Wales is just two hours’ drive from Europe’s leading financial powerhouse in London. It’s a very cost-competitive base that’s equipped with super-fast broadband infrastructure, and there are big opportunities for growth in areas such as insurance, asset management, funds management and pensions as the UK banking industry is restructured.

One of our greatest strengths is our human resources, and there’s a wealth of skilled, enthusiastic and loyal people especially around the financial and business hubs of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea. Our 10 universities produce around 5,000 graduates in business and ICT disciplines that are tailor-made for careers in business and financial services.

This is one of the UK’s fastest growing locations for financial services, and, according to new research, the preferred location for contact and shared service centres in the UK. In Wales, home-grown businesses compete alongside major financial services firms such as Zurich, GE, GMAC, HBOS, Lloyds TSB, HSBC and Legal & General, whose largest UK office is in Cardiff.

We have a growing reputation for strengths in outsourced HR, legal and other corporate services. Tesco, the AA, British Gas, Companies House and the Office of National Statistics have established business service operations in Wales, and price comparison businesses including confused.com. gocompare.com and moneysupermarket.com are also based here.

The financial services sector currently employs more than 32,000 people across 1,800 companies in Wales, and professional services over 150 companies covering retail, utilities, ICT support and financial services to motoring services, taxation and legal services.