Aviva appoints new chief operating officer from rival Zurich

Aviva has hired a new chief operating officer from competitor Zurich.

Erica Arnold will join Aviva early next year.

Arnold spent six years in a number of senior roles with AIG before joining Zurich, where she is currently chief group enterprise services officer.

The new role will see her in charge of how Aviva operates, customer strategy, and IT for the whole group. She will be part of the leadership team and report to chief executive Maurice Tulloch. 

Commenting, Tulloch said: ”Two themes are critical to Aviva’s success: focusing on the fundamentals of insurance and delivring a great customer experience. This role will help us deliver on both.”

He said her career thus far has shown a commitment to addressing cost, simplification ”and above all on delivering the best possible experience for customers”.

Arnold replaces Nick Amin, who moves on to Aviva’s strategic review of its Asia business after six years at the company.

In a statement Arnold said she was looking forward to delivering a better customer experience and improving shareholder value. 

This is the second senior departure from Zurich in a matter of months following Amanda’s Blanc’s exit as EMEA chief executive in July.