SFE end of year member update
Merry Christmas from everyone at SFE!
It’s been great to see so many new and familiar faces in the last few weeks as the festivities have commenced. I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has braved the icy coldness to come and see us at our winter receptions and other events. It’s been a busy month to round of another successful year for the team here at SFE.
As you wind down for Christmas, we wanted to bring you some festive cheer by reminding you that our sector leaves 2024 in rude health and that, despite the backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, we have made significant progress in a number of key areas. The sector has grown by over 3%, contributing £14.8bn to the Scottish economy and creating 13,000 new jobs, taking our total workforce headcount to around 149,000. Scotland was once again the top destination in the UK outside of London for financial services foreign direct investment, while fintech investment in Scotland has also outpaced the rest of the UK.
As the voice of the industry we take immense pride in the work we do to showcasing the vitality of the sector to our stakeholders in Scotland, the rest of the UK and around the world. We also feel the huge responsibility of representing our industry, ensuring that we have a seat at the table for economic decision making and that we are collaborating and innovating for the future. With this in mind, here are some facts about our reach, engagement and influence in 2024:
10% rise in SFE membership taking total number of member firms to 125
Over 700,000 people reached across our social media channels and 206,000 website visitors
13 op-eds, 34 news stories about SFE, five broadcast appearances, and 17 blogs
+34 Net Promoter Score with our members
75 member events with over 4000 attendees
Increased political engagement with our election manifesto, tax and competitive research, budget commentary and input into the upcoming Scottish Government tax strategy
Working with our members, the FCA, the Scottish Government and Financial Inclusion for Scotland to secure a commitment to increase basic bank account access
Launched a new formal partnership with Global Ethical Finance Initiative to drive the delivery of the Green and Sustainable Finance Taskforce’s final recommendations
Developed and delivered getinto.finance, our new digital skills hub to demystify careers in the sector and connect employers with diverse talent
Strengthened partnerships with City of London Corporation and TheCityUK, Association of British Insurers and Investment Association to help us fully leverage our relationship with London.
Visits to Boston, New York, Bilbao, Brussels to promote the sector internationally, build our global brand and attract inward investment
Establishment of changing customer needs steering group driving forward our activity
From everyone here at SFE, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year, celebrating with those nearest and dearest to you. We’re excited to see you in 2025 with fresh energy, ideas, and ambition, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that another year brings.