Rob Barker appointed MD, UK Savings & Retirement
Aviva announced that Rob Barker has been appointed Managing Director, UK Savings & Retirement* with immediate effect.
Rob, who was previously MD of Aviva’s Health and Protection business, will report to Doug Brown, Chief Executive of Aviva UK and Ireland Life*.
Commenting on the appointment, Amanda Blanc, Aviva Chief Executive Officer said:
“Aviva is a market leader in savings and retirement, and we have significant ambitions to grow further in these attractive and strategically important segments. Rob’s track record in driving innovation, growth, and profitability, across multiple product lines and distribution channels, in his more than 20 years in our industry, makes him ideally suited to lead our growth plans.”
Rob Barker said:
“I’m delighted to take on this exciting new role serving the savings and retirement needs of our customers in the UK. The savings and retirement business represents a strategically important market for Aviva, and an area where we are targeting meaningful growth.
“With record net flows of £8.5bn in 2020 it is already a strong platform to build from, and it is a privilege to be asked to lead Savings & Retirement in the next phase of its development.”
Amanda Blanc becomes Women in Finance Champion
Aviva boss Amanda Blanc has been appointed Women in Finance Charter Champion.
Too few women in financial services get to the top and often don’t progress beyond mid-level management.
Amanda will be focusing on flexible ways of working and the issues that surround getting more women into the talent pipelines. By focusing on the pipeline rather than targets, permanent change will be made.
“Taking on the role of Women in Finance Charter Champion is a huge honour but also a huge responsibility. Ensuring women have as many opportunities as men in financial services is critical. It’s critical for women. It’s critical to the future of UK financial services. And a successful, inclusive, financial services industry is critical to a revitalised UK economy.
There are still far too many barriers blocking women’s progress in financial services. We’ve got to work quicker and harder. Now is the time for less talk, more action.”
Amanda Blanc, Group CEO
Aviva appoints Amanda Blanc as Chief Executive Officer
Aviva plc (‘Aviva’ or the ‘Company’) announces today the appointment of Amanda Blanc as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.
Amanda is currently an Independent Non-Executive Director at Aviva plc. She was appointed to the Aviva Board in January 2020 and chairs the Customer, Conduct and Reputation Board Committee. She was previously CEO, EMEA & Global Banking Partnerships at Zurich Insurance Group. Prior to that she was Group CEO, AXA UK, PPP and Ireland and has served as Chair of the Association of British Insurers and President of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
For family health reasons Maurice Tulloch, the previous Chief Executive, has today stepped down from the role and retired from his position on the Aviva plc Board. Maurice joined Aviva in 1992 and held a number of senior positions in the business during his time with the Company. He joined the Aviva plc Board in 2017 and was appointed as Chief Executive in March 2019.
George Culmer, Chairman of Aviva, said:
“I would like to thank Maurice for his valuable contribution over many years with Aviva. The Board and I were saddened to hear of the personal reasons behind his desire to step down and we wish him and his family the very best for the future.
“We are delighted that Amanda will be our new CEO. The Board was unanimous in endorsing her appointment. I know she will bring real dynamism to Aviva and re-establish our credentials as a high-performing, innovative and customer-centric business.”
Amanda Blanc, Chief Executive Officer of Aviva, said:
“Aviva is a great company, full of great people, and I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to help shape its future. I want Aviva to be the leader in our industry again and the first choice for our customers and partners. My focus will be on achieving that for the benefit of all of our stakeholders.
“We will look at all our strategic opportunities, and at pace. I have been on the Aviva Board since the start of this year and have a good understanding of where the business has its strengths and what actions we should take across our portfolio.”
In addition to her previous roles at AXA and Zurich, Amanda has held senior positions at Towergate Insurance Brokers and Groupama Insurance Company. She started her career with Commercial Union, which subsequently became part of Aviva.
Following her appointment, Amanda will step down from all of her current Non-Executive commitments. She will continue in her voluntary role as Chair of the Welsh Professional Rugby Board.
Remuneration details can be found at the end of this announcement.
This announcement contains inside information. The person responsible for making this announcement on behalf of the Company is Kirstine Cooper (Group Company Secretary).
Changes to the Aviva plc Board
Appointment of Amanda Blanc and retirement of Glyn Barker and Claudia Arney as Non-Executive Directors of Aviva plc.
Aviva plc announces the appointment of Amanda Blanc as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company with effect from 2 January 2020.
Amanda brings extensive knowledge and experience of the insurance industry to her role at Aviva. Amanda was previously CEO at AXA UK & Ireland, and CEO, EMEA & Global Banking Partnerships at Zurich Insurance Group. Amanda has also held senior management positions at Towergate Insurance Brokers, Groupama Insurance Company and Commercial Union. In 2018, Amanda was the first woman to be appointed as Chair of the Association of British Insurers and was also Chair of the Insurance Fraud Bureau and President of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Glyn Barker has served as an Independent Non-Executive Director for almost eight years and, during that time, has been both Chair of the Audit Committee and the Senior Independent Director in addition to serving on the Audit, Governance, Nomination, Remuneration and Risk Committees.
Claudia Arney has been an Independent Non-Executive Director for almost four years and is Chair of the Governance Committee as well as a member of the Nomination, Remuneration and Risk Committees. Glyn and Claudia will retire with effect from 31 December 2019.
Amanda Blanc will succeed Claudia as Chair of the Governance Committee* and will become a member of the Nomination and Risk Committees upon appointment to the Board.
The appointment of a Senior Independent Director to succeed Glyn Barker will be announced in due course.
Sir Adrian Montague, Chairman, said:“We are delighted to welcome Amanda Blanc as an Independent Non-Executive Director and as the new Chair of the Governance Committee. Amanda’s breadth and depth of experience of the UK and European insurance industry, and her detailed understanding of business and customers, make her an excellent addition to our Board.”
“Our thanks go to Glyn and Claudia for their very significant contribution to the Company during their time as directors. We wish Claudia every success in her other business commitments, and my special thanks go to Glyn who has helped me to refresh the Board but now feels that, with Amanda’s appointment, it is now right to retire after almost eight years’ service.”
*Subject to regulatory approval