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Referred to by many as the new financial gateway to Europe, Cork is increasingly being viewed as a key player in the financial services (FS) market. This is evidenced by the continuous and rapid growth within FS and in particular some of the world’s leading financial companies choosing Cork as their headquarters.
The city’s business-friendly vibrant and thriving environment, skilled workforce, and strategic location make it an attractive destination for companies seeking to establish or expand their presence, and in particular those within the financial services sector.
The rebel county, and city itself, is set to be Ireland’s fastest growing county with its population expected to increase by 40% by 2040. To support the growth in population a variety of key infrastructure developments have already commenced, with many more in the pipeline.
Further supporting this positive and progressive environment can be seen in the results of the Financial Times European Cities and Regions of the Future Awards 2023, where for the 2nd year in a row, Cork City was voted as the no.1 small European city for Economic Potential, 2nd Overall and 4th for Business Friendliness.
When It Comes to FS Careers…
Cork has experienced a great level of investment and economic growth in recent times. It presents a variety of opportunities for companies and professionals in banking, insurance, asset management, and fintech. As a result the demand for talent has grown exponentially, and is set to continue to grow, bringing with it new and exciting opportunities for those wishing to pursue and develop a career within financial services.
The fintech sector is also gaining prominence in Cork. Fintech companies leverage technology and innovation to provide financial services and solutions. Both start-ups and established companies working in areas such as payments, blockchain etc. are being enticed to Cork due to the locations continued growth and popularity.
In recent conversation Fionnán O’Sullivan, Managing Partner with Barden’s Financial Services Practice shared some key insights on the Cork market…
“The Cork financial services (FS) market is consistently growing. As the main region outside the capital, we see interest in new FS companies setting up offices here and have recently seen an additional Fund Admin and ManCo enter the market. Cork’s candidate market is twofold, local and diaspora, both of whom are generally very interested in securing interesting work on Leeside. We are thrilled to be the only dedicated team situated in Cork concentrating on the FS/Fund Services market. Our Asset Management hub led by Sarah Kavanagh are busy meeting people for coffees and advising on everything in the FS talent space for Cork.”
Would you like to know more?
If you are interested in discovering and taking the best next steps for your financial services career, or are looking to build a world class financial services team, in Cork and the wider Munster region then get in touch with one of our team below and we’ll take it from there. Simple.
Fionnán O’Sullivan | Managing Partner | fionnán.osullivan@barden.ie
Sarah Kavanagh | Senior Associate | sarah.kavanagh@barden.ie
Kimberley Chan | Graduate Associate | kimberley.chan@barden.ie
Gerry Walsh | Graduate Associate | gerry.walsh@barden.ie