Aviva hunts for Sharman’s replacement
INSURANCE group Aviva has begun its search for a new chairman in time for Colin Sharman’s planned departure in 2013, people close to the company confirmed yesterday.
Potential candidates for the job include former Aviva chief executive Richard Harvey,
outgoing Barclays chief executive John Varley and ex-financial services minister Paul
Myners.
Myners declined to comment, while Harvey and Varley did not return calls for comment yesterday.
People close to Aviva said yesterday that Sharman was not under pressure to step down,
and that the search was still in its early stages.
“It’s all part of sensible forward planning for a successor for any FTSE company,” one
source said.
Reports claimed the insurer has appointed headhunters MWM Consulting and JCA Associates to sound out potential replacements. However, neither firm would comment yesterday, and a source said the search had not yet reached the stage of hiring headhunters.
Aviva declined to comment.
Sharman, 67, has been chairman of the firm since January 2006, after joining the board in 2005. He was appointed to the House of Lords in 1999.
His departure will be one of several high profile reshuffles at the top of FTSE 100 firms. HSBC and Vodafone are also hunting for replacement bosses, while Barclays named Bob Diamond as its new head last week.