Aviva UK GI boss declares "business as usual" as Hodges bows out

Aviva UK general insurance chief executive David McMillan has declared “business as usual” following the departure of Mark Hodges to Towergate.

UK chief executive Hodges resigned from Aviva today to replace Andy Homer as group chief executive at the private equity backed consolidator.

McMillan told InsuranceTimes.co.uk that the loss of Hodges and appointment of Trevor Matthews would not prompt a change in strategy within Aviva’s UK GI business.

“The strategy that has been put in place in the GI team has been put in place by the GI management team. That strategy is in line with what the group executive and group board want to see from the GI business. So I don’t see any changes to that,” he said.

Aviva moved quickly to replace Hodges with Trevor Matthews, the former chief executive of Friends Provident and current vice chairman of Friends Life.

McMillan said Matthews’ appointment, expected in the next three to six months, would be good for the GI business, despite his background in the life insurance sector.

“He started in GI at Legal & General and for most of Trevor’s career he has been around big financial services consumer and intermediated businesses. So I think all that experience will stand him in good stead.”

He continued “We’ve got a massive amount of GI strength across the group. Pat Regan our CFO is ex-Willis, ex-RSA, ex-AXA; Andrew Moss himself was CFO of Lloyd’s. So I think Trevor’s experience will just enhance all of that.”

McMillan also moved to reassure the broker market. “The assurance I’ve been giving them is that it’s business as usual. The relationships with myself, Janice (Deakin), Phil Bayles, with David Hall are still there, still strong and the strategy hasn’t changed.

“We’re open for business and the GI team is all intact and in place. We’ve had a good 18 months and it’s business as usual.”

For more, read our analysis: Money or ambition - we ask why Hodges really left Aviva.