TheCityUK appoints its first-ever Cardiff chair
TheCityUK – the industry-led body for financial and related professional services across the UK – has appointed its first-ever city chair for Cardiff.
Katharine Finn, regional chair for PwC Wales and West of England, will be a key figurehead for TheCityUK, championing the industry’s considerable local contribution and progressing opportunities for greater collaboration and engagement across Wales.
Wales has a growing reputation for providing high-quality professional services and support functions, with particular expertise in insurance technology support and legal services. The strength of south Wales’ higher education is one of the key attractions for companies.
With 25,000 students in Welsh universities enrolled on courses connected to the industry, firms have good access to a pipeline of talent.
Miles Celic, chief executive officer at TheCityUK, said: “Our industry is a major employer and contributor to the economy of towns and cities right across the country, with more than two-thirds of the 2.2 million people employed nationally based outside London.
“The appointment of TheCityUK city chair in Cardiff will support our work to champion the industry across the nation and help build partnership opportunities which will ensure the industry’s success into the future.
“In Cardiff alone, financial and related professional services account for one in 10 of all jobs, yet all too often the industry is seen as Londoncentric. Cardiff acts as a gateway into the rest of Wales and already has a growing reputation for professional services and support functions such as insurance technology support, taxation and legal services.”
Ms Finn said: “I really welcome TheCityUK officially recognising that Cardiff is developing a well-deserved reputation as a financial and professional services hub, and I am proud to have this opportunity to fly the flag for the sector in Wales.”
While London remains the UK’s largest financial centre, recent research from TheCityUK shows that 70% of additional growth in economic output generated by the industry could come from outside the capital by 2025.
This will be largely driven by the regional and national financial centres having a more prominent role and becoming increasingly specialist financial centres.
TheCityUK is appointing city chairs across some of the UK’s most prominent financial and related professional centres such as Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle.
The city chairs will support the organisation’s enhanced programme of work to promote the strength of the industry and the high-value, high-productivity jobs the industry creates across the whole of the UK.