Aflac Northern Ireland

Aflac in Northern Ireland

In October 2019, Aflac opened a Global IT and Cyber Security Innovation Centre in Northern Ireland, committing to create 150 IT and cyber security jobs over five years. The purpose of the Belfast centre was to provide technical expertise and operational support to complement existing technical operations, helping support customers and global market growth.
 

Why did Aflac choose Northern Ireland?

Investing in advanced technologies is at the heart of Aflac’s strategy for delivering exceptional customer service, and the company found Northern Ireland particularly attractive due to its expertise in mobile and cloud development and intelligent surveillance technology. Its executive leadership were also pleased the new centre would provide an additional time zone in the UK – ideally situated between customers in the US and Asia – to enable expanded threat monitoring and response. 

Aflac originally committed to hiring 150 staff over five years, however such was their success in Northern Ireland that they exceeded this target two years early. Aflac now employs over 170 highly skilled IT and cyber security professionals in Belfast.
 

How does the Northern Ireland operation support Aflac globally?

Aflac Northern Ireland plays a vital role in supporting Aflac’s global business, delivering high impact digital services and cyber security solutions that help protect and enhance operations across the US and Japan. From its base in Belfast, the team contributes to the company’s mission of providing secure, seamless experiences for millions of customers worldwide.

The Belfast operation leads Aflac’s Global Security Programme, which includes key areas such as:

• Data protection
• Application security
• Penetration testing
• Security software engineering

The expertise of the Belfast team ensures that Aflac’s systems remain resilient against evolving cyber threats, while also enabling secure innovation across platforms and markets.

Beyond cyber security, the Belfast team supports Aflac’s broader digital transformation. It develops and maintains advanced technologies that:

• Improve customer experience
• Streamline operations
• Enable real time threat monitoring across time zones

The team’s work helps Aflac stay agile and responsive in a fast-paced global environment.

At the heart of Aflac Northern Ireland’s success is a culture built on adaptability, resilience, and reinvention. The team embraces change, learns continuously, and innovates boldly, values that align closely with Aflac’s global vision. This mindset not only drives technical excellence but also fosters a collaborative and forward-thinking workplace.

Benefitting from a supportive ecosystem

Aflac’s journey in Northern Ireland has been shaped by strong partnerships locally and the company has benefited from being part of the vibrant tech and business ecosystems in the region. Its relationships with organisations such as the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, Belfast Chamber of Commerce, Software NI, CyberFirst have helped Aflac integrate into the local business community, while ongoing engagement with the wider tech sector has strengthened its position as a trusted and innovative employer.

Invest NI supported the company with its initial set-up and continues to work with Aflac to ensure its ongoing success in the region.