Chairman’s introduction

Hello, I’m Colin Sharman, and I’m delighted to welcome you to Aviva’s 2009 Online Report. You’ll find links to our 2009 Annual Review, full Annual Report and Accounts, and Corporate Responsibility Report, at the foot of this page. At Aviva, we continually monitor our impact on the environment. We are, therefore, delighted that you’ve chosen to view our reports online. The Annual Review will give you an overview of key developments in the company, and is a summarised version of the information that’s included in the full Annual Report and Accounts. You’ll find information about how Aviva supports the environment, and the communities in which it operates in the Corporate Responsibility Report.

In the ‘One Aviva’ and ‘Our Regions’ sections, highlighted below, we've also included video interviews with Andrew Moss, our Group Chief Executive, and our Regional Chief Executives, Mark Hodges, Andrea Moneta, Simon Machell, Igal Mayer and Alain Dromer. Andrew talks about our results in more detail, our strengths as a company and the progress we’re making around the world. Mark Hodges, CEO of Aviva UK, discusses the transformation of the UK operations, as he reshapes our UK life and general insurance business. Andrea Moneta, CEO of our Europe, Middle East and Africa business, gives detail on the transformation of our operations in Europe, what we call Quantum Leap, moving from 12 federated businesses to one pan-European business.

Simon Machell, CEO of our Asia-Pacific region, will review our growth strategy for India and China and focus on developing the strength of our bancassurance business. Igal Mayer, CEO of our North American region, highlights the momentum we're establishing and how we’re transforming our business in Canada and the US to operate as one regional model. Alain Dromer, CEO of Aviva Investors, talks about our strategic objective, to build our presence as a globally integrated asset manager. As we move into a new decade, Aviva’s in good shape, and we have delivered strong results for 2009. The combination of the composite business model, our disciplined and prudent management, and a recovery in world-wide markets, has enabled Aviva to deliver a robust set of results in an exceptional year.

The final dividend for 2009 will be 15 pence, bringing the total dividend for the year to 24 pence. We took a decision mid-year to cut the dividend. This was in the light of Aviva’s lower IFRS operating profits, the continuing economic uncertainty, and our desire to retain flexibility. It was a difficult decision to make, but we felt it was the right one. There has never been a more important time for companies to present their information in a clear and transparent manner. At Aviva, we’re proud of our reputation for transparent disclosure, and I hope you agree when you read our reports.

As we’ve refreshed the look and feel of our online reporting suite this year, we’d like to hear your views. If you have any feedback, please click on the feedback link. I do hope you enjoy our reports, and thank you for your interest in Aviva.