Former AXA group chief executive Dennis Holt named as new LV= chairman

LV= (formerly Liverpool Victoria) has announced the appointment of Dennis Holt as chairman, effective from 1 July 2007.

Current chairman John Woolhouse announced at the friendly society’s AGM last week that he would step down as chairman and as a member of the board on 1 July 2007.

Dennis Holt joined the friendly society’s board in September 2006, having retired from the AXA group in June 2006. He was group chief executive of AXA’s UK and Ireland businesses and a member of the global executive committee of AXA SA. Previously he held a range of senior positions within the Lloyds TSB group, latterly as the main board director responsible for the retail bank.

Holt said: “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to steer LV= in its drive to create greater value for its members. The board recognises the huge debt of gratitude owed to John Woolhouse, who has overseen the repositioning of our businesses that now enables us to move forwards with confidence. We wish him well for the future.”

John Woolhouse became chairman of the friendly society in August 2005, having been appointed as a non-executive director in 1996. From November 2005 to May 2006 he also took on the role of acting group chief executive, until the appointment of Mike Rogers as group chief executive and an executive director in June 2006.