’Together we’ll build a leading business in UK personal lines,’ says chief executive
Aviva has appointed Owen Morris as its new chief executive of UK personal lines as the insurer announced it had completed its takeover of Direct Line Group (DLG).
An announcement on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) confirmed the completion of the £3.7bn deal today (2 July 2025).
It comes after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) cleared the transaction yesterday (1 July 2025), while a court sanctioned the scheme pursuant to which the acquisition is being implemented on the same day.
The scheme, which can be used to action the reorganisation of a company or group structure, has now become effective.
With the deal being complete, Aviva announced that Morris will be top boss for UK personal lines, responsible for the DLG business and Aviva’s personal lines business.
Morris, who was previously managing director for personal lines, will report to Jason Storah, UK and Ireland general insurance chief executive at Aviva.
Storah said: “By combining the strengths of both organisations, we’ll be able to offer more to our customers and create value for our shareholders. It’s a step that makes sense for the long-term - commercially, strategically, and culturally.
“Together we’ll build a leading business in UK personal lines, bringing the best of Aviva’s insurance, wealth and retirement expertise to millions more customers.
“Today is day one and we know that change can bring challenges. But I’m confident that with openness, collaboration, and a shared commitment to our purpose, we’ll navigate them together and come out stronger.
“I’m proud of what we have achieved already and optimistic about what lies ahead.”
Other appointments
Several other appointments have also been announced today across DLG and Aviva’s personal lines business, which can all be seen in the list below.
The following interim appointments have been announced to lead the Direct Line business:
- Tom Latter – Finance Director
- Michael Korner – Motor Managing Director
- Craig Thornton – Home, Commercial and Rescue Managing Director
- Charlotte Moran – Customer Operations Director
- Martin Milliner – Claims Managing Director
- Jon Marsh – GI Integration and Transformation Director
- Jane Storm – Chief People Officer
- Kerry Chilvers – UKGI Customer and Marketing Director
- David Hughes – Chief Information Officer
- Matt Ward – Chief Risk Officer
- Howard Grand – General Counsel
- Sharon Torpey – Head of Audit
- Sukhraj Takhar – Chief Controls Officer
All appointments are effective immediately.
As a result, there will also be some interim changes in the Aviva personal lines business:
- Stuart Curson – Managing Director
- Ellie Shepherd - Customer Operations
- James Raven - Finance Director
- Wendy Moores - Customer and Marketing
- Nicola Wilson – Transformation
Storah added: “To our new colleagues from Direct Line, welcome. We are thrilled to have you on board and we look forward to working closely with you.
“To everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen, thank you. Your commitment, resilience and teamwork have been truly remarkable and a testament to your dedication.
“And to those who have kept our day-to-day operations running smoothly during this transition, your efforts have not gone unnoticed.”
His career began in 2019, when he joined a local north London newspaper after graduating from the University of Sheffield with a first-class honours degree in journalism.
He took up the position of deputy news editor at Insurance Times in March 2023, before being promoted to his current role in May 2024.View full Profile
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