Link Group, a leading global provider of financial administration services, has selected Leeds for its new £27m Northern Hub, becoming the latest international business to choose to invest in the city.
Australian-owned Link Group chose Central Square, in Leeds city centre, as the location for the new office after a comprehensive UK wide search. The company received support from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Trade and Investment team and the Department of International Trade throughout the decision-making process.
The hub will accommodate 850 employees. The 450 existing employees in the region will be located at the site, and 400 new highly skilled jobs will also be created through the investment.
The decision to locate the hub in Leeds was heavily influenced by the city’s strong digital infrastructure, thriving university, and blossoming financial services sector.
Link Group is a financial services group, providing both corporations and public sector organisations with governance, administration, asset servicing support. The group employs around 3,000 people across the UK and Europe.
John McMurtrie, managing director, Link Group commented: ‘This move is a key step in our growth plans for Link Group. Not only is this investment a clear demonstration of our commitment to the region, but it will also enable us to further enhance the services that we offer to our current and future clients.
‘With a great university sustaining a strong talent pool, Leeds is hugely attractive for financial services companies. Bringing together our northern operations into one state-of-the-art central hub at the heart of the city will also allow us to attract and retain high quality staff.’
Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council commented: ‘I am thrilled that Link Group has decided to create its new Northern Hub in our city. Link Group’s choice of the landmark Central Square office development makes a real statement of their intention to further grow the Link Group brand in the UK. I look forward to working with Link Group and to them becoming a keystone employer in our fantastic and thriving fintech sector.’
Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the LEP added: ‘It’s a vote of confidence in the City Region that global brand Link Group has chosen to launch a significant presence here. I was delighted to welcome Link Group’s managing director, John McMurtrie, and his colleagues and hear about the scale of the ambition and plans to recruit 400 new roles by 2021. This adds further momentum to our financial and legal services sector, which is the largest outside London.’
