One of Northern Ireland’s newest Financial Technology inward investors has opened a new office in central Belfast.
Bank of London has taken the ground floor of the Soloist Building in Lanyon Place in the city. And also announced that Stephen Bell, a veteran of Ulster Bank, has been appointed Country Head for Northern Ireland.
Early this year it announced the creation of 232 new jobs at the Belfast base, and has revealed that 50 of those – a range of software engineer, compliance and risk experts – have already been hired.
Bank of London said
It is “the world’s first purpose-built global clearing, agency, and transaction bank” and has made its first investment outside London into Northern Ireland.
“At The Bank of London we have a deep belief that exceptional and diverse talent will build the future of banking,” Stephen Bell, Country Head for Northern Ireland, said. “Working together with Invest NI, we chose to locate The Bank of London’s first United Kingdom office outside of London here in Belfast.
“We know we will find that talent here to help us deliver innovation at the heart of financial services and create the borderless infrastructure of the future.
Mr Bell said it has already found a wealth of talent in the province.
“Our experience to date has proved this to be the right decision and the speed at which we have been able to recruit across a range of skills and experience, not only in technology but in compliance and risk, is testament to our commitment to ongoing investment in Northern Ireland and the wider economy.”
Of the 232 jobs Bank of London is creating, 130 have been supported by Invest Northern Ireland.
Economy minister Gordon Lyons welcomed the clearing bank.
“There’s the saying that actions speak louder than words,” he said. “We often talk of how much Northern Ireland has to offer as an investment location. But securing one-of-a-kind projects like this prove it.
“Added to that, The Bank has had immediate success at recruiting over a third of its positions. In just a handful of months, which is evidence again of just how right their decision to invest here was.”
