuturegrowth.

TheclusterofsmallbusinessesinthissectoristhebackboneoftheMidlandsoffer,notonlyhelpingtocreateandsupportaperfectenvironmentinwhichlargerfirmscanoperate,butalsoenablingcountlessopportunitiesforstart-upsandSMEsintheregion,creatingopportunitiesforfinancialservicesgrowth.

1Source:Colliersofficerentsmap20182Source:ONS,BusinessCount2018

5,155Companies,carryoutauxilliary

activitiesthatsupporttheMidlands’Financialand

Insuranceservicessectors2

Theprofessionalecosystemisconstantlyevolving,whichrepresents

anunprecedentedopportunityforfuturegrowth


Industry Strengths

Insurance

ThequalityandbreadthofinsuranceskillsintheMidlandscanbecreditedtotheregion’srichtapestryofspecialistandnicheoperations.TheregionishometomajorinsuranceoperationssuchasAllianz,Aon,Mercer,MarshandZurich.

Withahistoryinmajormanufacturing,theMidlandshasawell-developedlocalinsurancemarketthathasastrongfocusoncommercialinsurancepackages(professionalindemnity,engineeringinsuranceandotherspecialisms),butitalsooffersawiderangeofproductstoothermarkets.

Two-thirds of people working in financial and related professional services across the UK do so outside of Greater London1

1Source:TheCityUK–KeyFactsAboutUKFinancialandRelatedProfessionalServices2016

10,000Birminghamisoneofonlyfivecitiesinthe

UKwithover10,000peopleemployedintheBankingsector


Banking

BirminghamiscurrentlyoneofonlyfourcitiesintheUKwithmorethan10,000peopleemployedinthebankingsector–itcurrentlyhasc.11,000staff.

HSBCUKRing-fencedbankingheadofficeopenedinBirminghamin2018andwilleventuallyaccommodatenearly2,000staff,including400rolesrelocatedfromLondon.

Barclays,RBS,DeutscheBankandLloydsBankingGroupallemploymorethan1,000staffeachinthecity.

Barclaysrecentlyannouncedthattheyexpectthescaleoftheiroperationsinthecitytogrowby30%inthenextfewyears,astheytakeadvantageofthecost-effectiveenvironmentthatBirminghamoffersrelativetoLondonandseektocapitaliseontherapideconomicgrowthexpectedintheWestMidlands.

Business Processing and Financial Services

TheMidlandsEngineisoneoftheUK’sfastestgrowingregionallocationsforBusiness,ProfessionalandFinancialServices(BPFS).Withapopulationof10mpeopleandaneconomytotalling£217bn,theregionisaleadingcentreforBPFSoutsideofLondon.Thisincludesbutisnotlimitedtofrontofficefunctionsforbanks,insurance,legalandaccountancycompanies.

Birmingham lies at the heart of the West Midlands

RegardedasamajorengineofUKeconomicgrowth,BirminghamhasmoreFinancial&ProfessionalServices(FPS)employeesthananyotherregionalcity.

— Birmingham50,200

— Leeds49,300

— Edinburgh46,700

— Manchester45,100

— Glasgow38,200

Thecityisalsohometoover110,000employeesacrossmorethan11,500firmswithinthewiderBPFSsector,makingittheUK’slargestregionalcityforprofessionalservices.

• Majorrecentinvestmentsintheregioninclude:

— HSBC

— DeutscheBank

— Marsh&McLennan

— LombardRisk1Source:ONSBRES2018


FinTech opportunities

Theregion’simpressivefinancialsupplychain,combinedwithitspositionasthelargestregionaltechhub,hasfosteredrapidgrowthwithinitsFinTechsector.Withover65,000highlyqualifiedemployeesinover12,400businesses,theWestMidlandsCombinedAuthorityisnowhometothelargestregionalFinTechclusterintheUK(ONS).

Keytotheregion’ssuccessinFinTech–andthemainattractionforcompaniesmovingthere–isthetalentonoffer.Birminghamishometomoresoftwaredevelopers,programmersandsoftwarearchitectsthananyotherregionalcityintheUK(StackOverflow),andaccordingtoMonsterresearchisthebestplaceintheUKfordigitaljobs.TheWestMidlands’12universitiescontain50tech-relatedcentresofexcellenceanddeliverover66,000graduateseveryyear–16,000withFinTechrelatedqualifications.

• TheregionhasseenmajorinvestmentsfromLombardRiskandEMLPayments,togetherwithlocalfastgrowthFinTech’s(ParentPay;PMConnect)

• BirminghamoffersaverydistincttechnologyecosystemwithlargemultinationalcompanieslikeSCCandoneoftheUK’sleadingbusinesssoftwaresolutionscompanies–Advanced.

• TherecentGovernmentannouncementthattheWestMidlandshasbeenchosenasthehomeoftheUK’s5Gtechnology–backedby£150millionofinvestment–isagame-changerfortheregion’stechnologysupplychain.

TheWestMidlands’unparalleledstrategiclocationattheheartoftheUK’sroadandrailnetwork–withHighSpeedRailbringingLondonlessthan38minutesawayby2026–givestheregionauniquereachintermsofmarkets,businesses,population,talentandacademia.

Takentogether,theWestMidlands’ssectoralstrengths,itslocationandexceptionaltalentmakeitaprimechoiceoflocationforfast-growingFinTechcompanies.


SuccessfulbusinessesintheFinancialServicessectorrecognisetheimportanceofrecruitingahighlyskilledworkforcetodrivegrowthandcompetitiveadvantage.

7MidlandsUniversitiesarerankedinthetop25oftheGuardianUniversityLeaguetable2019intheUK,with3,Birmingham,NottinghamandWarwickfeaturinginthetop100globally,accordingtoQSUniversityRankings2019.

Establishing a business base in the Midlands provides access to a diverse mix of skills and a natural talent pool.

Talent Pool

10m+ People live in the Midlands

Representing15.4%oftheUKpopulation


Research Matters

Asarichsourceofresearchandinnovation,universitiesacrosstheMidlandsaresupportingtheFinancialServicessectorbycontributingtoregionalgrowth,jobsandinfrastructureandrespondingtothechangingshapeandneedsofthesector.

Warwick,NottinghamandtheUniversityofBirminghamaremembersoftheprestigiousRussellGroupofUniversities,whichrepresents24leadingUKuniversitiesthatarecommittedtomaintainingtheverybestresearch,andanoutstandingteachingandlearningexperience.

