A long tradition in Financial and Business Services.
Many nationally and internationally known financial institutions have headquarters or major offices within the county, often drawn to Gloucestershire’s acclaimed quality of life and communications advantages – while enjoying excellent road and rail links with traditional seats of business in London and the Home Counties.
Significant for the Gloucestershire economy
The sector consists of a financial services component comprising the following:
- Financial intermediaries (banks and building societies)
- Insurance and pension funding (except compulsory social security)
- Auxiliaries to financial intermediation (services in banking and insurance).
And a business services component including the following:
- Legal
- Accounting
- Auditing activities
- Market research
- Management consultancy
- Recruitment agencies.
Positive indicators of continued commitment to the county come in the form of recent substantial premises development by sector members such as Chelsea Building Society (Cheltenham), St. James’s Place (Cirencester), Fortis Insurance (Gloucester) and a 300+ job investment by London General Insurance (Forest of Dean).
FE & HE Institutions - Full & Part-Time
INVESTOR PROFILES
Cheltenham & Gloucester plc
The Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society, with its headquarters on the outskirts of Gloucester, forms part of the Lloyds TSB Group. Founded in 1850, the company grew from a small base to become a leading supplier of mortgages. The mortgage business and savings accounts were transferred to Lloyds TSB in 2007, but the famous C&G brand was retained, and has grown to be one of today’s most established and respected brands in its competitive and ever-changing field.
Fortis Insurance
A division of Fortis, a Benelux banking and insurance group, Fortis Insurance has a base of approximately 650 employees on the prestigious Gloucester Business Park on the outskirts of Gloucester. Acquired from Northern Star in 1999, the company retained its links with Gloucester when it relocated from the city centre to its larger premises in 2007. Offering general insurance, Fortis is a household name operating alongside several other successful insurance companies, including Ecclesiastical, Endsleigh and London General, who chose Gloucestershire as their base.
Chelsea Building Society plc
With over 125 years’ experience in the industry, Chelsea Building Society is the country’s fifth largest building society, with assets of £11 billion. Approximately 700 staff are based at the company’s Head Office in Cheltenham. In 2006, the business decided to increase its local investment with the opening of a new contact centre in nearby Charlton Kings – showing their commitment to keeping their call centre in the UK. The company now handles 500,000 savings accounts and has over 90,000 borrowers.
Rickerbys Solicitors
One of the region’s leading law firms, Rickerbys provides commercial and personal legal advice from its office in Cheltenham. With almost 200 staff delivering services in fields ranging from commercial property and conveyancing, to employment law and intellectual property advice, Rickerbys offers a wealth of experience to new and established clients alike.
St James’s Place Capital
Providing advice on many aspects of wealth management, Cirencester-based St James’s Place assists individual and corporate clients through the increasingly complex world of financial planning. Winner of the Daily Telegraph’s ‘Wealth Manager of the Year 2007’, the company’s mission statement is “To be regarded as the most professional and trusted provider of advice on Wealth Management’. The majority of the company’s new business comes from referrals from existing clients.
Seeking further advice and information?
Contact the Invest in Gloucestershire Team
Other Useful Links
The Academy of Finance, Cirencester College, provides bespoke training and vocational courses to young people, adult returners and the business community. www.cirencester.ac.uk
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is an independent non-governmental body with a wide range of rule-making, investigatory and enforcement powers. www.fsa.gov.uk
The Financial Services Skills Council (FSSC) provides strategic leadership for training, education and workforce development in the industry. www.fssc.org.uk