Member Article

KPMG’s Broad Gate deal will bring 200 new Leeds jobs

The remaining space in the Broad Gate building in Leeds city centre has been secured in a deal by KPMG that will see the firm create over 200 roles in a national Innovation and Solutions Centre.

According to the fim, which already employs more than 800 [people in the city, Leeds has been selected for the investment due to the availability of a skilled population, with the graduate and undergraduate talent pool from the city’s universities providing a specific pull.

Leeds, and Broad Gate in particular, also delivered on KPMG’s requirement for high quality, flexible space with strong public transport links.

The 28,500 sq ft, that KPMG has taken on a ten year lease, will be fitted out during the remainder of 2013, with operations beginning in January.

The roles will be created to enable KPMG to assist clients with major transformation opportunities and challenges.

The new set up is to be part of a national KPMG programme of investment in technology innovation centres in the UK, including its ‘start-up hub’ in London’s Tech City which opened last year.

Chris Hearld, KPMG’s Leeds office senior partner, said: “Our investment in this national operation underlines KPMG’s belief in and commitment to Leeds as an excellent base from which to do business.

“There are more than 800 people working in our existing Leeds office so we have every confidence that the city supplies top quality employees and the infrastructure that business needs, from transport to social.

“This investment builds on the customer relationship work that we have been successfully delivering from within our Leeds office on behalf of clients for the last couple of years, and reflects growth in this part of our business.

“The KPMG Leeds partner group regularly bang the drum for Yorkshire during our travels so we are delighted to have been able to influence a national investment decision to the benefit of the region.

“This announcement is in addition, of course, to our new 61,000 sq ft Leeds office development, which we’ll move into in 2015.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .