Overall, our employee engagement score in our 2006 global survey increased by 8% to 67%.

Annually, 12 European businesses gather to discuss pan-European issues and engage with senior management.

Where would we be without our people? We want to be the world's most trusted savings, investment and insurance provider. We can only achieve that if we invest in our relationship with our employees as well as customers. We want to be a brand that people are proud to work for – a place where people give their very best. To achieve those aims we have focused our efforts in five areas of activity.

First, we are creating a "leaderful" organisation, because we recognise that great customer service comes from people who are excited and inspired by great leaders. Second, we want to develop and reward the talent that we need as a business through fair and open processes. Third, we need to "internationalise" Aviva, sharing talent better across all our businesses. To bring these initiatives together in a compelling way, we also want to be a strong employer brand - a business that attracts the best people because it is a good place to work. Finally, what gets measured gets done, so we have created a series of measures that tells us whether our work is having a real impact. In summary, we need to communicate clearly what we stand for and then give people a working experience that delivers on our promises.

How are we putting this strategy into practice? Our human resources teams are championing the people strategy around the group. These teams are ensuring that the strategy is implemented effectively and in compliance with local legislation, local norms and the group's CSR policies. We have made progress on this agenda in 2006.