Aviva today announces the appointment of Chris Wei as CEO Global Life Insurance and Chairman Asia.
In this new role, Chris will lead Aviva's life insurance businesses across the Group. With his international experience, broad insurance expertise and customer focus, Chris will provide strategic direction to Aviva's life insurance businesses so that they achieve their full potential.
Key strategic priorities for Chris will be ensuring the continued success of Aviva's UK life insurance business, which is a significant contributor to the Group's profitability and also driving the future growth of Aviva’s Asian operations.
From 2011 to 2014, Chris was CEO of Great Eastern Holdings Ltd, the listed Asian life insurer. Under his tenure, Great Eastern’s new business measure of Total Weighted New Sales crossed the S$1 billion mark for the first time in 2013. Amongst numerous other awards, the company’s achievements were recognised by Great Eastern being named Life Insurance Company of the Year at the Asia Insurance Industry Awards in both 2011 and 2013.
Prior to Great Eastern, from 2008 to 2011 Chris was a member of the Group Executive Committee of AIA, the pan-Asian life insurance group and was an integral part of the leadership team that achieved AIA’s successful listing in Hong Kong. He was also CEO of AIG United Guaranty Insurance in Hong Kong (2004-2008) and from 1993 to 2004 he held various leadership positions in the Canadian insurance market with Allstate and ING Canada.
Chris will take up his new role at Aviva in October 2014 and his appointment has received regulatory approval.
Mark Wilson, Group Chief Executive Officer, said:
“I am delighted that Chris is joining Aviva. Chris brings an outstanding track record and has the strategic and financial acumen to make a difference to our life insurance businesses. Chris’s appointment demonstrates the extent of our ambition for our life insurance operations.
“Chris joins a team of exceptional people leading our main business lines. Having the best management team in the sector is a prerequisite for Aviva’s successful turnaround and out-performance.”
Chris Wei commented:
“This is a superb opportunity. The progress Aviva has made in the last year has been striking. I cannot imagine a more exciting time to be joining this vibrant and ambitious company.”
“With Aviva’s exceptional history and strong life insurance franchises around the world, we have the building blocks to take the business to the next level. Aviva will succeed by a passionate focus on our customers, putting them at the heart of all we do. Our success will hinge on our ability to understand and adapt to customers’ changing needs and to focus on delighting our customers every day with great products and services across Aviva.”
Enquiries
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David Elliot +44 (0)20 7662 8048
Notes to Editors
Aviva
- Aviva provides 31 million customers with insurance, savings and investment products.
- We are one of the UK’s leading insurers and one of Europe’s leading providers of life and general insurance.
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- We are committed to serving our customers well in order to build a stronger, sustainable business, which makes a positive contribution to society, and for which our people are proud to work.
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Aviva Group Executive leadership team
- Mark Wilson – Group Chief Executive Officer
- Thomas Stoddard – Chief Financial Officer
- Euan Munro – CEO of Aviva Investors
- David McMillan – Chairman Global Health Insurance and CEO Europe
- Maurice Tulloch – Chairman Global General Insurance and CEO UK&I General Insurance
- Chris Wei – CEO Global Life Insurance and Chairman Asia
- Nick Amin – Group Transformation Director
- David Barral – CEO, Aviva UK&I Life Insurance
- Paul Boyle – Chief Audit Officer
- Kirsty Cooper – Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
- Christine Deputy – Group HR Director
- Khor Hock Seng – CEO, Aviva Asia
- John Lister – Group Chief Risk Officer
- Amanda MacKenzie – Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
- Monique Shivanandan – Chief Information Officer
- Jason Windsor – Chief Capital and Investments Officer