Royal Bank of Scotland - Global Top 5 Bank Invests Further Birmingham

The world's fifth largest banking group is in no doubt about the strategic importance of the West Midlands to its development plans. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) - whose brands include The Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Citizen's Group, Direct Line and Coutts - recently opened two prestigious new offices at the heart of Birmingham's commercial sector. David Hersey, Regional Director, Corporate Banking for the West Midlands, explains why:

"Birmingham is one of the UK's premier cities and a key location for a major banking group such as ours. We have invested significantly in the city to ensure that we provide a co-ordinated delivery to our extensive West Midlands client base. The region's economy is attracting considerable inward and local investment, and encouraging an entrepreneurial outlook that has created a diverse business mix. Birmingham's visionary approach to its future has led to massive investment in projects such as Brindley Place and the Bullring, which are helping to transform the cityscape. The people of the region have demonstrated a willingness to change and embrace the new culture, which has put the city firmly on the world map. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is here to support this process, to help our clients to grow their businesses and strengthen the region's economy as well as our own market share."

Five hundred RBS staff are employed at its St. Philip's Place offices, overlooking Birmingham's historic cathedral. Around a mile away, a further 4,500 people will be situated at Brindley Place, nationally recognised as the best city centre development in the UK.

The bank provides a fully integrated Corporate, Institutional and Financial Markets capability to businesses in the West Midlands. This ranges from traditional banking to treasury and capital markets products, along with specialist lending services, such as leveraged finance, structured finance, securitisation, bonds and syndicated loans. For inward investors, it offers a range of funding options for investment programmes and a comprehensive international cash management package which encompasses multi-currency financing and cash sweeping arrangements. RBS plays a vital role in the region's economy and, amongst other high profile transactions, it was instrumental in arranging the funding for the recent expansion of Birmingham International Airport.

Strategically, the reasons for the Group's investment in Birmingham are clear. On a personal level, David Hersey, who relocated to the West Midlands from the South East six years ago, is equally committed to the region:

"The West Midlands is a lovely place to live with a great sense of community. Life is all about balance and, as well as a thriving economy, the region has an excellent quality of life and some of the most beautiful locations in the UK. Even when my job returned to London a couple of years ago, as a family we decided to remain here and commute rather than return to the South East. We are delighted to be based in the West Midlands."

Interview given by David Hersey, Regional Director, Corporate Banking for the West Midlands.

For more information about the Royal Bank of Scotland visit www.rbs.co.uk/cbfm.