Financial Services

The Hartford taps Columbus for new tech hub, plans 75-person office

Marking its fifth global tech hub, the insurer’s new Easton office joins major centers like Chicago and Hyderabad. The site will house 75 employees dedicated to AI and cloud architecture, signaling a strong bet on Central Ohio’s engineering talent to drive future innovation.

Ohio Tech News

06 Jan 2026 — 2 min read

Image: The Hartford

The Hartford is deepening its Midwest roots, announcing Tuesday the opening of a new technology hub at Easton Town Center in Columbus. The move positions the insurer to tap into Central Ohio’s widening stream of data science talent as the industry races to integrate artificial intelligence into underwriting and claims.

The strategy

The new office marks a significant expansion of The Hartford’s digital footprint. It is only the fifth dedicated technology center for the company globally, joining established hubs in Hartford, Chicago, Charlotte, and Hyderabad, India.

The Columbus location is designed to house approximately 75 employees, blending new local hires with existing remote staff. The site will focus heavily on high-demand technical disciplines, including AI, cloud architecture, and digital business transformation.

Why it matters

Columbus continues to become a battleground for fintech and insurtech talent. By planting a flag at Easton, The Hartford is betting that the region's university ecosystem and cost-effective labor market can provide the engineering power needed to modernize a 200-year-old institution.

Jeff Hawkins, The Hartford's head of Data, AI and Operations, noted that the location places the company near "a rich pool of tech and AI talent, along with proximity to world-class universities and vibrant local amenities."

The big picture

Insurers are currently under immense pressure to migrate legacy systems to the cloud and leverage generative AI for risk assessment.

The Goal: The Columbus hub is explicitly designed for "rapid prototyping," moving away from siloed insurance operations toward an agile, tech-first development model.
The Quote: "The Hartford is a destination for top talent working on the frontier of technological change," said CIO Shekar Pannala. "This Columbus office is part of our strategy to have employees collaborate on products and services that are integral to the future of insurance."

Market context

The Hartford has been recognized by ComputerWorld as a "Best Place to Work in IT" for five consecutive years. This expansion suggests the company is looking to leverage that reputation to compete with Columbus-based incumbents for top-tier technical staff.

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