North shoring has led Bank of England and Channel 4 to create jobs in Leeds, says HW Group

HW Group, an executive search specialist which serves some of the world’s biggest brands, has launched a new finance division to meet the growing demand for its services in the North.

HW Finance, as the new business will be known, will be led by a four-strong team who have joined from the Leeds office of Marks Sattin which they built up over 14 years.

Rafi Davies, Ross Broad, David Clamp and Ryan Johnson between them have more than 60 years’ experience in the recruitment sector. They will be based in Leeds and cover the whole of the North and the Midlands, with plans to expand nationally.

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A spokesman said: “The launch of HW Finance comes in response to growing demand for finance talent resulting from the trend for ‘North shoring’ – companies relocating from London – as well as the emergence of Leeds as a fintech centre, the digital transformation agenda and the growth of other regional cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Newcastle.”

HW Group – an executive search specialist which serves some of the world’s biggest brands - has launched a new finance division to meet the growing demand for expertise in the North. (from left Ross Broad, David Clamp, Rafi Davies and Ryan Johnson) (Photo supplied by HW Group/ Simon Vine Photography)HW Group – an executive search specialist which serves some of the world’s biggest brands - has launched a new finance division to meet the growing demand for expertise in the North. (from left Ross Broad, David Clamp, Rafi Davies and Ryan Johnson) (Photo supplied by HW Group/ Simon Vine Photography)
HW Group – an executive search specialist which serves some of the world’s biggest brands - has launched a new finance division to meet the growing demand for expertise in the North. (from left Ross Broad, David Clamp, Rafi Davies and Ryan Johnson) (Photo supplied by HW Group/ Simon Vine Photography)

HW Group, which is based in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and London, was founded in 2006 by Adrian Hitchenor and John Wakeford and serves clients including L’Oréal and Mars. The group has doubled revenue in the last three years to more than £30m and employs around 80 people.

Rafi Davies, Managing Director who will lead HW Finance with the three co-founding directors said: “As a team we had achieved everything we set out to do at our previous firm and wanted a fresh challenge with the opportunity to build a national finance offering. “HW Global is one of the most respected executive search firms in the UK and their culture and ambition were a perfect fit."

Adrian Hitchenor, founder and Partner at HW Global, said: “North shoring has been a key trend in recent years, with names such as the Bank of England, HMRC, Starling Bank and Channel 4 all building teams here to reduce costs and access talent in the region.

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“Our work with financial services, retailers and FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) organisations in the region has highlighted the growing demand for financial skills, which was the one gap in provision.

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