Financial Leeds is dedicated to promoting Leeds and the wider city region as the leading financial centre in the UK outside London. It provides a powerful voice for the financial and professional services community and supports a sector that is key to the long term economic prosperity of the Leeds City Region.
Financial Leeds has been led by Howard Kew for the last three years through a key period of change, facilitated by funding from Yorkshire Forward and more recently with increased support from the private sector firms.
Over recent months, Financial Leeds has been in discussion with other agencies in the city with the aim of delivering a step change in the way in which Leeds is represented and promoted. As a result of these discussions, Financial Leeds has now agreed to transfer its membership activities to the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and its place marketing and inward investment activities with Marketing Leeds, in order to simplify and improve the way in which these organisations interact with private sector businesses in the city.
The Chamber of Commerce will absorb the strong Financial Leeds brand and will take responsibility for the sector’s membership activities, including networking and lobbying, and Marketing Leeds will, as part of its ambitious new agenda, take responsibility for promoting the city’s strength in financial and professional services both nationally and internationally, including supporting the sector’s further development in Leeds and attracting inward investment into the region from financial and professional services businesses. After almost three years in the role of Chief Executive of Financial Leeds, Howard Kew will move on this month to pursue other professional interests. The Chamber of Commerce will take responsibility for continuing to deliver the ongoing programme of events for the remainder of the year.
Howard Kew commented
“Leeds and its city region need a strong voice to promote the vital contribution that the financial and professional services sector makes to the economy and there is also a need to deliver services as efficiently as possible.
With practitioners from our sector, such as Roger Marsh at Marketing Leeds, Nigel Foster at the Chamber of Commerce and Neil McLean in the Local Enterprise Partnership, the voice of the sector will continue to be heard loud and clear. I intend to remain part of the professional community in Leeds and will informally continue to promote the sector both nationally and internationally.”
Joanne Lake, Chairman of Financial Leeds, added
“The financial and professional services sector remains a key priority for Leeds. Howard and his team have transformed Financial Leeds over the last three years and have firmly established Leeds as the UK’s alternative financial centre to London. Our aim is to continue that work through Financial Leeds as a key sector group within the Chamber of Commerce and by the sector’s active involvement in Marketing Leeds, where financial and professional services will be promoted as a core strength of the city. We believe that this delivers the most efficient use of the city’s resources, particularly important in this challenging economic environment, and simplifies the network of organisations operating in this area. I would like to thank Howard for his contribution over the last three years and wish him well for the future.”