Aviva hires 15 into regional specialty team

Aviva has expanded its regional specialty segment, with 15 new hires across the UK and increased investment in its digital operations.

The firm said that its regional specialty team – which sits within Aviva’s global, corporate and specialty business – focuses on supporting “mid-market risks that require both specialist underwriting and local decision making”.

The expanded team now compromises over 50 regional speciality lines underwriters in areas including accident and health, renewable energy, marine cargo and freight, construction and engineering risks.

Particular attention has been paid to the construction underwriting team, which Aviva said had doubled in size following the new hires.

The insurer also announced digital upgrades aimed at improving ease of use for brokers, including the launch of its marine cargo and freight product to software platforms Acturis eTrade and FastTrade, and the development of a “more sophisticated rating model to support more accurate pricing”.

Aviva stated the changes have reduced referral rates across key product lines, most notably in its accident and health proposition, which saw a 50% drop in referrals.

Heavy investment

Chris Vine, head of regional specialty at Aviva, said: “In our latest Broker Barometer survey, brokers said a strong regional presence makes a real difference to service quality. With that in mind, our focus for 2026 and beyond is on bringing specialist expertise even closer to our broker partners and clients.

“We’ve invested heavily in people, capability and technology to improve visibility, availability and decision making across the regions, further supporting brokers to secure the right cover for customers faster and more confidently.

“We know that strong relationships and face-to-face engagement matter, for brokers and for the customers we serve. This investment strengthens our ambition to build long-term regional partnerships and gives brokers and clients access to the same specialist expertise, wherever they are in the UK.”