Fidelity National Information Systems (FIS) Chairman, President & CEO Gary Norcross and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently announced plans for growth and expansion of the Jacksonville-based international financial technology services firm. Known as Project Sharp, the announcement called for the Fortune 500 company to create 500 new high-wage jobs and $150 million in capital investment with the construction of a new 300,000-square-foot headquarters along downtown Jacksonville’s riverfront.
Hiring for the 500 new jobs will begin next year and all will be in place by 2029. The jobs will add to the more than 1,200 Jacksonville-based FIS employees, and the more than 55,000 employees worldwide serving more than 20,000 clients in 130 countries.
During the press conference held in front of current worldwide headquarters for FIS and Black Knight, Gov. DeSantis remarked, “Today is really a neat announcement, because we’re able to announce that FIS has decided to double down on its commitment to Jacksonville and build a new and expanded headquarters just a few hundred yards away on ground right here in Jacksonville.”
Fintech is a growing sub-target industry in the financial services and IT sectors and FIS has been a leading player. In March, the company acquired UK-based WorldPay adding to its portfolio of services and is the largest fintech company in the world based on revenue and a leader in payment processing, financial software and banking solutions.
Jacksonville has been no stranger to the fintech spotlight as of late. Already considered a leader in the industry with significant tech operations at Black Knight, Deutsche Bank, Citi and VyStar Credit Union, the region announced nearly 600 new fintech jobs with the expansions at SS&C Technologies and Emtec, Inc. and the establishment of a Southeast outpost for premium financial services platform, SoFi earlier this year.
Less than one month later, Gov. DeSantis called for regulatory changes that limit burdens for fintech business growth in the state and training and partnerships between government, state colleges and universities and business to develop “fintech academies” of which the governor stated that Jacksonville is a “natural choice” for the academies and the city is “tailor-made to take the financial technology sector to the next level.”