Regional centres offer alternatives (TT Nov03 p52-53)

Thirty years ago, corporate treasury operations were located in offices all over the country and bank relationship managers were there as well.With the development of the computer, the volume of financial transactions soared and cost was greatly reduced by economies of scale. As a result, some financial service providers concentrated their operations, and expertise, in London whereas other banks decided to keep a decentralised approach to business. This article looks at these divergent strategies and how regional financial centres are positioned today.