High Five: Catch up on the biggest stories this week
Insurance Times rounds up the top five stories making headlines across the market from 9 to 13 March 2026
Aviva’s Jason Storah: ‘Personal lines market needs a bit of rope’
Personal lines rates must rise – especially in the motor market – otherwise ‘the industry just can’t last too long’, says UKGI insurer leader
Aviva is not ‘knee jerking’ in reaction to ‘tough’ commercial lines market – Jason Storah
UKGI boss says that commercial lines rates are ‘down about 6% to 7%’, creating ‘tough trading conditions’ that ‘are going to continue through this year’
Aviva issues statement after DLG slapped with £10.6m fine
’This is an historical issue relating entirely to a period before Aviva completed its acquisition of DLG in July 2025,’ says insurer
Aviva to introduce ‘virtual agent’ that can handle claims phone calls
’We think that will be a great customer experience because they’re going to be waiting for less and get their answer,’ says director
‘Earnings are starting to come through’ for DLG under Aviva ownership – despite 400 staff exits
Direct Line Group contributed £174m to Aviva’s operating profit for 2025’s second half, supporting a 50% uptick in the insuer’s personal lines GWP for last year
The Big Question: Insurer megamergers are adding up – what M&A opportunities are still on the table for UKGI’s largest carriers?
A surge of deals has triggered a new consolidation cycle that is redefining scale, competition and capability across the UK general insurance market. But questions remain around integration risk, broker dynamics and whether bigger will truly mean better.
Autonomous cars could hit UK next year – but is UKGI ready?
‘We’re moving away from insuring the behaviours of a driver to insuring the behaviours of an algorithm,’ says director of motor underwriting
Why Aviva, Ageas UK and Markel were named insurers of the year at 2025’s Insurance Times Awards
Insurance DataLabs provides the facts and figures behind the biggest insurer trophies at the Insurance Times Awards 2025
Top 50 Insurers: Aviva consolidates top spot thanks to DLG amalgamation
The results are in for 2025 – which insurers are leading the pack in UK general insurance and what trends are underpinning profitable growth?
Opinion: Is nepotism inherently bad or an underutilised talent attraction tool?
As sharks circle, who gets swallowed in insurance consolidation?
Tariff-linked supply chain disruptions ‘worse than Covid’, complicating business interruption
Extranets v software houses: Where are brokers handling their eTrading?
Insurance sector reacts as government weighs up mandatory testing for over 70s motorists
Mapped out: How data is helping insurers navigate risky postcodes
Brokers reveal 2025’s best and worst insurer eTrading platforms
Briefing: As Aviva completes DLG takeover, is more personal lines market consolidation on the cards?
Michelle Taylor: New role provides opportunity to ‘draw the dots’ and fill Aviva’s distribution strategy gaps
Expanding the insurer’s exclusive regional broker proposition and tackling the relationship ripple effect of broker consolidation are both key focus areas for the broker distribution director
Jason Storah: Aviva ‘ruthlessly consistent’ and ‘ruthlessly boring’ in delivering service promises
UK general insurance chief executive defined the insurer’s 2024 growth journey as ‘appropriate, consistent and disciplined’
Rebecca Gambrell: Aviva seeks to ‘raise the bar’ on eTrading service following 2024’s five star success
As Insurance Times’ 2025 eTrading survey is currently being completed by UKGI brokers, Aviva’s SME and delegated authorities managing director says the insurer ‘constantly [feels] pressure to improve and make sure that we’re not standing still’ around digital trading
Insurance Times Advent Calendar: Jason Storah
For the 24th and last day of advent, Jason Storah, chief executive for general insurance at Aviva UK and Ireland, lists his Christmas wish list for the industry
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at The Echo Building, 18 Albert Road, Bournemouth,
England, BH1 1BZ - a Gannett company
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