Developing Tomorrows Talent

UniversitiesintheMidlandshaveabroadportfolioofcoursesthatareapplicabletotheFinancialServicessector.Designedtoenrichthestudentexperience,theyareuncompromisinginmeetingtheindustry’srequirementsforrecruitingtalentedindividuals.

20UniversitiesintheMidlands,

7inUKtop25

68%

Withunrivalledlinkstobusinessandthepublicsector,68%oftheUK’s

worldleadingresearchtookplaceintheRussellGroupofUniversitiesin20141

362,720

Students(15%oftheUK’sstudentpopulation)2

1.95mPeopleintheMidlandsareeducatedto

degreelevelorabove3

1Source:RussellGrouphttp://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-business/2Source:HigherEducationStatisticsAgency,2017/183Source:ONSAnnualPopulationSurvey,2017


Developing Today’s Workforce

Globalisation, regulation, cost and consumer demand are driving change in the Financial Services sector.WorkingcloselywiththeFinancialServicessectorandacceleratingthelearninganddevelopmentofstaffinanenvironmentofconstantchangerequiresauniqueblendofexecutivedevelopmentprogrammes.Midlandsuniversitiesdeliverarangeofbespokecourses,professionalqualificationsandshortcoursestosupportthedevelopmentoforganisationalcapability.

Industry Engagement

Collaborationbetweeneducationandindustryhasneverbeenmoreimportant.TheMidlandsunderstandsthebroaderrequirementtodevelopadiverseandcapableworkforceatalllevels,tosupportFinancialServicesfirmstocapitaliseonopportunitiesforgrowth.Thereisastrongcommitmentfromthepublicsector,industry,andfromfurtherandhighereducationinstitutionstoinspireyoungpeopleandtoraiseawarenessofsectoropportunities,creatingtherightenvironmentfortheMidlands’workforceofthefuturetomaketherighteducationalandcareerchoices.

TheMidlandsiscommittedtoenrichingtheexperienceofyoungpeopletopreparethemforacareerintheFinancialServicessector,throughInternships,apprenticeships,mockassessmentcentres,tailoredindustry-ledprogrammesfor14-18yearolds,comprehensivecareerssupportandindustryengagement.

Andrew Dale,MBAGlobalBanking&FinanceGraduate,2010andDirectoratHSBCsaid:

“There is an extremely supportive and positive environment for postgraduate students at the University of Birmingham Business School; the careers service offered much welcomed advice and the academics, as well as the administration team, were ready to help me achieve my goals. I had a strong interest in banking and wanted to move into the banking sector. I was able to work alongside academics specialising in this field, which was a wonderful opportunity for me.”

International Links

In2017/18therewereover450,000internationalstudentsatUKuniversities.

Stronguniversityalumninetworkstapintointernationaltalentandresearchcollaborations.


University ExpertiseUniversity of Birmingham Business School

BirminghamBusinessSchoolisoneofthetop1%ofinternationalbusinessschools.Ithasprovidedwelltrained,relevantandbusinessreadygraduatesfortheFinancialServicessectorformorethan100years.TheSchoolhasaspecificfocusonpeopleinbusinessandtherolebusinessplaysinsociety.ItisthelargestproviderofpostgraduateprogrammesacrosstheRussellGroup.

Asaresearch-ledbusinessschool,studentshaveaccesstothelatesttrends,dataandknowledgewithintheglobalbankingandfinanceindustryandtheopportunityto

engagewithindustryprofessionalsfromrenownedfinancialserviceshouses,includingBankofAmerica,MerrillLynch,HSBC,Barclays,Coutts,RBS/NatwestandLloyds.

TheSchoolhaslong-standingrelationshipswithkeyinstitutionscentraltotheconductofeconomicpolicyandoversightofthefinancialsectorintheUK,includingthe

2,130Graduates2015/16inbusinessandfinance

programmes


BankofEngland,HMTreasuryandtheBritishVentureCapitalAssociation.Itregularlyundertakesresearchforretailandcentralbanks.

TheUniversitywasnamedUniversityoftheYearforGraduateEmploymentinTheTimesandTheSundayTimesGoodUniversityGuide2015-16.Ithasover30,000students,including8,000internationalstudentsfromover170countries.

TheCharteredInstituteforSecurities&Investment(CISI)hasawardedBirmingham’sDepartmentsofAccountingandFinancethetitleof“CentreforExcellenceinFinanceTeaching.”ItistheonlyMidlandsuniversitywherestudentscanearnaCISIDiplomainInvestorAdvice.Upongraduation,studentshavethereforeachievedFCAapprovedpersonstatus.Itsgraduatesalsoachieveaccountancy,corporatetreasurerandothermanagementprofessionalmembershipexemptions.

TheUniversityhasbrokennewgroundbysettingupthefirstsecondaryUniversityTrainingSchoolfor11-18yearolds.Fromhere,largefinancialservicescompaniessuchasKMPGandDeutscheBankcontributetoitsemployabilityenrichmentprogramme.

33,830TheUniversityhas21,495undergraduates

andafurther12,335postgraduatestudents

Aston Business School

AstonisamongEurope’slargestbusinessschools,withapproximately3,000students.Ithasbeenconductingpioneeringresearchintomodernbusinessandmanagementissuesforover60years,makingitoneofthelongestestablished,research-basedbusinessschoolsintheUK.Astonisoneofjust1%ofbusinessschoolsintheworldtoholdAACSB,EQUISandAMBAaccreditations,andoneofthreeintheUKtoreceivetheSmallBusinessCharterAward.Theuniversityisintheworld’stop85andtheUK’stop10forBusinessandEconomicsaccordingtoTimesHigherEducation’s2018WorldRankings.AstonwasawardedGoldinthe2017TeachingExcellenceFramework.

Astonaimstodevelopindividualstoperformbetterwithinenterprisesandtheprofessions,andtoensurethattheopportunitiesitcreatesaremadeavailabletoallmembersofsociety.Theuniversityadvisespolicy-makersonwaystoimprovesocietyandtheeconomy.StudentsbenefitfromteachingandresearchrelatingtoAccounting,Finance,Entrepreneurship,InformationManagement,andOrganisationalPsychology,taughtbyacademicswithrealcommercialexperience.

