Isio signs first regional office lease in Leeds

The company, which combines actuarial expertise, third party administration, investment consulting and defined contribution specialisms, hopes to move into the 6,213 sq ft top floor of 34 Boar Lane development later this year.

Isio, formerly KPMG’s UK pensions practice, was launched in March. The Leeds office marks the first of seven UK regional office leases to be signed.

The London-based firm has over 500 employees and 21 partners. It manages around £90bn of pension scheme assets.

Ian Warman, partner and head of the Leeds office, said: “I am delighted to announce the signing of our new office space in Leeds, which will serve as an essential business hub for Isio in the north-east of England, as well as a modern, inspiring workspace for our regional team. This is the first of these announcements, as we’re also progressing well with the leases for our other office locations, and it is a key moment in our development.”

Kinrise, the owner of 34 Boar Lane, has recently completed its refurbishment.

The Isio deal, one of the largest office deals in Leeds in the second quarter of this year, follows the news that executive search firm Charlton Morris, relocating from Park Row, is taking the whole of the building’s third floor.

Meanwhile street food specialist Mowgli is leasing 3,000 sq ft of retail space on the ground floor of the five-storey building.

Eamon Fox, partner and head of office agency at Knight Frank in Leeds, who is marketing 34 Boar Lane for Kinrise, said: “We are choosing our occupiers very carefully. The spirit and ethos of 34 Boar Lane is crucial. Isio are one of the most exciting and progressive new pensions advisory companies in the UK and fit this aspirational culture perfectly. It’s in their DNA.”