2 MINUTE READ

BJSS calls Melbourne home for its first Australian and Asian-Pacific office

(UNITED KINGDOM 2020)

In November 2020, British technology and engineering consultancy BJSS chose Melbourne for its first Australian office – and its first location in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Melbourne office will enable BJSS to rapidly grow its team to support its existing clients globally and in the Asia Pacific region, and support its other locations in the UK, USA and Europe.

BJSS expects to grow this Melbourne operation to a 150-strong team, who will support the company’s technology, engineering, consulting, cloud, data and AI services.

Established in 1993 in Leeds, United Kingdom, BJSS is a Queen’s Enterprise Award winning technology and engineering consultancy with over 1,500 staff members.

Its clients are predominantly in the financial services, energy, retail, healthcare and public sectors– areas that rely on technology and engineering services.

The company expects to benefit from Victoria's thriving fintech sector which – with a growing list of homegrown and foreign fintech firms - is leading innovation in banking and payments, credit and lending, insurance and wealth management.

We had a chat to Amir Soufizadeh, BJSS Head of International expansion, about the company’s investment in Victoria.

What attracted BJSS to invest in Victoria?

Our Melbourne office is our first location in the APAC region. Melbourne provides a significant opportunity to develop closer ties with our global clients and establish new relationships with local organisations in Victoria.

Melbourne is also known as Australia’s technology hub and is home to some of the world’s leading tech talent.

What challenges did you face when you were exploring/entering Victoria?

Typically, as we enter new markets, we need to understand local market dynamics, analyse market segments and existing opportunities, understand the local talent pool and recruitment, and, most importantly, the local legislation and rules. Our expansion into Melbourne was no exception, and we worked very closely with Invest Victoria to build a strong go to market approach and open our office in Melbourne.

How did working with Invest Victoria help with your investment journey?

Invest Victoria has been a phenomenal support throughout the process. It shared valuable market insight with us. It set up critical introductions covering all the necessary support we need around the setup process and legal and recruitment support.

What advice do you have for other global businesses looking to invest in Victoria to improve their chance of success?

It’s crucial that you understand the local market dynamics when conducting any international expansion. Don’t approach this blindly by conducting your own research or following the crowd. You need to make sure this investment is right for your business. And to do that, you need all the correct information to make an accurate decision. By working with local investment agencies such as Invest Victoria, you can obtain the level of information required to make the best decisions for your business.

Contact us to explore opportunities for investing in Victoria.

Find another case study

Learn more about fintech opportunities

Ride the wave of fintech in Melbourne