AlargeproportionofAstonstudentsundertakeaplacementyearduringtheirstudies,meaningmostofitsgraduatesentertheworkplacewithayearofindustryexperience.AstonalsooffersawiderangeofMBAprogrammes,whichareconsistentlyrecognisedassomeofthebestintheworldbyQS,CEOMagazine,TheEconomist,andothers.


Warwick Business School, University of Warwick

Inunder50years,WarwickBusinessSchoolhasbecomeoneofthemostprestigiousbusinessschoolsinEurope,providingworld-classprogrammesforambitiouspeople.WarwickconsistentlyfeaturesinthetoptenUKuniversityleaguetablesandwasdeclaredUniversityoftheYearin2015byTheTimesandSundayTimesnewspapers.

Warwick’sacademicconnectionsthroughinternationalnetworksandstrongrelationshipswithmulti-nationalcorporationsservetostrengthenitsexpertiseinaninternationalcontext.

Top 10 WarwickconsistentlyfeaturesinthetoptenUKuniversityleaguetablesandwas

declaredUniversityoftheYearin2015byTheTimesandSundayTimesnewspapers


Warwick’salignmentwithIndustry,enrichesthelearningexperienceofstudents,supportingthemtopracticallyapplytheoreticalmodelsinabusinessenvironment.

WarwickpreparesitsstudentsforacareerintheFinancialServicessectorbyworkingwithleadingInstitutions,includingMorganStanleyandBarclayswhodeliverindustryfocusedcasechallengeworkshops.RegularguestlecturesaredeliveredbyprominentcompaniessuchasUBSandDeloitte,enablingstudentstoapplytheirlearningthroughthestudyofreallifebusinesssituations.

InstructusMarketsdeliverfinancialandcommercialawarenessworkshopstostudents,includingtheFintractechonlinesalestradingwhichgivesstudentsaninsightandexperienceintoinvestmentbankingandhedgefunds.

Warwicktakesamulti-facetedapproachtotalentacquisitionandretentionandprovidesbespokesolutionsdevelopedforitsfinancialservicesclients.TheUniversitydeliversasuiteofqualificationsinCentralBankingandRegulationaspartofitspartnershipwiththeBankofEngland.

Warwickisgloballyconnectedwithover8,455non-UKstudents

8,455

CASE STUDY

Warwick Business School

“WarwickBusinessSchool(WBS)offersanexcellentacademiclearningenvironment,anoutstandingreputationinthefieldsofaccountingandfinance,andaninternationalstudentbase.

AnyaccountingandfinancecoursewillgiveyouaninsightintobothaspectsbutwhatsetsWBSapartisthehands-onexperiencegained.Eachyear,therewasamodulewithafocusonteamworkandpresentationskills,inwhichweweredividedintorandomgroupsandhadtoworkwithpeoplewedidn’tknow–justlikeinarealbusinesscontext.Butbecausetherewasarealfeelingofbelonginghere,competitionwasdefinedbytryingtoachievethebestasagroupratherthanindividualsbattlingeachother.

WBSequippedmewitheverythingIneededforacareerinbanking,accounting,consultancyormanagementandIcanseemycareergoinganywhereIchoose.”

Axel Stelk,AssuranceAssociate,PwC

Image:michaeljung


University of Leicester School of Business

TheUniversityofLeicesterSchoolofBusiness(ULSB)isaglobalacademyforleaders,innovatorsandchange-makers.Buildingonover90yearsofdeliveringbusinesseducation,itisinternationallyrenownedforcoursesinaccountingandfinance,management,marketingandeconomics.Itisranked14thintheUKforresearchpower,reflectingthepioneeringworkitconductsinpartnershipwithleaders,managersandorganisationstopromoteresponsiblebusinesspractice.

ULSBisamemberoftheCharteredAssociationofBusinessSchools(CABS)andholdsaprestigiousSmallBusinessCharterAwardforitsroleinhelpingtokickstartBritishenterprise.

Leicesteralsohas12Bloombergterminalswhichdevelopstudents’businessrelevantskillsandenablesthemtoexaminehowtradersworkandprovidesaccesstofinancialnewsandinformation,includingreal-timestockquotes.

• The Association of Graduate Recruiters have recognised the University of Leicester as the best institution in the UK with the best initiative to prepare students for the world of work.

• The University has won Times Higher Awards in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and most recently in 2013 for Outstanding Communications Team and Outstanding Fundraising Initiative. The only university to win awards in seven consecutive years.


• Leicester has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education on three occasions - the highest form of national recognition open to a UK academic or vocational institution.

De Montfort University

DeMontfortUniversity(DMU)isadynamicinstitutionwithalongandvibranthistoryofimprovingpeople’slivesthrougheducation.Thestudentpopulationiscirca23,000,

Morethan60percentofresearchisinternationalquality,nearlyafifthinternationallyleadingwithinternationallyacknowledgedresearchgroupsincybersecurity,transport,energy,water,advancedmanufacturingandcreativeindustries.

DMUAccountingandFinancecoursesarerankedintheUKtop20forStudentSatisfaction,ValueAddedandGraduateCareerProspects(GuardianUniversityLeagueTables,2019)

TheDepartmentofAccountingandFinancehasretainedtheGoldStatuswiththeACCAforourprofessionalcourses.TutorDawnDavidson(DMU)said:“membersofACCAwereimpressedbyboththequalityofourtutorsandthematerialthatthetutorsproduce.Fromstudentfeedbackformstheynotedhowcommittedtutorsweretothestudentsandthisisacredittothewholeteam”.

TheDepartmentofAccountingandFinancehasrecentlygainedexemptionsfromtheInstituteofFinancial

AccountantsfortheBAAccountingandFinanceprogramme.

TheAssociationofCertifiedFraudExaminershasaccreditedtheMScForensicAccountingprogramme,givingthedepartmentthestatusofananti-fraudeducationprovider.

DeMontfortUniversity(DMU)continuestoinvestinfacilitiestoenhancestudentexperienceandemployability.TheBloombergTradingRoomwillgiveEconomicsandAccountingandFinancestudents’accesstoBloombergmarketdata,analyticsandinformation.

Comprisingof21Bloombergterminals,theTradingRoomprovidesasimulationofwhatitisliketoworkinthefinancialindustryandprovidesexperienceofareallifetradingfloorenvironment

Loughborough University

LoughboroughUniversityisoneofonly15institutionsworldwidetoachieveFiveStarsPlusintheInternationalQSStarsScheme2017andistop10ineverynationalleaguetable.

