Isio’s network of new offices finally opens for business
Pensions advisory Isio has confirmed the launch of two new offices in London and Birmingham. The firm has been ready to launch its locales for some time, but the coronavirus lockdown meant that they have been unable to open for business until now.
Formed from a management buyout of KPMG’s pensions practice, Isio launched as an independent consulting firm in the first quarter of 2020. Starting life with more than 1,000 clients, ranging from mid-sized companies to FTSE 100s, Isio sought to build on this by offering clients a combination of actuarial expertise, third party administration, investment consulting and defined contribution specialisms.
One area the firm has been looking to expand for some time is in its office count. Although temporary office space has been available for the UK-wide team of 550 employees, by the start of 2021, contracts were signed with premises in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Reading, Bristol, London and Birmingham, totalling over 46,000 square foot of new office space. However, the last two locations were unable to open for business until now due to the national lockdowns.
Speaking on the latest news, Isio CEO Andrew Coles said, “The opening of our final two offices marks the next chapter in Isio’s development. Rather than our teams going back into the office, we are in the exciting position of being able to launch eight brand new offices in easily accessible city centre locations across the UK. As a people-focused business having a presence across the UK is important to us, allowing us to offer the breadth of knowledge and expertise of a national network but with a more personal approach.”
According to Coles, the demands of post-pandemic life have seen the firm re-evaluate what their offices need to offer. All the office spaces have been specially designed for Isio to offer staff a more flexible and modern approach to office working. There are multiple zones such as a collaborative hubs for team get togethers, quiet library space for more focused work, as well as more traditional pod-desk arrangements which are well spaced apart.
Coles added, “We’ve designed these new spaces to be far more flexible and provide a variety of environments to suit different styles of working. The pandemic has proven that there are alternatives to being in an office five days a week, so we’re going to spend the next few months sharing ideas and gathering feedback to explore how we can create an approach which brings out the best elements of home and office working and best supports our people and our clients.”
