The CISI has for the first time held its full Board meeting in Wales, learning what the country has to offer businesses in the financial services sector
The Welsh Government and Cardiff City Council maximised the opportunity by arranging an inward investment ‘experience’ to promote the Cardiff Capital Region as the location of choice for financial services companies looking to expand or relocate.
Both First Minister Carwyn Jones and Economy Minister Edwina Hart met Board members.
Mrs Hart hosted a tour of the Senedd – the National Assembly building - for the CISI Board and attended a working lunch at Cardiff Marketing Suite. Ken Poole, Head of Economic Development at Cardiff Council used a large scale model of the city at the suite to highlight the Central Cardiff Enterprise Zone and pinpoint a number of significant planned developments. Members of the Enterprise Zone Board and the Financial and Professional Advisory Panel attended
The First Minister was later a guest at the inaugural CISI Wales Committee dinner at Cardiff Castle.
Edwina Hart said: “It presents the perfect opportunity to engage with some of the most senior and influential people in the financial and professional services sector and fits with our strategy of targeting businesses outside of Wales.
“Board members can learn more about what Cardiff can offer businesses and the hard facts behind our proposition that the Cardiff Capital Region is the location of choice for financial companies looking to expand or relocate.”
CISI Chief Executive Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI said: “With a growing Welsh CISI membership, we are very pleased to be supporting the CISI Welsh committee to work with education providers and stimulate interest in finance as a positive and exciting career choice.
“We are also pleased to support the Welsh Government in its initiative to grow Cardiff city as a key financial services centre by ensuring that those CISI members working in the sector are professionally qualified to a benchmark level, adhere to a Code of Conduct and maintain and update their learning annually.”
Ken Poole, Head of Economic Development, Cardiff Council, said: “The Institute provides a significant role for those who work in the financial and investment industry and their visit to Cardiff reflects the growing importance of the financial services sector in the City and its region.
“There are over 50,000 people employed in financial and professional services and the sector is at the heart of both the Welsh Government and City of Cardiff Council strategy to regenerate the economy of the City region and to provide a significant level of job creation.”
The CISI Board is Lord Mayor of the City of London, meets once a year outside of London.