TheSchoolofBusinessandEconomicsisoneoflessthan1%ofbusinessschoolsintheworldtohaveachievedaccreditationfromallthreemajorinternationalaccreditingbodies:TheAssociationtoAdvanceCollegiateSchoolsofBusiness(AACSBInternational),EQUISaccreditationfromtheEuropeanFoundationforManagementDevelopment(EFMD)andtheAssociationofMBAs(AMBA).


Itoffersarichvarietyofpostgraduateprogrammes,fromtaughtmasters,MBAanddoctoralprogrammes,toshortcoursesandexecutiveeducationrelevanttothefinancialservicessector.

AnumberofLoughborough’sresearchersareengagedintopicalandcutting-edgeresearch.Theyhaveabreadthofexpertisespanningtheeconomicsoftrade,foreigndirectinvestment,financialservices,regulatorypolicyandexchangerates,aswellasexpertsininternationalnegotiations,emergingmarketsandexportpromotion,andintheuseofbigdataandsocialmediatogaugepublicopinionshifts.

FiveStarsPlusInstitution–oneofonly15worldwide(InternationalQSStarsScheme2017)

176,000alumnifrom167countries

Top 10ineverynationalleaguetable

Morethan17,800studentsfromover130differentcountries

TeachingExcellenceFrameworkGold

Longstandingcollaborativelinkswithpublicandprivatesectororganisationsworldwide


Nottingham University Business School

NottinghamUniversityBusinessSchool(NUBS)isaninternationalleaderinfinanceandmanagementeducationandaresearchpioneerinentrepreneurship,innovationandsustainability.ItoffersunrivalledinternationalreachthroughitsBusinessSchoolsinNottingham,ChinaandMalaysia,whichformoneofthelargestgroupsoffinanceexpertsatanyUKuniversity.ItholdsdoubleaccreditationfromEQUISandAMBAanditscoursesaregloballyrankedbyTheEconomistandtheFinancialTimes.

TheSchoolhaswell-knownexpertiseinfinance,bankingandriskandexcellentconnectionswiththeprivatesectorandprofessionalbodies.NUBSisaCharteredBankerCentreofExcellenceandtheCBIaccreditsitsMScBankingandFinancecourse,whichmeansgraduatesgainCharteredBankerstatus,whiletheMScFinanceandInvestmentisendorsedbytheprestigiousCFAInstitute.

TheSchool’sCentreforRisk,BankingandFinancialServicesproducesworld-leadingresearch,insightandcommentaryaboutfinancialservicesconsumers,marketsandinstitutions.

NUBSoffersestablishedthoughtleadershipandfacultywithaninternationalreputationfortheunderstandingoffinancialbehaviourandpromotingconsumerinterestsinfinancialservices;fintechinbanking;bankefficiencyandproductivity;corporatefinance;operationalriskinfinancialinstitutions;andIslamicbanking.

NUBSworkswithleadingbanksandfinancialinstitutionsinresearchandconsultancy.In2017,ithostedthefirstNottinghamtri-campusinternationalbankingandfinanceconferencetoexplorenewideasabouttheimpactoffinancialinnovationsonthetraditionalfinancialsector.


Locations of Midlands Universities

Wolverhampton

Nottingham

Lincoln

Derby

Leicester

Birmingham

Northampton

14

7

16

5

10

15

11

17

8

20

3

6

9

19

1, 2, 9, 12, 13

4, 18Milton Keynes

M6

M1

A1(M)

M1

M5

M54

M50 M40

M42

M42

M46Coventry

Worcestershire

Telford and Wrekin Staffordshire

1 AstonUniversity 11 StaffordshireUniversity

2 BirminghamCityUniversity 12 UniversityCollegeBirmingham

3 BishopGrossetesteUniversity 13 UniversityofBirmingham

4 CoventryUniversity 14 UniversityofDerby

5 DeMontfortUniversity 15 UniversityofLeicester

6 HarperAdamsUniversity 16 UniversityofLincoln

7 KeeleUniversity 17 UniversityofNottingham

8 LoughboroughUniversity 18 UniversityofWarwick

9 NewmanUniversityBirmingham 19 UniversityofWolverhampton

10 NottinghamTrentUniversity 20 UniversityofWorcester


Key locations: Birmingham

AsthecorecityoftheWestMidlandsregion,BirminghamishometoalargeandhighlydevelopedFinancial,ProfessionalandBusinessServicesclusterandactsastheregion’sprimaryhubforthesesectors.ThecityitselfhashighlydevelopedspecialismsinBanking,Insurance,AccountancyandLegalServicesandManagementConsultancy,isanemergingFintechcentreandhasrecentlybeenannouncedasthehomeofHSBCnewnationalring-fencedbankheadquartersandPwC’sUKregionalheadoffice.

BirminghamhasmoreFinancialandRelatedProfessionalServicescompaniesandmoreemployeesworkinginthesesectorsthananyotherEnglishcityoutsideofLondonandoffersasufficientbreadthanddepthofskillsandtalenttosupportawiderangeofhighvaluefinancialservicesfunctions.

WiththeWestMidlandsCombinedAuthorityareaalreadyhometo4.3mpeopleandoneoftheyoungesturbanpopulationsinEurope,theregion’seconomyisexpectedtoundergosignificantgrowthoverthenextdecade(EY,2017),presentingsignificantmarketopportunityforfinancialservicesgrowth.

DespitethescaleofopportunityanddepthoftalentavailableintheWestMidlands,Birminghamstilloffersahighlycost-competitivebusinessenvironmentrelativetoLondon,withGradeApropertyandstaff

forprofessionalrolestypicallyavailableata40%discountrelativetothecapital.

Birmingham’sfinancialandprofessionalservicesclusterisabletodrawuponatalentpoolof52,000graduatesayearfromacrosstheWestMidlandsCombinedAuthorityarea–ofwhomalmost1in3(14,200)graduatewithBusiness,AccountingandFinanceorLegaldegrees–aswellasaworkingagepopulationof4.7mpeoplelivingwithinanhour’scommute.

