Barclays takes 2018 Scottish Financial Services Award

The bank’s range of initiatives and projects, including Digital Eagles, Eagle Lab and LifeSkills, were judged to be making a positive impact on wider society and its decision to build a new state-of-the-art campus in Glasgow is a significant commitment to Scotland, with the prospect of creating up to 2,500 new jobs.

Barclays is supporting young people to prepare for the 21st century workplace with over 90 per cent of Scottish secondary schools registered for LifeSkills.

A further 2,000 children, and their parents, in Glasgow’s Govanhill area have directly benefited from Barclays support, helping them look beyond current circumstances and consider a range of future opportunities.

The Eagle Lab is a space for entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses to innovate, upscale and collaborate, providing people with the necessary skills to embrace the opportunities of digital technology.

Scott Stewart, head of Barclays in Scotland, said: “Barclays global business traces its roots to Scotsman James Barclay, and harnessing Scotland’s commitment to innovation and access to worldclass talent has been central to our continued growth and success.

“This award is testament to our people in Scotland who drive excellence for customers and help to make Barclays a fantastic place to work, which is particularly important as we double our workforce in Scotland over the coming years.”

Run by Scottish Financial Enterprise and sponsored by EY, the awards celebrate success and recognise excellence in financial services.

The winners were announced at the SFE Annual Dinner in Glasgow last night, attended by 600 people from across financial services, associated business services and government.

This year’s Rising Star Award was collected by Alex McCutcheon of Sopra Steria for fostering digital talent and supporting fellow young professionals within financial services.

Judges said McCutcheon had “proven himself to be an excellent ambassador for the industry not only through his work with Sopra Steria, but also with SFE Young Professionals”.

Sue Dawe, EY Partner and head of financial services in Scotland, said: “Tonight’s winners are outstanding examples of the very best of financial services in Scotland. They have demonstrated their huge commitment to investing in our industry, economy and the people who live and work here. Their ambitions to be more successful in business and do more for wider society are already making an impact and set a positive course for the future. EY is very proud to partner with SFE as the sponsor of such a prestigious event, congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted.”

Jim Pettigrew, Scottish Financial Enterprise chairman, said: “Many congratulations to Barclays on winning the Scottish Financial Services Award for 2018 and to this year’s Rising Star Award winner, Alex McCutcheon of Sopra Steria.

“Commitment to wider society and innovation were strong themes across this year’s finalists, highlighting the strength, depth and diversity of our growing sector.

“Barclays is making a very positive impact on local communities and wider society with their range of initiatives to support young people and entrepreneurs in Scotland. The decision to develop a new campus in Glasgow and create thousands of jobs sends a clear message globally that Scotland remains a compelling location for both existing and new financial services businesses.

“People remain our industry’s most important asset and we must do everything we can to retain, attract and nurture talent. Alex is an excellent ambassador for our industry and a fantastic role model for fellow young professionals who are realising their potential in Scotland.

“Supporting the next generation is central to the ongoing success of Scottish financial services, which is why we chose The Prince’s Trust as our charity partner for last night’s dinner. We’re hoping our contribution will help give more young people new opportunities to succeed.”

Barclays was one of five finalists alongside Copylab, CYBG, Origo and Previse. Milly Dent, a Commercial Manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland, was a finalist in the Rising Star Award.