American insurance company to create 150 jobs in Belfast

The company, which has headquarters in Georgia, is establishing a global IT and cyber security innovation centre as part of a multi-million pound investment in Northern Ireland.

The new centre will be in addition to the existing teams in the US and Japan and will support customers and market growth in both of these current Aflac markets.

Aflac is a leading insurance provider in the life and health category in the United States and Japan, providing financial protection to more than 50 million people worldwide.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered just over £1m to help secure the project and create high-value jobs for Northern Ireland.

Virgil Miller, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Aflac US and president of Aflac Group Insurance, said: “What is particularly attractive about Northern Ireland is the existing expertise in areas such as mobile and cloud development and intelligent surveillance technology. Investing in advanced technologies is at the heart of our strategy to deliver an exceptional service experience to our customers, and in Northern Ireland, we know that we can drive world-class innovation for our company.

“We conducted extensive research in Europe to identify a location that not only has the expertise in IT development and cyber security to support our business strategy, but also complements our company culture. We believe we have found that here.”

Keith Farley, vice president of Aflac Northern Ireland, said: “It’s not every day that you can join a 64-year-old company on the ground floor, but that is exactly what we are offering. We are looking for great talent to help build a presence here in Belfast as a company that puts people first with a history as the leading innovator in our industry.

“And at Aflac, we understand how our products provide solutions for our policyholders in their greatest times of need, which means that employees in Northern Ireland will be able to share in that satisfaction, taking pride in the work that they are doing each and every day.”

Alastair Hamilton, CEO, Invest NI said: “Aflac operates in the two largest insurance markets in the world, the US and Japan. The increased safety of its customers is central to its business, and this new centre will ensure Aflac remains at the cutting edge of technology with access to global excellence in cyber security.

“The team here will provide technical expertise and operational support to complement its US cybersecurity and IT operations. With a constant drive to innovate and exploit new emerging technologies, this will be an exciting addition to our cybersecurity and ICT sector.”

Aflac currently employs 4,700 employees in the U.S. and 11,000 globally. In 2018, Fortune magazine recognised Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the 20th consecutive year.

For 13 consecutive years, Aflac has been recognised by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. In 2019, Fortune included Aflac on its list of World’s Most Admired Companies for the 18th time.

Aflac will recruit for the new roles in Northern Ireland over the next five years, offering opportunities in IT and cybersecurity with an average salary of £45,000.

When fully operational, the jobs are expected to contribute nearly £7 million in wages to the Northern Ireland economy.