Inadditiontohousingmorethan1,000staffforalloftheUK’slargest5commercialbanks,thecityishometoamajorbaseforglobalinvestmentbankDeutscheBankandisincreasinglyafocallocationforchallengerbanks,includingSecureTrust,AldermoreandUnityTrust.ThedepthofbankingtalentavailablemakesBirminghamanidealchoiceforrelocatingfront,middleorbackofficefunctionsoutofLondon.

Birminghamhasalonghistoryofstrengthininsuranceandrelatedindustries.ThecityisamajoremploymentbaseformajorinternationalinsurersincludingZurich,AonandMarshandishometoaseriesofmarket-leadinghome-grownspecialistinsurancecompaniesincludingWesleyanandPhoenixGroup.

Supportingindustriesplayakeyroleinthecity,whichishometothelargestaccountancyandmanagementconsultingclusteroutsideofGreaterLondonandtheMidlands’largestlegalservicescluster,

1Source:NOMIS

Key Locations


featuringamixtureoffrontandmiddleofficefunctionsforregional,nationalandinternationallyreknownedlawfirmsincludingEvershedsSutherland,GowlingWLGandHoganLovells.

Thecity’scentrallocationmakesittheidealplacefromwhichtoservicetheUKmarket–90%oftheUK’spopulationcanbereachedbyroadwithin4hoursandwhenHS2entersservicein2026,centralLondonwillbejust38minutesawaybytrain(BirminghamInterchange).

Birminghamiscelebratedasaculturallydiverse,internationalcity.ItishometomoreforeignlanguagesspeakersthananyotherUKregionalcityandhasahigherpopulationofGerman,French,RussianandMandarinspeakersthananywhereelseintheUKoutsidethecapital.

It’sthereforenosurprisethatthecityishometomoreinternationalcompaniesthananyotherregionalcity(FAME,2018)andcontinuestoattractmorejobsfromForeignDirectInvestmentthananywhereelseinEnglandapartfromLondon(DIT,2018).

51,375EmployeesworkinginFinancialandRelatedProfessionalservices–morethananyother

EnglishcityoutsideofLondon(NOMIS,3rdAugust2018).

Over105,000peopleemployedinBirminghamandwiderBPFS(BRES,ONS,2016)

4,390Financialandrelatedprofessionalservices

companies–morethananyothercityintheUKoutsideofLondon.

(NOMIS,3rdAugust2018).

Over13,100companiesinbroaderBPFSsector(ONS,2017)


CASE STUDY

LOMBARD RISK

LombardRiskisaglobalfintechcompany,andisaleadingproviderofregulatoryreportingandcollateralmanagementsolutions.Thecompanyplaysapivotalpartinenablingclientsinthefinancialservicesindustrytosignificantlyimprovetheirapproachtomanagingrisk.Foundedin1989andheadquarteredinLondon,LombardRiskhasofficesintheUS,AsiaPacificandservicecentresinGermany,CapeTownandLuxembourg.

Why relocating?

InNovember2016,LombardRiskannounceditwouldbeopeninganewTechnologyCentreinBirmingham,creating140jobsduringthenextthreeyearsandboostingthecity’scredentialsasamajorfintechhub.ThecompanywillbebasedintheAlphaTowerinBirminghamandwillcaterforthegrowingfinancialservicesindustryinthecity.

Why Birmingham?

Beinganinternationalcompany,connectivityisessentialtoLombardRisk.It’spositioninBirminghamoffersthecompanyexceptionallinkstobothitsnationalandoverseasclients,allowingittomakethemostoftheintegratedrailnetworksandairportfacilitiesintheregion.

What Birmingham has offered them

Mike Payne,LombardRisk’sChiefTechnologyOfficer,highlightedBirmingham’sstrengthininnovationasanotherkeyfactorthatmotivatedthemovetotheMidlands.Headded:“LombardRiskaimstobetheemployerofchoiceinBirmingham,developingfirstclasssoftwaredemandedbyourclients.Birminghamisafantasticcitywithworldclassuniversitiesnearbyandarichpooloftalentedtechnologists,itwasanobviousplaceforustoinvestin.”


CASE STUDY

HSBC

Oneoftheworld’slargestbankingandfinancialservicesorganisations,HSBC,haschosenBirminghamasthelocationfortheheadofficeofitsnewring-fencedbank,HSBCUK.Asacompanywithacustomerbase,employeesandbranchnetworkthatcoverstheentireUK,thebankisintheprocessofrecruitingfor1,040newrolesinBritain’ssecond-biggestcity.

Foundedin1836astheBirminghamandMidlandBank,wherethecoreofHSBC’sUKbusinessoriginated,thebankisnowinvesting200millionpounds,includinganewbuilding,inthecitywhereitfirstbegantrading.

Aspartofthisinvestment,HSBChasacquireda250-yearleaseonanew210,000sq.ft.officebuildinginBirmingham’sArenaCentralenterprisezone.Thenewbuildingwillbeoneofthegreenestinthecity,underscoringtheGroup’scommitmenttoreducingcarbonemissions,andwillaccommodateupto2,500HSBCUKstaff.

Antonio Simoes,chiefexecutiveofHSBCBankplc,commentedonthesuccessoftherelocation:

“ThecreationofHSBCUK’snewheadofficeinBirminghamprovidesuswithaonceinalifetimeopportunitytobuildanewandbetterbankforourcustomersandpeople.It’simportantthatournewheadofficereflectsourbrand,cultureandheritageandwehavebeenworkinghardtocreatetherightinfrastructureandenvironment.

Therelocationprocessisalreadyaheadoftarget,andsofararound53percentofthenewroleshavebeenfilled.“

Simoescontinued:

“We’reproudthatournewheadofficewillbeoneofthegreenestbuildingsinBirminghamandwebelieveitslocationattheheartoftheUKwillhelpusgetclosertoour17millioncustomersacrosstheUK.Morethanhalfoftheheadofficeroleswe’removingfromLondontoBirminghamarenowaccountedforandwe’rerecruitinginternallyandexternallyfortheremainingroles,withmorethan2,000HSBCcolleagueshavingalreadyregisteredtheirinterest.”


Key Locations: Wolverhampton

Wolverhamptonhasanumberofkeyemploymentcentres,thelargestofwhichisthecitycentre.ItisthemainFinancial,ProfessionalandRetailcentre,withover4,000businessesemployingover14,000people.Thereare157highturnover(£1m+)businessesand34largebusinessesemployingover250people.

