Morley strengthens UK Institutional Business Development team

Morley¹, Aviva's UK-based asset management business, is continuing to strengthen its UK Institutional Business Development team with the appointment of John Townley as head of financial institutions business development. John will lead the generation of new business opportunities with leading financial institutions.

Reporting to Richard Warne, head of UK institutional business development, John will be responsible for building an experienced financial institutions sales team using both internal and external resources.

Morley's head of UK institutional business development, Richard Warne, said: "Morley has a strong tradition of serving some of the most demanding financial institutions with innovative investment solutions. With the development of a broader array of investment capabilities and with the strength of our investment solutions teams, we aim to provide new and exciting solutions to our growing financial institutions client base. John brings extensive industry experience and an understanding of the needs of a range of financial institutions including private wealth managers, investment banks, life and general insurers and Lloyds market participants".

John most recently led UK and global insurance sales teams at ABN AMRO Asset Management including the UK and European roll out of target dated retirement solutions and spearheaded their entry into the Bermuda market. Prior to this John was chief executive and head of asset management of CIGNA in London for more than 10 years.

John commented: "These are challenging times for the financial community and it's an exciting prospect to be able to work closely with banks, insurance companies and others to find new investment solutions which take advantage of the opportunities the current environment offers. This is also an ideal time to be joining Morley as the transformation to Aviva Investors brings a broader global product range and capability to enhance the already strong offering currently available to financial institutions."

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For more information contact:
Jane Reynolds
Corporate Communications
Telephone: 020 7809 8313
E-mail: jane.reynolds@morleyfm.com

Notes to editors:

Morley
Morley is the UK-based asset management business of Aviva plc. Firms within the Morley group of companies manage £157bn (€198bn) from offices around the world as at 31 March 2008.  

Morley manages both institutional and retail funds. It also acts as investment manager for a range of retail investment funds, marketed in the UK under the Norwich Union brand and in Europe under the Morley name.

The property team manages in excess of £29bn (€37bn) of UK and European property assets.

Aviva Investors
On 28 February 2008, Aviva plc announced it was combining its asset management businesses to create a single, globally integrated asset manager to be known as Aviva Investors - to be launched formally in September 2008.

Aviva Investors will be the global asset management business of Aviva plc, the world's fifth-largest insurance group. Firms that will become Aviva Investors have £316 billion ($623 billion) of assets under management as at 28 February 2008 and significant growth potential.

Operating under a single brand with more than 1,300 employees in 15 countries across the UK, Europe, North America and Asia, and subject to regulatory approval, Aviva Investors will combine businesses in the UK (Morley Fund Management), North America (Aviva Capital Management, MFM International, Aviva Investment Canada), France (Aviva Gestion d'Actifs), Australia (Portfolio Partners), Poland (CUIM Polska), Ireland (Hibernian Investment Managers), Spain (Aviva Gestion SGIIC (Gestora)) and Romania (CertInvest) and work in partnership with Delta Lloyd Asset Management in the Netherlands.

Recent Morley awards

• The Norwich Union Life and Pension fund managed by Morley - winner of the category "Insurance Company Life Funds (£150m to £1.5bn, Dec 07)" at the IPD and Estates Gazette awards 2008
• The Holloways Properties Ltd fund managed by Morley - winner of the category "Balanced Pooled Funds & Traditional Institutions (above £150m and below £500m, Dec 07)" at the IPD and Estates Gazette awards 2008
• Morley - Money Market Fund category winner at Pension and Investment Provider awards 2008
• Property Manager of the Year, UK Pensions Awards 2007 and 2008
• Morley's G7 Fund awarded Fixed Income Hedge Fund of the Year, Eurohedge Awards 2006 and 2007
• Best Property Manager - Financial News Excellence in Institutional Management Awards, Europe 2007
• Morley ranks no.1 fund manager in the Thomson Extel SRI Survey, 2007
• Equity End User of the Year - Derivatives Week DEAL Awards 2006
• Property Fund Manager of the Year, Pensions Management Awards 2006
• Best Commitment to Raising Standards of Trustee Education, Engaged Investor Awards 2006
• Property Fund Manager of the Year, Property Week Awards 2006
• SRI Provider of the Year, Global Pensions 2006

Aviva plc

• Building a global asset management capability is one of Aviva's strategic priorities and as such Aviva Investors will be a key component in Aviva's composite model of long-term savings, general insurance and asset management.
• Aviva is the leading provider of life and pension products in Europe (including the UK) with substantial positions in other markets around the world, making it the world's fifth largest insurance group based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2006.
• Aviva's principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales of £49.2 billion and funds under management of £364 billion at 31 December 2007.
• The Aviva media centre at www.aviva.com/media includes images, company and product information and a news release archive.

¹ On 28 February 2008, Aviva plc announced it was combining its asset management businesses to create a single, globally integrated asset manager to be known as Aviva Investors - to be launched formally in September 2008.

Aviva Investors will be the global asset management business of Aviva plc, the world's fifth-largest insurance group. Firms that will become Aviva Investors have £316 billion ($623 billion) of assets under management as at 28 February 2008 and significant growth potential.