Calgary is fast emerging as a hot spot for finance and innovation in Canada, and a destination of choice for leading global organizations looking to grow their business, with EY now choosing Calgary for its first Canadian-based EY Finance Centre of Excellence.
EY provides assurance, tax, transaction and consulting services to organizations from all sectors. The centre of excellence will offer cutting-edge internal finance services that meet the most pressing needs of the business and is expected to create 200 new jobs over the next three years, including 50 immediate new hires.
It joins a growing list of EY Centres of Excellence worldwide with specific areas of focus ranging from cybersecurity, innovation and analytics to robotic process automation and manufacturing services. EY will start hiring new staff for the Centre of Excellence at its Calgary location in early 2022.
“Calgary is turning heads as a hub for talent and finance. The centre will continue to fuel this evolution and is an important step in ensuring prosperity and future growth for the city, and positioning Alberta as a financial hot spot,” said Alison Jackson, Calgary Office Managing Partner, EY Canada.
Calgary was chosen based on the city’s well-educated and diverse workforce, quality of life and Alberta’s affordable cost of living and doing business.
“Alberta is becoming a leading financial services hub in North America. EY’s decision to locate the new Finance Centre of Excellence in Calgary is another sign of Alberta’s growing reputation. We proudly welcome them and look forward to their progress,” said Travis Toews, Alberta’s Minister of Finance.
“Canada is home to an incredibly talented, diverse and skilled workforce,” said Jad Shimaly, CEO and Chair, EY Canada. “The EY Finance Centre of Excellence is a testament to our strong commitment to supporting employment in the country, leaning on the resources Alberta has to offer, and showcasing our intellectual firepower beyond our border to create lasting value for the global economy”.
Financial services is a growing industry in Calgary and accounts for 20 per cent of the city’s overall GDP. A study from the Conference Board of Canada in Spring 2021 reported the sector had grown by more than 30 per cent from 2010 to 2020.
“A globally connected financial services sector has been one of the hidden strengths of the Calgary economy for decades and the momentum we are seeing today with its growth and evolution in our city and working with the Government of Alberta to attract major investments like EY’s Finance Centre Excellence shows how leading companies continue to see terrific opportunity in Calgary and bright minds can make a difference in the world here,” said Patrick Mattern, Vice-President, Business Development, Calgary Economic Development.
Calgary Economic Development and Invest Alberta collaborated to support EY with its planning process.
“This is truly another case of collaboration that will help bring approximately 200 high-value jobs to our province,” said Rick Christiaanse, CEO, Invest Alberta. “With a strong, entrepreneurial culture we are taking new and innovative approaches to expediting the process of starting up and scaling up business in Alberta”.
“The positive news for our province continues to roll in. Once again, Alberta is proving that we are a destination of choice for business. EY’s new Centre of Excellence in Calgary is great news for the city and means more jobs for Albertans,” said Doug Schweitzer, Alberta’s Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.
For more information on Calgary’s financial services sector, visit our sector profile.
Photo credit: philippephotography.com