FinancialservicesemployersinthecityincludemajorUKbanksandcentralfacilitiesforHSBC,Santander,LloydsBankingGroup,HandelsbankenandCharterCourtFinancialServiceswhonowoccupy4officesincludingtheirHQatWolverhamptonBusinessParkandhasgrownitsheadcountfrom28peopleto

650inthelast7years.ThecompanywasalsoincludedintheLondonStockExchangeGroup’s1,000companiestoInspireBritain2017report.TheStateBankofIndiahasalsochosenWolverhamptonasoneoftheir10UKlocations.

FinancialandBusinessServicesaccountfor12percentoftheemploymentsectorinWolverhampton.

Wolverhamptonattractsahighlevelofmanagerialandprofessionalworkersintothecity.Therearealmost33,000graduatesinthecitywithover50,000non-graduateswithqualificationsatNVQLevel1,2&3.


Withinthecitycentre,majorinvestmentin‘i10’iscomplete,andisthecatalystfor1millionsq.ftofgradeAofficedevelopmentspacewithretailandleisuredevelopmentopportunitiesattheInterchangeCommercialDistrict.Buildingonthesuccessofi10,thenextmajorofficedevelopmentplannedinthecityisi9providing50,000sq.ftofgradeAofficespacecommencingonsiteinFebruary2019.

Thecity’s£150minterchangetransportprojectisnowwellunderwaywhichincludesbuildingandextensionofanewmainlinerailwaystation,anupgradeoftheadjoiningcarparkandanextensiontotheMetro,serving4.75millionpassengersperyearfurtherboostingthecity’sunrivalledconnectivity.

TheUniversityofWolverhamptonisakeycontributortothelocaleconomyfeaturingastateoftheart18mbusinessschoolwithteachingandr&dspecialismsinfinance,accountingandsystemsandeconomics.’

CHARTER COURT FINANCIAL SERVICES

Ian Lonergan,CEO-CharterCourtFinancialServicessaid:

“WepickedWolverhamptonasourbasebecauseithasstronglinkswiththeFinancialServicesindustryandthereforeprovidesuswithawealthofopportunitiestorecruittalentedpeople.ManyFinancialServicesfirmshaveoperationsintheWestMidlandsandbecauseWolverhamptonisclosetothemotorwaynetworkandhasagoodpublictransportsystem,manypotentialemployeesarewithinourcatchmentarea.

Wehavegrownfrom27peopletoover350inthelastsevenyearsandourlocationhasplayedapartinthisachievement.Weintendtogrowfurtherandweareencouragedbythenumberoflargefirmscomingtothearea,whichnodoubtwillimprovetheopportunitiesforemployersandemployeesalike.”

CASE STUDY


Key locations: Coventry

CoventryboastsastrongandemergingFinancialandBusinessServicessector,employingover35,000peopleandprimedforsignificantgrowth.

Drivingthisgrowth,willbetheprofessionalservicesdevelopmentatFriargateandaCityCentreprofessionalquarter,locatednexttoCoventryrailwaystation.Friargateoffersthehighestqualityofficeaccommodationinaprimecitycentrelocation,atasignificantcostsavingrelativetoheadlinerentsinLondonandBirmingham.ThedevelopmentwillactasaninvestmentcatalystfortheindustryintheCity.

TheopportunityinCoventryisunderpinnedbyunrivalledtransportlinksattheheartoftheUK’srailandmotorwaynetwork.

Key Financial Services sector businesses represented locally include:

CoventryBuildingSociety-HQ

StateBankofIndia

FinancialOmbudsmanService

CircleInsuranceServicesPLC-GroupHQ

BarclaysUK(regionalheadoffice)

35,000Coventryhasanemergingstrengthinthe

FinancialandBusinessServicessector,employingover35,000people


CASE STUDY

Coventry Building Society

CoventryBuildingSocietyistheUK’ssecondlargestbuildingsocietyandatoptensavingsandmortgageproviderwithassetsexceeding£42.5billion.WeareoneofthefastestgrowingfinancialservicesorganisationsintheUKwithatrackrecordofgrowththatshowsourcommitmenttoofferinglongtermvalueandexcellentservicetoourmembers.

Withourheadquartersandaward-winningcontactcentrebasedinCoventry,we’reanincreasinglyimportantlocalemployer,withthemajorityofour2,400workforcebasedinthecity.Weofferthewiderangeofrolesthatunderpinamodernfinancialmutual,includingmanyspecialistfunctionsthatarerarelyfoundoutsideLondon,andourinvestmentinourcoretechnologyplatformsiscreatinggreatopportunitiesforpeoplewithITandprojectmanagementskills.Weareverymuchaninclusiveemployerlookingtoprovideopportunities

fortalentedpeopleandwe’reequallycommittedtosupportingourpeopleastheydeveloppersonallyandtheircareersattheSociety.

ThekeytotheCoventryiswehaven’tlostsightofourpurpose.We’reheretoputourmembersfirstandthisdrivesourdecision-makingandwaywedothings.PeoplewhoworkattheCoventrywanttodotherightthingformembers,colleaguesandthewidercommunityand,inadditiontoconsistentlystrongfinancialperformances,wescoreincrediblyhighlyintermsofmotivationandengagement.

CoventryBuildingSocietyhasbeenpartofthecitysince1884.Oursuccessfulheritageismatchedbyourambitiontoremainrelevanttoanincreasingmembershipandgrowingworkforceinamodern,fast-movingfinancialsector.Darin Landon, Distribution Director, Coventry Building Society.


Key locations: Nottingham

NottinghamisoneofthekeycentresforFinancialandBusinessservicesintheMidlands,withover66,000(source:NOMIS)employeesinthesector.

HometotheUKheadquartersofExperian,CapitalOneandIkanoBank,amongstothers,thecityisinternationallyrenownedforitsexpertiseinfinancialtechnologyanddataanalytics.Nottinghamalsohasstronglegalservicesandaccountancysectorsthatsupporttheregionaleconomy.

TheriseoftheFintechsectorinNottinghamhasseencompaniessuchasTDXGroup,LexisNexisandOakbrookFinanceexpandsignificantlyoverthepastfewyears.Theaward-winningCreativeQuarterbusinessdistricthasbeenthehomeofmanyofthecity’sthrivingstart-upandscale-upcompaniesacrossthesector.

