DUBLIN; July 23, 2015 – Insurance Ireland has selected Accenture (NYSE: ACN) as its Innovation Strategic Alliance Partner.  The appointment is effective through the end of 2016. 

Given Ireland’s already-established role as a global centre for insurance innovation, Insurance Ireland will establish an Innovation Task Force in conjunction with Accenture to support its members in the area of innovation.  The Task Force will also provide a forum to better link Insurance Ireland’s members to other government agencies, state agencies and sectors operating in the area of innovation. 

The Innovation Task Force will develop ideas to help Insurance Ireland and its members be more innovative.  It will also seek to inform the wider insurance industry of emerging innovations and capabilities around key areas for the industry.  One such example is data analytics, which gives insurers the ability to use the best of digital technology to gain greater insight into customers’ needs and help identify practical solutions to business challenges, such as fraud. 

“Insurance Ireland is pleased to have Accenture involved as our first Strategic Alliance Partner,” said Kevin Thompson, CEO of Insurance Ireland.  “At the core of this proposition is our desire to deliver increased value to our members with a focus on innovation. Insurance Ireland aims to align itself with relevant, like-minded partners who can help our members and their businesses through their knowledge and expertise. We look forward to engaging with a select number of Strategic Alliance Partners in 2015 and beyond.” 

Adam Kelly, head of Accenture’s Insurance practice in Ireland, said, “We are delighted to be Insurance Ireland’s Strategic Alliance Partner for Innovation. We see this as a great opportunity to work together to help insurers in Ireland innovate in response to the changing digital and consumer landscape. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to working closely with Insurance Ireland.” 

About Insurance Ireland 

Representing 95% of the domestic insurance companies and 80% of the International Life Insurance market, Insurance Ireland is the voice of the sector in this country, making important representations on behalf of member companies to all of our stakeholders, including Government, media, customers and the wider public.

Insurance Ireland members pay out more than €5.4 billion in claims to Irish customers and contribute over €1.8 billion in tax to the Irish exchequer per annum.  Our industry holds over €200 billion in assets in Ireland of which €30 billion is invested in Irish infrastructure and government debt.  It generates €25bn in premium income (domestic and overseas) and employs more than 28,000 people. 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 323,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$30.0 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2014.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.