We are Hastings Direct

Founded in 1996 in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, we’re an agile, data and digitally focused general insurance provider to the UK market, offering a full range of car, van, bike and home insurance products.

It’s our attitude and the way we run our business that makes us different. Our data driven, digitally-focused business model enables us to remain agile, price effectively and to deliver refreshingly straightforward service and products for customers. All of our actions are based on our 4Cs way of doing things. We focus on getting it right for our colleagues, customers, company and community. It’s our colleagues who help drive our growth, so we give them all the support, training and development they need, as well as scope to tell us how they feel about life at Hastings Direct.

It’s a dynamic, flexible, fun and constantly changing environment, so it takes a certain kind of individual to thrive here - just ask any of our 3,300 colleagues. If you’re clearly a Hastings Direct person, you’ll enjoy the scope to make a real difference for our customers, influence our company, benefit the communities we work in and have some fun along the way!

More about Hastings Direct

Our vision

"To be the best and biggest digital insurance provider"

Our approach to business

Our approach to business is simple and straightforward: serve and invest in our colleagues, customers and communities and be a good neighbour. Our 4Cs ways of working drives our decision making and continues to guide us as we grow.

Investing in our colleagues: We continually invest in supporting our colleagues and act on their feedback

Improving our service and digital proposition: Our digitally focused business is built for the way customers want to buy and manage their insurance

Driving our vision and generating value: Our data, technology and digital capability supports our future growth and continued success

Helping our communities: We take our 4Cs full circle by investing in and playing an active part in our local communities

Hastings Group in numbers

Hastings Direct is a trading name of Hastings Insurance Services Limited, the UK trading subsidiary of Hastings Group Holdings Ltd. Here is just a snapshot of the performance of Hastings Group.

* Please note that operating profit is defined as profit before taxation expense, finance costs, amortisation and depreciation and non-trading costs.

3,900

Employees and staff

3.5m

Live customer policies

£113.4m

Operational profit *

1,600+

Community days completed by our colleagues (2023)

A brief history of Hastings Direct

Hastings Direct is a technology driven insurance provider to the UK market. Here's a little insight on how we got there.

1996

Hastings Direct is founded with an office in Bexhill-on-Sea.

2002

Advantage Insurance Company founded.

2006

We air our first TV advert.

2009

Management buy out.

2011

Advantage Insurance Company joins the Hastings Group.

2012

One million customers.

2013

Goldman Sachs invest in the Hastings Group.

2015

Customers exceed two million.

2015

Hastings becomes a PLC.

2015

We open our Leicester office.

2017

RMI invests in Hastings PLC.

2017

Wellbeing programme launched.

2018

Toby van der Meer becomes CEO

2019

Pulling plastic initiative launched – removing plastic drinking cups from our water vending machines and replacing takeaway food containers with compostable alternatives.

Awards and recognition

We're proud to be an award-winning organisation. Whether that is for our products, services or how we treat our employees. Here are just a selection of our most recent awards ... and we plan to continue adding to them.

Best Development of an Employer Brand

The FIRM Awards

2019

Car Insurance Provider of the Year

Moneyfacts Consumer Awards

2018


5 Star Rating (Motor, Bike and Home Insurance)

Defaqto

2016

Car Insurance Provider of the Year

Moneyfacts Consumer Awards

2015

Personal Lines Broker of the Year

UK Broker Awards

2015

Best Large Business

Own Green Awards

2013

Affinity Marketing Award (Highly Commended)

Business Charity Awards

2013