Matthew Hobbs has been appointed as vice president, sector growth and development, the Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA) said Friday. His appointment is effective immediately.
Hobbs has more than 19 years of experience in the field of international trade and investment, specializing in foreign direct investment attraction, international trade promotion, international marketing and events, government and stakeholder relations and business development in both the public and private sectors.
“Bringing in someone with Matthew’s extensive experience will expand TFSA’s capacity to execute our jobs attraction strategy and strengthen our collaborative efforts with government partners,” explains Janet Ecker, TFSA president.
“He has a diverse skills set as well as international experience to drive this agenda and its related marketing initiatives,” she adds.
Formerly with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Hobbs has worked in such dynamic markets as Britain, India, Turkey, the United States and Canada. He recently served as the UK’s Director of Inward Investment & Marketing in Canada, where his team received UKTI’s “Worldwide Team of the Year Award” for their success, including increasing the number of investment projects in the UK by 65%.
“I believe that now is Canada’s time, particularly in the financial services sector,” says Hobbs. “However we must move fast to capitalize on the sector’s world-wide reputation for stability, business acumen and expertise and use it to attract new companies and associated jobs. We must also endeavor to support, develop and grow our existing companies.”
Members of the TFSA now include over 50 of Toronto’s top financial institutions, industry associations, service providers, universities and colleges.