MetLife, North Carolina tech group partner to advance industry growth

The NC Technology Association (NC TECH) and MetLife recently announced a partnership to create the NC TECH | MetLife Center for Technology Workforce Innovation. 

The participants see the new center as a means to better connect technology companies with the insurance industry, according to Bill Pappas, head of global technology and operations at MetLife. "Growth will come in the form of a better-connected, better-informed ecosystem of tech companies and employees throughout North Carolina," Pappas stated in a written response to questions.

MetLife has a global technology hub in Cary, N.C. with a staff of 2,600. NC TECH advocates for the technology industry in the state, advancing technology talent and developing the workforce. MetLife and NC TECH already have worked together, and Pappas and Brooks Raiford, CEO of NC TECH, have discussed ways to better focus their joint efforts.

"This partnership comes at an important time. With emerging tech making daily headlines and at the forefront of most company strategies, we all have an obligation to develop these technologies in a responsible manner," Pappas wrote. "As a collective, we must use these technologies as a force multiplier, making our employees' jobs easier and customer interactions better. The way we embark on this journey – all of us – will shape the future of technology and the future of our industries."

In the partnership, experts from MetLife's Hub will share knowledge of data and analytics, cybersecurity, cloud and digital development with the North Carolina tech community. The state has a fast-growing technology industry with more than 293,000 employees and an economic impact of more than $47 billion. The new center will provide resources, thought leadership and a venue for collaboration. 

"MetLife has been an active member and supporter of NC TECH since the establishment of their global technology hub in North Carolina in 2015," Raiford of NC TECH stated in a press release. "They have become one of the region's largest tech employers, and we are excited about the long-term impact of MetLife's partnership."

While the partnership is not necessarily geared toward incubating insurtech innovations, it does create a base for such development. "If we're better connected and better informed as a tech community, and we learn from each other, better innovation could be a natural outcome," Pappas wrote.