'We are in it to write profitable business,' says McMillan

Aviva UK general insurance chief executive David McMillan has rubbished suggestions that the firm is pricing over-aggressively to win business for its corporate risks unit.

McMillan, speaking after the appointment of David Hall as managing director of corporate risks and speciality lines, said: “People will always, when they are a little bit rattled, claim unfair competition.

“We’re in it for the long term and in it to write profitable business.

Our business in corporate risks and speciality is well within our target combined operating ratio.”

Aviva swooped on Zurich to recruit Hall, who was chief executive of global corporate UK business. He will join around March to manage speciality lines – engineering, legal indemnity, professional indemnity and marine – and corporate risks.

Dipak Warren, who joined as corporate risks solutions director in September, will report to Hall. Aviva writes about £250m in corporate risks and £150m in speciality lines.