5 February, 2008 – Handelsbanken
Handelsbanken is a rapidly expanding Swedish bank, with over 600 branches and nearly 10,000 employees worldwide. Founded in Stockholm in 1871, it has been operating in the UK since 1984 through branch offices and its London headquarters.
The bank recently made the decision to double the growth rate of its UK region by splitting it into two smaller regions with two growth engines. The bank essentially halved the UK, drawing a line between Bristol and Norwich. Handelsbanken’s well-established London head office remains but now supports only the South, while the bank chose Manchester as the northern regional HQ, settling in an 8,000 sq ft building at Manchester Airport.
On choosing the location Anders Bouvin, regional CEO said: “Manchester’s size and reputation as the main city in the North dictated the decision. Manchester was very much a natural choice; it made sense for us to open up a new region here. It’s a very dynamic city and it has the international airport, which is a huge advantage.”
There has been a Handelsbanken branch in Manchester for almost 20 years and it was one of the first to be opened in the UK. The bank currently has a total of 20 branches in the north but they are targeting an additional 15-17 locations in the region for 2008, including a number in Manchester with the head office eventually employing 35 staff.
Such growth will be dependent upon Handelsbanken’s ability to recruit suitable branch managers and staff however Bouvin is confident in this task: “One of the big advantages of having our HQ in Manchester is that it’s much easier to recruit good people here than anywhere else I’ve been.”
Bouvin lives in Wilmslow with his wife, who also works for Handelsbanken, and two children. He says the leafy Cheshire town is “a very nice residential area, with excellent shops and amenities and in close proximity to beautiful countryside.”
Having lived and worked in first-class cities around the world, including New York and Copenhagen, Bouvin has found Manchester measuring up.
“Manchester is a big city and thus has all the offerings of a big city when it comes to culture, music, restaurants, cinemas etc. At the same time people are still kind here…From a private point of view the airport is very important. You can zip out of Manchester in no time at all and you can go basically anywhere in the world. We’re going to Asia in a month’s time and it’s a direct flight, that means a lot to us. And golf – I like playing golf and there are golf courses everywhere. So I think the quality of life is high in Manchester. I don’t think we would have enjoyed, from a quality of life point of view, as much living in say London for example.”
Source: All about Manchester, www.allaboutmanchester.com