A NORTHERN Ireland insurance group has announced plans to create 60 jobs in a £3 million digital expansion.
Prestige Insurance Holdings already owns a number of insurance brands including AbbeyAutoline, Bond Lovis and Open & Direct.
Next year it will launch Stroll, a new digitally-led broking brand, creating a number of new technical, product management, customer support and marketing roles across Belfast, Newry and Derry. Prestige said the move will also factor in remote working opportunities.
The insurance group dates back to 1973, when the original Abbey Insurance business was established. But Prestige Insurance Holdings has been on a growth drive in recent years following significant private equity backing.
Chief executiveTrevor Shaw said: “As a business with local roots and an abundance of heritage, we have a commitment and passion for growth and market expansion and are continually looking for opportunities to develop our business across the group through acquisition and adding to our talent pool.
“We have strategic growth plans in place to help us continue on the path of building a digital-first, modern and global insurance portfolio, and with a commitment to innovative technology and servicing our network of valued customers, we have a new digital broking brand, Stroll, coming to market in early 2022.”
The group’s digital head, Brian Allen said the shift to digital had accelerated during the pandemic, with lasting repercussions for shopping behaviours.
“Digital technology is a new force that is driving big changes in the insurance sector.
“For us as insurers, the changing landscape of insurance has led to a flurry of technological advancements in the industry, and the way customers interact with us is changing as a result.”
“Consumers can bank online, book a taxi and order groceries all with the touch of a button, and the same should be true for buying insurance,” he added.