Aviva names new Canada, general insurance CEOs amid cost-cutting drive

Insurer Aviva has appointed Jason Storah as new chief executive of its Canadian business, replacing Colm Holmes.

Holmes, who took the helm as Aviva Canada CEO in March of 2018, will return to London, assuming a new role as chief executive officer of general insurance. He will continue to sit on the Aviva Canada board, with oversight into the Canadian operations.

Storah most recently served as chief distribution officer for Aviva Canada and joined the company in 2004. In that role, he was responsible for all of Aviva’s distribution channels across Canada, including the broker channel as well as oversight of RBC Insurance. Prior to that, he was executive vice president, broker distribution. He has worked across a number of lines of business and held the roles of chief risk officer, SVP, traders and national brokers, and SVP, strategic development. Previously, he worked at RSA in North America, South America and Europe.

The company has recently announced its plan to reduce approximately 1,800 roles across the group over the next three years as part of its efforts to cut expenses by £300 million per annum by 2022. The move follows a series of senior management changes at the insurer, which includes the departure of its CFO Tom Stoddard, UK insurance CEO Andy Briggs, and the appointment of a new group chief executive officer Maurice Tulloch.

“Jason is the natural choice to lead Aviva Canada and I’m delighted that we are appointing an internal candidate who truly knows our business, our partners and our customers," said Holmes. "Jason, along with the rest of the executive team, have sown the seeds for a successful turnaround at Aviva and I know that, under his leadership, this team will go from strength to strength.”

Storah commented: “I am honoured to be taking on the role of CEO and I’m committed to building on the great work that was done under Colm’s leadership. We have a fantastic team at Aviva, and I know that all of our people share my passion for the important role we play in our customers’ lives.

"Over the last 18 months, we have worked hard to improve our business performance, and while this has meant making some tough calls, it’s put us in a much stronger position to now grow. Aviva will become exceptional at the fundamentals of insurance, which is what we are here for after all.”

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