JP Morgan's investment in Leeds hailed as Global Shares office opens with 60 jobs pledge

Councillor James Lewis (right) and Darren Smith of Global Shares (left) cut the ribbon on the new office. Picture: Jonathan Pow/jp@jonathanpow.com — Councillor James Lewis (right) and Darren Smith of Global Shares (left) cut the ribbon on the new office. Picture: Jonathan Pow/[email protected]

Fintech company Global Shares has officially opened its new Leeds base in the Pinnacle building in the heart of the city’s business district.

The company – which is headquartered in Co. Cork in Ireland – manages employee share plans for public and private companies all over the world. It was acquired by J.P. Morgan earlier this year.

Global Shares HR Director Stephen Tabb said: “The opening of our new Leeds office comes at a very exciting time of expansion for Global Shares in the UK and globally. Our growth over the past couple of years has been

enormous and looking ahead the sky really is the limit in terms of our future growth opportunities.”

He added: “Leeds has a thriving economy and impressive growth plans for the future, offering a highly educated and skilled workforce, a large talented pool of tech graduates, a vibrant quality of living and rich cultural heritage. It’s an attractive place to do business and we look forward to seeing our new Leeds base thrive.”

Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “JP Morgan’s investment in Leeds with the Global Shares office launch builds on our reputation as the leading UK financial services centre outside of London, with The Bank of England, The UK Infrastructure Bank and the Financial Conduct Authority all locating major operations and UK hubs in the city recently.

“Leeds has a strong heritage in financial services, and we continue to attract innovators shaping the future of the industry through our deep talent pool, strong universities and our thriving digital sector.”

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, commented: “It’s fantastic to see a leading Foreign Direct Investor making a significant commitment to Leeds here in the Northern Powerhouse. This is a huge vote of confidence in our region, building on our existing strengths in financial services and further quality jobs for local people.”

“Leeds is in the middle of inward investment boom, with West Yorkshire recording 85 per cent rise in the number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects between 2012- 2016 and 2017-2021 according to our recent report.”

The company is currently seeking applications for roles in Leeds including IT, product development, share plan administrators, onboarding analysts and many more.

Leeds is the company’s third UK office after London and Bristol, and it has a further 16 offices worldwide.