Aflac Northern Ireland, a subsidiary of Aflac Inc., a Fortune 500 company, has marked five years since it first opened its Global IT Cybersecurity Centre in Belfast, bringing good, high tech jobs to the region.
With the support of Invest Northern Ireland, the company was launched in October 2019 as part of a rapid expansion plan to grow its local base to more than 150 staff.
As part of the broader Aflac family, Aflac Northern Ireland provides solutions for the benefit of its US-based parent company’s global customers. In the US and Japan, where Aflac is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force, Aflac helps close the gap between what policyholder’s health insurance does and does not cover.
Marking the occasion, Northern Ireland Economy Minister Conor Murphy was welcomed as part of a special visit by several senior US executives including Aflac US President Virgil Miller, who officially launched Aflac Northern Ireland in October 2019, and Audrey Boone Tillman, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Aflac Inc.
“I’m delighted that five years since its establishment, Aflac Northern Ireland continues to make a positive impact on the economy, to local communities and to the development of outstanding careers,” Aflac U.S. President Virgil R. Miller said.
”Our teams in Belfast have made a long and lasting impact on the success of our global operations by delivering cutting-edge solutions that lead the sector, supporting growth and jobs both here and at home.”
The award-winning company has become one of the city’s leading technology enterprises, firmly establishing itself as a key part of the city’s worldwide reputation as a global cybersecurity hub. It smashed its target to recruit 150 highly skilled IT staff two years ahead of schedule in 2023 and now employs a team of more than 170. Last year, Aflac Northern Ireland moved to an expansive 20,000 sq ft Grade A office space at Belfast’s City Quays 3, indicating significant growth and a long-term commitment to Belfast.
Led by Mark McCormack, appointed Managing Director in 2022, the Belfast-based company delivers world class digital services and cybersecurity solutions in a highly focused innovative and creative environment. Back in Belfast to mark the special occasion, honorary Belfast ambassador and former Managing Director Keith Farley was instrumental in Aflac’s decision to choose Belfast as its first and most important location outside the US from 15 competing destinations.
Economy Minister, Conor Murphy, said: “The Financial Services sector is one of my seven priority sectors. It is now one of our largest employers, with room for growth. This expansion has been fuelled by an unbeatable combination of world-class talent and research excellence supported by government.
“Aflac is a shining light in the wider FinTech Sector ecosystem here, supporting over 170 good jobs which positively impact our economy, our communities, and the lives of the people they employ. I congratulate Aflac all on the success they have achieved to date and I look forward to seeing the company continue to grow and succeed for many years to come.”
Established in 1955, Aflac currently employs approximately 4,700 employees in the U.S. and 11,000 globally. In addition to being recognised as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America 20 consecutive years, the company has also been included on the Ethisphere’s list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 18 consecutive years (2024), Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 23 years (2024) and Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index for the fourth consecutive year (2023).
Aflac US President, Virgil Miller, added:
“The game-changing technology produced by Aflac here in Belfast is making an impact not just locally but right across the globe, transforming the customer experience for millions of our customers in the United States and Japan. Investing in talent, training and skills development has been a top priority for us and I’m delighted to celebrate this significant milestone with our teams who make such a positive impact on our organisation. I’m grateful to Minister Conor Murphy and to Invest Northern Ireland for their support and I look forward to sharing many more milestones in the years ahead.”
Aflac Northern Ireland is also a champion for and investor in local communities, including a long-term partnership with Children’s Cancer Unit Charity (CCUC), supporting the work of the Children’s Cancer and Haematology Unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. The company helps provide comfort to children diagnosed right across the region, including providing its award-winning My Special Aflac Duck®, a robotic medical device designed to help mitigate stress and anxiety during treatments, to children and families facing cancer.
Aflac NI’s relationship with CCUC and the Children’s Cancer and Haematology Unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children has to date helped to raise more than £45,000 and the partnership has expanded the company’s primary philanthropic cause of supporting the treatment and research of childhood cancer and blood disorders here in Northern Ireland.
Aflac has also donated more than 31,000 of its My Special Aflac Ducks across the US, Japan and Northern Ireland. The robotic soft toy companions are designed to help children fighting cancer to communicate their feelings and prepare for surgery have been shown through an independent study conducted at 8 hospitals across the United States, to significantly reduce the stress and anxiety for children and their families.
Mark McCormack, Managing Director, Aflac Northern Ireland, said:
“We are extraordinarily proud that from a small start-up in 2019, Aflac Northern Ireland has evolved and matured quickly to become a major global tech leader and a major component of our society, particularly as it pertains to helping children and families. I’m delighted that we have exceeded our own high expectations for growth as an important part of the Aflac family and to renew our commitment to our teams, the city and region that we will continue to strive for excellence and industry leadership in the work we deliver while continuing to play our part in supporting the local economy and the communities in which we serve.”
Headquartered in Columbus, Georgia, Aflac is one of the US’ best-known brands and the Aflac duck is a household icon.