Key achievements in 2006

We communicated the importance of ethical behaviour to the Board of Directors, employees and the agent network. To ensure a shared understanding of our values and ethics code, all existing and new employees now receive a personal “passport” explaining our ethics code. At induction, new employees are required to read the code and sign it to confirm that they understand its content.

We implemented a tracking system to monitor customer satisfaction in our three main distribution channels. The results will be compared with the Italian market benchmark in order to understand our current position towards end customers.

In response to the new transparency legislation passed in 2006, our life assurance business has developed initiatives to ensure that all communications to end customers are clear and transparent. Initiatives range from complete restructuring of policy conditions following strict transparency guidelines, to pre-check of customer risk profile to offer only insurance products in line with relative profile. We also provide compulsory communication on the website and in daily newspapers on information concerning daily fund values, certifications etc. On the general insurance side, we have developed a transparent and user-friendly tool in Aviva Italy's website to automatically calculate a motor tariff for a profiled client, considering all different tariffs to create an estimation cost, which can also be printed off. The estimate enables comparison with competitor quotes and enables it to be accepted by the whole Aviva agent network as a unique tariff to be charged to the client.

As part of rebranding to Aviva in 2006, we launched an advertising campaign promoting Aviva’s culture and values to our customers.

We offered a number of training programmes to employees, including English language classes, technical insurance programmes, health & safety classes and anti-money laundering courses.

As a result of the closure of our Florence office, we reached an agreement with the trade unions and offered employees the option of early retirement, voluntary redundancy and outplacement programmes. We also sought internal redeployment opportunities, where possible.

We participated for the first time in Aviva’s global employee survey.

We supported the “Hole in the Wall” community project, which co-ordinates summer camps for children with serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions so that they can experience a normal life without compromising any of their medical needs.

Further information on the above achievements and additional examples of our progress across all areas of the CSR programme can be found in the attached PDF.