Ex-Aviva leader becomes Open GI’s group chief executive

Open GI has officially appointed ex-Aviva c-suite James Barnard as its new group chief executive.

Barnard was named as the new boss in April 2026, with the move being made official yesterday (23 September 2026).

In his new role, Barnard will be responsible for building on Open GI’s market position, industry expertise and customer relationships.

He will also oversee the continued development of the company’s proposition as Open GI seeks to deliver further value for brokers and support their changing technology requirements.

Barnard joins from Aviva, where he had serverd as chief operation officer since 2023.

Peter Thompson, group chair at Open GI, said: “We are delighted that Barnard has decided to bring his considerable experience of leading transformational change to Open GI.

“For nearly 50 years, Open GI has been connecting brokers and insurers with the wider insurance ecosystem and in that time, our proposition has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of the market. 

”We have embarked on a major transformation of the business and our platform offering, ensuring we can continue to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of the insurance sector and the growing pace and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across the broker and insurer landscape.

”I am convinced Barnard is the right person to lead Open GI into the future.”

Succession

Barnard succeeds Simon Badley, who is now supporting the business in an advisory capacity. 

Barnard said: “I’ve worked closely with Open GI throughout my career and I understand the system, its capabilities and its limitations, but what attracted me most to the position was the possibilities that still lie ahead for Open GI and its partners.

“My priority over the coming weeks is to meet as many colleagues as possible across the business and to engage with brokers, insurers and partners as we begin to articulate the exciting future they can expect with Open GI. I’m delighted to be here and I look forward to leading the business towards the next 50 years of innovation and success.”