With15universitiesbeingwithin1hourofthecity,awiderecruitmentcatchmentareaandayoungerthanaverageworkingpopulation;Nottinghamoffersanexcellentopportunitytorecruitfromanextensivetalentpool.

Nottingham’slocationensuresexcellentaccesstotheUK’stransportinfrastructurewithmotorwayandraillinkstoLondonandacrosstheMidlands.NottinghamispartoftheHS2networkwhichwillseejourneytimetoLondonreducedtojustover1hour.NottinghamisalsoservedbyEastMidlandsAirportandBirminghamInternationalAirportwhichoffersuperbaccesstoanarrayofdomesticandinternationalmarkets.1Source:NOMIS

“Nottingham is a fantastic place to build a business - there are two good universities here and there is a wealth of data analytics skill in the city, which means we can find great staff”

Mark Onyett,PartneratBlenheimChalot&Co-FounderofTDXGroup

“The original data business, Experian, started in Nottingham and still has its global HQ here. We’ve seen other financial power houses move into Nottingham too like Capital One, and tech start-ups become international success stories, such as TDX.

The fact those businesses and many others start, grow and succeed in Nottingham was a crucial indicator of future success when we were choosing where to base ourselves”

Olly Betts,CEO,Bizfitech


CASE STUDY

Ikano Bank

IkanoBankUK,establishedin1994,hasmorethanover250employeesbasedinNottingham.BeingproudoftheirSwedishheritageandstrongculture,theyalwaystrytoliveuptotheircorepromiseof‘OnFairTerms’ineverythingtheydo.

IkanoofferssalesfinanceandcustomerinsightservicestoretailpartnersincludingBHS,DFS,Harveys,IKEA,KarenMillen,NewLook,Oasis,Tesco,VisionExpressandWarehouse.

Closeproximitytokeysuppliers,suchasTDX,ExperianandCapitalOne,provideacrucialfoundationforstrongrelationshipsandincreasedefficienciesforIkano’sUKoperation.

IntheUK,IkanoBankprovidessimpleBanking&FinancialservicestopersonalconsumersandIkanoInsightprovidesloyaltyprogrammesandinsightservicestomajorretailersaroundtheglobe.Nottinghamistheperfecthomeforthisgrowing,innovativecompanyforanumberofreasons.

TheoriginalchoiceofNottinghamwasinpartinfluencedbyitsproximitytoExperian,aglobalinformationservicescompanywhichprovidesIkanowiththedatarequiredtomakegoodcreditdecisions.

Twohighlyrateduniversitiesalsocreateopportunitiesforbusiness,bothbyleveragingresourcesandalsobydeliveringapoolofyoungtalenttolocalemployers.

Nottingham’scentrallocationwasoriginallyoneofthereasonsforitsimpressiveindustrialheritage.IkanoBankandIkanoInsightwereattractedbytheproximityto

themotorwaynetwork,alocalinternationalairportandtrainsdirecttoLondoninlessthan2hours.IkanoBankandIkanoInsightworkwithmanyretailpartnersbothinLondonandthroughouttheUK.Theexcellenttravellinksmeanthisiseasyandefficientfortheirco-workers.

Therecentintroductionoftramshashelpedco-workersgetaroundthecity.Theiroffice,locatednexttothestation,meanspublictransportisusedtocommutetoandfromtheofficebymanyoftheirco-workers.

“The presence of organisations like Experian, Boots and Capital One has enabled Ikano to tap into a rich seam of talent, particularly analytical resources. Talent from these companies have themselves gone on to spawn new businesses such as TDX, Insurance Initiatives, Oakbrook Finance and HD Decisions, rapidly establishing Nottingham as a nationally recognised hub of analytical excellence, specifically in financial services.”

Daniel Joy,CountryManagerUK,IkanoBank.


Key locations: Leicester

MoreFinancialandBusinessservicesfirmsarechoosingLeicesterastheirbasetoexpandandgrow,nationallyandinternationally.

Trulyconnectedineverysenseoftheword,Leicester’slocationattheheartoftheUKmakesittheperfectplacetostartandgrowabusinessaroundyoursupplychainandpartners,andtooperateonatrulyglobalscale.Londonisanhourbytrain,providingfastandefficientaccessintoEuropewithin4hours,whilstinternationaltraveliseasilymanagedviaEastMidlandsandBirminghamAirports.WorkinginoneofthemostdiversecommunitiesintheUKbringsnumerous

opportunitiestoexpandandgrow.Hereyoucanaccessatrulyinternationalnetworkofculture,customs,personalitiesandperspectivesinour‘world in one city’wherebusinessesrubshoulderswithlocalpeoplewhocollectivelyspeakmorethan100languages.

World in one cityWherebusinessesrubshoulderswithlocalpeoplewhocollectivelyspeak

morethan100languages


CASE STUDY

Hastings Insurance Group

HastingsDirectisoneofthefastestgrowinggeneralinsuranceprovidersofferingcar,home,bikeandvaninsurancetotheUKmarket.Withover2.6mcustomers,HastingsDirecthasambitiousexpansionplansandisontracktoinsureoneintenofallUKcardriversby2020,raisingitscustomernumberstothreemillion.

MovingintoLeicesterin2015,theinsurerinvested£2millionestablishinganewbaseintheCity.HastingsDirect’sLeicesterofficequicklyexpandedandtheymovedtotheirpermanenthomeatStGeorgesWayinNovember2015.Reaching700colleaguesinLeicesterinMarch2017,theyannouncedplanstocreateupto500morejobsandnowemployover1,400colleaguesatthecitycentreoffice.

CommunityalsoplaysanimportantpartinlifeatHastingsDirect.Thecompanysupportsthelocalcommunity,goodcausesandlocaleducationthroughthecharitableworkitscolleaguestakepartinthroughouttheyear.HastingsDirectalsoworkswithlocalschoolsoneducationprogramme‘BetheChange’whichlookstoguideandsupportyeareightandninestudentsastheyconsiderandmakedecisionsabouttheirfuture.

AndreaGray,HastingsDirectOperationsDirectorsaid;“SincearrivinginLeicesteroverthreeyearsagowehavebeenwarmlywelcomedintothebusinessandlocalcommunityandenjoybeingpartoftheCity.


Besides the business benefits of locating a Financial Services company in the Midlands, take inspiration from an area full of contrasts, from rolling moor lands and lush river valleys to vibrant cities, historic towns and breath taking landscapes.

