Forward Emphasis, a trusted name in the BPO industry and one of Inishowen’s largest employers, is proud to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, marking a quarter-century of dedication, innovation and service to its clients, employees and the community.
Founded in 2000, Forward Emphasis began as a small business with a big vision and has since established itself as a national leader, delivering exceptional Customer Experience and Claims Management solutions for regulated industries including banking and insurance. We proudly serve leading financial services firms across Ireland; through strategic partnerships we’ve carefully cultivated over the years.
We are proud of our rural roots and through our headquarters in Malin Head and our hub in Buncrana, we are committed to creating real career opportunities in our local communities. We continue to invest in local talent, with a focus on building strong teams who will ultimately continue to shape the future of our business.
“This milestone is not just about longevity—it’s about the people, partnerships, and principles that have shaped our journey,” said Fiona Burns, CEO. “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built and excited for what lies ahead.”
25 Years and Counting
Over the past 25 years, Forward Emphasis has:
- Supported clients, in the insurance, banking, education and not for profit sectors.
- Grown to a dynamic team of over 370, with an ambitious strategy to double growth within the next five years.
- Established a presence from Belfast to Malin Head with a secondary Hub in Buncrana and a focus on rural community investment.
- Developed innovative products and services for clients, adapting over the years to meet the changes in regulation and compliance.
- Invested in developing local talent by offering professional qualifications and career advancement opportunities in collaboration with the Insurance Institute of Ireland, Donegal ETB and ATU – an investment of over €250,000 since 2020 alone.
- Strengthened community ties through ongoing sponsorships, charitable contributions and employee-led volunteer initiatives – with €45,000 donated in the last 5 years.
Anniversary Celebrations
As part of our anniversary celebrations, Forward Emphasis has several initiatives planned throughout the year, including:
- Our transformative rebrand, which launched in January ushering in a new chapter and vision for the company.
- Introduction of the Camino Career Development Programme, delivering leadership and specialist learning courses to FE teams throughout 2025 in partnership with the Donegal ETB.
- Accelerating our investment in RegTech, blending human expertise with emerging technologies and developing AI-driven solutions and automation tools.
- Partnering with local charitable initiatives including both Spraoi agus Sport to help purchase a wheelchair accessible minibus for Inishowen and the Donegal Camino in their 5th year, as they support Cancer Care West, Donegal.
- Collaborating with Carndonagh Community School through the Business in the Community initiative to mentor students, focusing on career exploration in business, while providing essential skills such as CV writing and interview preparation.
- A calendar of employee engagement initiatives featuring celebration events, recognition and rewards programmes and a variety of team-focused activities.
“We owe this milestone to our dedicated employees, loyal clients, supportive partners and our community,” said Anita McCarron, CCO. “Thank you for being part of our story.”
Here’s to the next 25 Years
Looking ahead, Forward Emphasis remains focused on continued growth, innovation and making a positive impact in both the industry and the community. We continue to build momentum in the rapidly evolving Customer Experience sector, championing innovation through strategic partnerships and deep industry engagement, all underpinned with our depth of experience.
Our recent collaboration with Pasabi, as part of the inaugural Central Bank of Ireland Innovation Sandbox Programme, focused on tackling motor insurance application fraud. This initiative reflects our commitment to exploring emerging technologies in real-world use cases.
We’re also proud to strengthen ties with pioneering firms like Boost.ai and Eleetlx, while growing our domain expertise through active membership in Insurance Ireland and our longstanding support for the Institute of Insurance, where we are among the largest student cohorts. We’ve seen firsthand how conversational AI and customer engagement tech are reshaping the future of CX and we’re leaning in, ready to deliver smarter, more personalised and seamlessly integrated solutions with the trust and transparency we’re known for.
In light of our continued success and commitment to excellence, we’re proud to offer outstanding career opportunities right here in our local community. Do you want to help shape the next chapter of the Forward Emphasis journey? We’re expanding our team and seeking passionate individuals to join us for the next 25 years of growth.
Visit www.forwardemphasis.ie Careers for more information.
