Financial and Professional Services

Not that we’re counting, but Leeds is the largest financial centre outside of London and we’re a major hub for professional services with over 40,000 people employed in financial and related professional services in Leeds. Across an array of businesses, banks, institutions and innovative start-ups, you’ll find professionals, consultants and industry leaders ready to jump in and add value to your conference. A ready-made network of contacts, just waiting for your delegates.

3 people having a meeting looking at a laptop with Leeds finance facts in black and green font. 3 people having a meeting with Leeds finance sector fact in black and green font

Over 30 national and international banks are based across the city region and Leeds is home to the Bank of England’s only note issuing centre outside of London.

Over 1,560 legal companies are based in the Leeds City Region, including 28 of the UK’s top 100 law firms. The sector employs in excess of 14,400 people and generates approaching £1 billion per year. One in four people working in the legal sector in the North of England is based in Leeds. The Leeds City Region is responsible for 15% of the UK’s law graduates. One of the largest providers of legal education in the UK, University of Law, has its only innovation and tech hub outside London in Leeds. (Leeds City Region Legal Tech & Innovation 2020 Report, Whitecap Consulting)

The city is home to a rich and diverse range of insurance businesses from global insurers, customer services and claim handling centres, underwriting and brokerage operating across various markets and specialisms.

The creative nature of the people of Leeds means that the city region is at the forefront of the innovation of the financial, professional services and legal sector seeing Leeds become the Northern Capital of Fintech, as well as emerging InsurTech and LegalTech sectors due to the unique mix of skills available in the city through an established cluster of professionals supported by providers of IT software, apps and big data.

A new government-backed national hub for fintech was formally launched at an event in Leeds in 2023, boosting growth and innovation in the UK. The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) will champion the UK’s world-leading sector, helping firms to achieve truly global scale.

The Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) is the first of its kind in the world and is backed by £5.5 million of Treasury and City of London Corporation funding.

This new body seeks to build on the dominance of the UK’s fintech sector – that supports around 2,500 firms, tens of thousands of jobs in the UK, and is second globally only to the US for fintech investment – powering ahead of economic behemoths such as China and India.

The strength of the sector in the region offers extensive benefits for hosting your financial or professional services conference or event in the city, as our team has access to a vast number of industry leaders and firms who would be well placed to feed into your programme. The exciting growth and development in the sector here ensures innovative ideas and passion will be cultivated in Leeds.