This article has been submitted by Sitka Recruitment

Finance professionals play a vital role in Wales’ economy; it’s largely thanks to them, that Cardiff’s financial services sector has seen such rapid and consistent growth in recent years – so it’s encouraging to see more opportunities emerging for them in the capital.

Cardiff is already home to an impressive number of large companies offering excellent careers in finance, for example, Lloyds Banking Group, MotoNovo Finance, Legal and General, and Wales’ only FTSE 100 company Admiral, who many would credit with skyrocketing Cardiff’s reputation as a financial powerhouse.

For many other organisations looking to expand, Cardiff is becoming an attractive and extremely viable option – even with the uncertainty of Brexit looming in the background. Take Deloitte, who back in 2015 chose Cardiff as their preferred location over other global cities to build its 700-strong delivery centre and now has ambitions to scale their workforce to 1,500 by 2023.

The Central Square regeneration scheme and £1.28 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal have already had an impact on industry, jobs and infrastructure, but what’s in the pipeline will make Cardiff even more appealing for both businesses and candidates. Rail electrification will soon reduce the Cardiff-London journey to 1hr 45 mins and the Crossrail project will make it possible to get to Canary Wharf in just two hours! Many suggest the reduction in Severn bridge fares will also attract a wider pool of talent willing to commute across the border.

It helps that office space in Cardiff is 50% cheaper than London. In 2018, the demand for it was higher than ever: 38% above the ten-year average according to Knight Frank. As more businesses branch out in Cardiff, it’s inevitable that more opportunities will arise to attract skilled financial professionals looking to take the next step in their careers.

The financial and professional services industry already employs some 56,000 people in Wales and even has its own dedicated annual awards ceremony now. The fact we have three universities in the city that are all extremely committed to increasing graduate employability and building mutually-beneficial links with industry suggests this pool will keep on growing.

Of course, Cardiff isn’t just a great place for people to study and work; it’s a great place to live too and has frequently been ranked one of the top big cities for quality of life. It’s probably why so many people choose to move back to Wales, why they tend to stick around and what makes it such a great place to recruit. I’m Irish and I’ve made it both my home and place of business!

Over the coming years, I have no doubt I’ll see more highly skilled financial professionals choosing to build their careers in Cardiff, and I look forward to helping them do just that.