Aviva today announces a new organisational structure and senior management team for its UK business with effect from 1 January 2010. Aviva previously announced on 6 October that it plans to bring its UK life and general insurance businesses closer together and has appointed Mark Hodges to become UK CEO.
Aviva will create a new leadership team for its UK operations, reporting to Mark Hodges and comprised of:
- Toby Strauss who will be the new CEO of UK Life. Toby is currently chief operating officer, UK Life;
- David McMillan who will be the new CEO of UK General Insurance. David is currently chief operating officer, UK General Insurance;
- Cathryn Riley who will be the new UK commercial director. This is a new role with responsibility for developing opportunities for the two UK businesses to work more effectively together. Cathryn is currently chief operating and information officer for Aviva’s European business;
- Craig Thornton who will be the new UK chief risk officer responsible for leading the risk management and governance agenda of the UK business. Craig joins Aviva from Swiss Re where he is currently the managing director of the UK life and health reinsurance business.
The new structure will enable Aviva to maximise the benefits of scale in the UK through adopting a shared approach to customers. The UK Life and General Insurance businesses have well developed strategies which have delivered significantly in the past two years. The new leadership team will maintain this momentum in both businesses based on a common programme of simplification, continuing cost discipline and improving customer service.
Mark Hodges, shortly to become UK CEO, said: “This new structure will underpin Aviva’s future growth in the UK, releasing the full potential of our brand and scale as the UK’s leading insurer. By bringing our UK businesses closer together under a single and highly experienced leadership team we can serve our customers, partners and our people more effectively and deliver profitable growth.”
The head office locations for the life, general insurance and healthcare businesses will remain in York, Norwich and Eastleigh respectively.
Aviva also announces today the executive teams for the UK Life and General Insurance businesses.
The UK life executive team reporting to the CEO of UK Life Toby Strauss comprises:
- David Barral who becomes chief operating officer, UK Life, responsible for propositions, pricing and operations. David is currently marketing director for UK Life.
- John Lister who remains in his current role as finance director, UK Life.
- Angela Seymour-Jackson who remains in her current role as intermediary & partnerships director, UK Life.
- Graham Boffey who remains in his current role as corporate and consumer director, UK Life, responsible for corporate benefits and healthcare.
- Ian Butterworth who remains in his current role as chief information officer, UK Life.
- Rita Agati who remains in her current role as HR director, UK Life.
- Craig Thornton who becomes chief risk officer, UK Life, in addition to his responsibilities as chief risk officer for the UK.
The UK general insurance executive team reporting to the CEO of UK general insurance David McMillan comprises:
- Clifford Abrahams who becomes finance director of UK general insurance on 1 March 2010 and replaces David Watson who is leaving Aviva in March 2010 following a successful six year career with the company. Clifford is currently Aviva’s chief mergers and acquisitions officer.
- Axel Schmidt who becomes chief underwriting officer, UK General Insurance. Axel joins Aviva from Zurich Group where he was technical underwriting director in their global corporate division.
- Seán Egan who becomes chief operating officer, UK General Insurance. Seán is currently chief information officer for UK General Insurance.
- Janice Deakin who becomes intermediary & partnerships director, UK General Insurance, retaining her current responsibilities in this area.
- Malcolm Simpkin who becomes chief information officer, UK General Insurance on 1 April 2010. Malcolm is currently chief information officer for Aviva’s European operations.
- Diane Cougill becomes chief risk officer for UK General Insurance. Diane is currently portfolio management director in UK General Insurance sales and marketing.
- Valerie Markham who remains in her current role as HR director, UK General Insurance.
- Two further appointments, managing director of corporate risks and retail director, will be announced in due course.
Cathryn Riley will lead a new UK commercial team responsible for identifying opportunities for shared approaches in the UK Life and General Insurance operations. Greg Willmott will become UK strategy and development director, reporting to Cathryn, and will be responsible for developing best practice across the UK businesses. Greg is currently strategy director in UK Life. The UK commercial team will also comprise directors of shared services, marketing, IT architecture and strategic partnerships and appointments to these roles will be announced in due course.
