Global financial services group opening Manchester office

Fitch Group, a global player in financial information services, has today (July 4) announced its plans to open a second UK office, based in Manchester.

Expanding with a new UK office will help Fitch Group deliver on its growth plans, with the expansion providing access to a diverse range of talent in the North West of England.

Fitch Manchester is expected to be operational by September this year, with up to 25 staff operating from a central location by the end of the year.

Fitch Group then intends to increase its presence steadily over the next two years.

Paul Taylor, Fitch Group chief executive and president, said: “Fitch Manchester will be an important long-term complementary location to Fitch’s London office – much the same as our Chicago and New York offices are in the United States.

“Our aim is to base both non-analytical and analytical team members there over time.”

He added: “We chose Manchester following a wide-ranging study of possible locations because it is the best overall fit for our business.

“There is a mature and diverse finance, tech and professional services presence in the city, as well as good transport links internationally and with London.

“Importantly, we feel Manchester has a growth story that resonates with ours.

“We see the potential in the city’s talent pool, especially graduate talent, and believe that Manchester will become an even greater source of talent in future years.”

Fitch Group will build its team in Manchester through local recruitment, voluntary moves and by using turnover to move appropriate roles from London over time.

Fitch Manchester will be located in Lowry House, a modern office block located in the central business area, near Manchester Piccadilly station.

The initial plan is to be based there for one-two years as the team is built and to then move to a permanent location nearby.

Real estate advisor Savills represented Fitch on the acquisition of its Lowry House property.

Andrew Cooke, associate in the office agency team at Savills, said: “It is testament to Manchester’s strong economy and diverse base of occupiers that Fitch Group has chosen to open its first UK office outside of London in the city.

“Lowry House provides the perfect solution for Fitch to build its business within Manchester and we’re pleased to have secured this deal for them.”

Joshua Hancock, head of commercial at Bruntwood Works, says: ‘We’re delighted that Fitch has chosen to open its first regional office in Manchester and at our Lowry House building.

“Fitch will be based on one of our newly-refurbished serviced office floors which have been created based on an ‘urban oasis’ theme to bring the outside in.

“We’ve got ambitious plans to further develop Lowry House so it’s an exciting time to be joining the building community and we’re looking forward to welcoming the team over the coming months.”