Lifestyle

An Area of Contrasts

TheNationalTrusthelpstopreserveandprotectover60historichousesandgardensintheMidlands.Oneofthelargestartandheritagecollectionsprovidesanintellectuallystimulatingexperienceandafascinatingjourneythroughtime.Majesticwoodlands,magicalforestsandcountryparks,willbestowawell-earnedrespitefromcitylife.

TheMidlandshassomeofthefinestlivingandworkinglandscapesintheUKwith5areasofoutstandingnaturalbeautyandover33naturereserves.Fromancientdeerparkstothe10,000acreSherwoodForest,whichishometoover1000ancientoaktreesandthelegendofRobinHood,whetherit’swalking,

abseiling,zorbingorcycling,theMidlandsoffersagreatenvironmenttoenjoyphysicalactivityandawiderangeofsportingexperiences.

60 Historic HomesTheNationalTrusthelpstopreserveand

protectover60historichousesandgardensintheMidlands


Over290parksandgardens

Over1,800conservationareas

Over230accreditedmuseums

5AreasofOutstandingBeauty

Fascinating Heritage

TheMidlandshasarichhistorywhichprovidesvisitorswithacaptivatinginsightintoitsindustrialandculturalheritage.TheLunarSociety,setupinBirminghaminthe1750s,hasperhapshadthegreatestimpactonindustrialisationacrosstheWorld.Itwasbehindsomeofthearea’skeyachievementsandtodaymuchofthatheritageisreflectedinthemuseumsandhistoricalsitesacrosstheMidlands.1

Inspiring Culture

GreatnamesofthepastsuchasD.H.Lawrence,WilliamShakespeareandJ.R.R.TolkienhaveallfoundinspirationfromtheMidlands’heritageandlandscapes.Whetherit’sJ.M.Barrie’s“PeterPan,”celebrationstomarkthebirthdayofWilliamShakespeareorawalkinthefootstepsofD.H.Lawrence,thecontroversialliteraryhero,thereismuchtoexperienceintheMidlands.2

1Source:HeritageCounts2Source:NaturalEngland


Premiership Sport

AsthebirthplaceofRugby,theMidlandshasastrongaffinitywiththegame.In2015,AstonVillaandLeicesterCity,playedhosttotheRugbyWorldCup.TheMidlandsisalsohometofourpremiershipclubs,theWasps,Tigers,WarriorsandtheSaints.Thereareplentyofopportunitiesforenthusiastsofallagestoenjoythispopularsportandthereisawidenetworkoflocalclubsforaspiringyoungrugbyplayers.

WithfivecountycricketteamsandtwotestcricketvenuesinNottinghamandEdgbaston,theMidlandshasproducedsomeofEngland’sfinestcricketers.

Enjoyfootballatitsbest.TwoMidlandsclubsplayintheEnglishPremierLeague,LeicesterandWolverhamptonWanderers.NottinghamForestisoneofonlytwoEnglishclubstohavewonback-to-backEuropeanCups.

ForyoungtalentthereisanetworkofFootballAcademiesacrosstheMidlandswhichincludestheEnglishFootballAssociation’s,prestigiousStGeorge’sParkTrainingCentreinBurton,thetraininghomeofthenationalteam.


Fine Food and Drink

It’snotjustthetenMichelinstarredrestaurantsthatmakestheMidlandsagreatplacetoeatanddrink,itisahiddengem.Itsvibrantfoodanddrinkscenewillsuitmosttastes,thereissomuchtoexperience;fromArtisancheeses,tofoodfestivalsandcraftbeersandciders.

TheMidlandshasanexcitingmixofhistoricandmoderndaydistilleries,andnestledagainst“CastleRock”is,allegedly,England’sOldestInn,‘YeOldeJerusalem,’claimedtohavebeenbuiltin1189ADandfamousforitscaves,carvedoutofthesoftsandstonerock.

Hometosomeoftheworld’sbestknownfoodsandbrands,Cadburys,WorcestershireSauce,WalkersCrisps,StiltonCheeseandanoverwhelmingnumberofsmallfoodproducers,theMidlandsisaculinarydelight.

Vibrant City Life

Fromsmallindependentshops,toiconicretailstoresanddesigneroutlets,citiesintheMidlandsprovideadistinctiveexperience,packedwithmodernattractions,citycentrerestaurants,barsandgreenspaces.

EnjoyclassicperformancesbythecelebratedRoyalBallet,orexperiencevibrantcontemporaryproductionsalongsidemodernartistsattheArtDecoRoyalShakespeareTheatre.Whetherit’stheClassicfaçadeandCorinthiancolumnsoftheTheatreRoyal,thespectacularstate-of-the-artCurveortheGrandandLyceumTheatres,designedbyVictorianarchitectC.J.Phipps,thereisatimelessappeal,thatwillcaptivateandimpress.


Global connections

Financial Services

CompaniesbasedintheMidlandshaveaccesstoexcellenttransportlinks.TheMidlandsactsastheengineandconduitforlocalandnationaleconomicactivityandtransportflows.

“90% of the UK population is within a 4 hour drive of the Midlands.”

1. Birmingham Airport –accommodatesnearly13millionpassengersperyear,with50airlinesservicingmorethan140routesWorldwide.

2. East Midlands Airport–accommodatesmorethan4.5millionpassengersperyear,servicingmorethan80routesworldwide.


Rail and Road Links

TheMidlandshaswellconnectedrailandroadlinkstoLondon,whichcanbereachedinlessthan2hours.

ThedeliveryofHighSpeed2willplacetheMidlandsatthecentreofanewnationalhigh-speedrailnetwork.ItwillprovideenhancedconnectivitybetweenBritain’smajorcities.TraveltimefromBirminghamtoLondonwillbereducedto49minutesandNottinghamtoLondonin1hour8minutes.

Central

Attheheartofanextensivemotorwaynetwork,theMidlandsprovideseasyaccesstoallmajorUKcities.

Connected

TheM6,M42,M54,M5,M1andM40motorwaysprovidehighspeedconnectivitytothenorthandsouthofthecountry.

To London Road Rail

Birmingham 2hr4min 1hr23min

Nottingham 2hr18min 1hr45min

Coventry 1hr46min 59min

Leicester 1hr50min 1hr6min

Wolverhampton 2hr17min 1hr47min


Notes


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