Board ownership
In January 2006, the Aviva board agreed to set up a CSR committee. It is to be chaired by the senior independent non-executive director, Wim Dik, and counts the group’s Chairman, the CEO and three other non-executive directors among its members. The terms of reference for this committee are available on our website. The committee will meet at least twice a year. Among its functions will be the task of reviewing CSR policy and progress more closely than is possible at the annual full board meeting and also of helping to determine and review Aviva’s position on some of the most difficult CSR challenges. In this respect, it will take over the function of the former high-level issues group.
The appointment of this committee will greatly strengthen the involvement of the board in the direction, monitoring and management of the CSR programme.
Steering groups
Aviva has a central CSR steering group, which meets quarterly to review progress, exchange good practice and consider response to specific CSR challenges.
We also have a European steering group, which meets each January. It brings together non-UK European businesses to review performance, exchange good practice and consider local CSR issues.
In the autumn of 2006, we will hold our first North American steering group, which will perform a similar function for our businesses there.
CSR review group
The CSR review group brings together policy owners, representatives from the group’s businesses and external advisers, including our assurers, in a two-day meeting each year to review policy, performance, plans and issues. The June 2006 meeting will be attended by the Chairman of the board’s new CSR committee and, as in previous years, by the Aviva Chairman.
CSR governance in the businesses
CSR governance in each of the businesses is described in the business unit reports. As our businesses vary widely in terms of size, structure and, sometimes, function, no one structure would fit all circumstances. Each business designs its own governance structure to suit circumstance. It is noteworthy that two businesses, Norwich Union Insurance and Norwich Union Life, have decided to appoint their own full-time CSR managers.
Members of the CSR review group