Leading Hangzhou finance firms visit Harrogate

Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council, Wallace Samson, welcomed a high-profile delegation from Hangzhou to Harrogate to explore opportunities for collaboration in FinTech.

28 July 2020

Mr Ying Yeping, Manager of Hangzhou Financial Investment Asset Management Co., Ltd. led a delegation of senior staff from financial enterprises in Hangzhou on a visit to the Leeds City Region to meet with representatives of the private and public sector from across the City Region.

The delegation was welcomed to the region by the Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council Wallace Samson.

Harrogate has significant strengths in e-finance and microfinance, two areas the delegation expressed a significant interest in. 

The event was chaired by Alison Starr, a Corporate Finance Partner at Eversheds and the delegation received presentations on the region from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and Harrogate Borough Council, and innovative local e-finance companies:

  • Neil Warman – Chief Financial Officer, Nostrum Group
  • Jonathan Dixon – Associate Director, Blue Sky Corporate Finance
  • Ian Gausden – Managing Director, Link ATM at Vocalink

A networking lunch and a question and answer session afforded more opportunities more the delegation to engage with local businesses and to explore prospects for business partnerships.

The Leeds City Region has a compelling offer and is well placed to develop partnerships with the visiting delegation going forward.  This group in particular presents a major opportunity for businesses of the Leeds City Region to build mutually beneficial strategic and commercial links with the participants.

Leeds City Region has already established strong links with Hangzhou the capital city of Zhejiang province which is home to 8.8 million people. Hangzhou has the most Top 500 private companies in any city in China including: Alibaba, Wahaha, Wanxiang Group, and Geely, and has a GDP of £95 billlion.  Leeds is twinned with Hangzhou and Leeds City Region’s priority sectors are closely aligned with Hangzhou’s key focus areas.