Hughes Insurance will invest £2m over the next 5 years to develop its commercial offering to SMEs. The Northern Irish broker said the UK’s commercial insurance market had grown by 7% annually since 2017 and this had underpinned its decision to put added focus on supporting SME customers.

Bernie McHugh Sonner, director of operations and customer services at Hughes Insurance, said: “SMEs are the backbone of Northern Ireland’s economy employing around 80% of the local workforce. It’s crucial this sector remains adequately supported and protected, particularly as the business landscape becomes increasingly unpredictable and presents greater risk with the emergence of cyber-attacks and business interruption due to global events.”

She added: “We have assessed our offering, implemented relevant modifications to processes and made substantial investments to provide solutions that will support SMEs to thrive in today’s climate. We have also invested in expanding our commercial team and in continuous development and product training to ensure that customers are getting the expert, tailored advice that they require.”

Hughes has a history dating back more than 45 years and employees around 250. In 2021 it digitised its operations to enable all employees to work remotely.

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