The new hub, which will not lead to job losses at Hargreaves' base in Bristol, southwest England, was unconnected to Britain's vote to leave the European Union, a Hargreaves spokesman said.

"It's additional to what we have here," the spokesman said. "There is a skill shortage in Bristol, there is a skill shortage in the UK, hence we have ended up with Warsaw."

Warsaw was chosen for its "vibrant business culture, flourishing technology sector, excellent communications infrastructure and the large numbers of English-speaking IT professionals", Hargreaves said in a statement.

(Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Simon Jessop)