Insurance giant MetLife has announced plans to expand its Irish operation with the opening of a new global technology campus in Galway, creating 200 jobs in the process.
While the MetLife building in New York has become as much a part of the city’s skyline as the Empire State Building, the life insurance giant has only been based in Ireland for the past 10 years.
The company’s Dublin operation oversees the provision of life and non-life insurance products in markets across Europe and has a staff of 300 employees. It has now revealed plans to almost double this number with a new Galway office.
Calling it the Galway Global Technology Campus, MetLife has said the west coast location is expected to open in the first half of 2017, and will recruit 200 IT professionals to staff the building.
MetLife said the new campus is designed to accelerate the company’s digital and innovation capabilities.
A primary focus at the Galway campus will be solutions that can be rapidly and efficiently scaled to markets around the world.
Part of Irish fintech focus
Last September, the company was included in a list of the top 10 best places to work for LGBT people, as part of the 2016 Workplace Equality Index Awards hosted by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN).
“The digital initiatives we will drive from the Galway campus are at the heart of our commitment to earning the right to be the customer’s first choice,” said Marty Lippert, executive vice president and head of MetLife’s global technology and operations organisation.
“We thank the Irish Government; Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; and IDA Ireland for partnering with us.”
Also welcoming the announcement was Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, who said: “Ireland is uniquely positioned to become a leading global centre for fintech investment, where global multinationals like MetLife can develop and implement their digital capabilities to their customers worldwide.
“The scale of this investment in a regional location demonstrates the confidence a global leader such as MetLife has in Ireland’s technology talent and business infrastructure.”
MetLife sign. Image: Osugi/Shutterstock
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