Exclusive: As Aviva sacks its fund managers, how to communicate such changes to shareholders? June 17, 2021 In this 2-part series, City A.M. zooms in on the relationship between investment boards, asset managers and shareholders. In the first instalment, a number of Square Mile-based investment managers discussed why and when investors come to realise the asset managers needs to be replaced, and how such decisions come about. Today, the City insiders debate [...]
Shakeup at Aviva days after activist investor sticks head above parapet June 13, 2021 Aviva is set to sack its top fund managers in a radical cost-cutting plan, according to reports. The insurance giant is planning to fire 10 equity managers from its asset management arm Aviva Investors, the Mail on Sunday reported. David Cumming, chief investment officer for equities, has left the FTSE 100 firm, while head of [...]
Activist investor Cevian calls on Aviva to increase returns after building stake June 8, 2021 Activist investor Cevian Capital has called on Aviva to return £5bn in excess capital to shareholders after building a stake in the insurer. The Swedish investment firm today announced it holds 194,549,437 in Aviva, corresponding to around 4.95 per cent of the company’s total number of shares and votes. It makes the firm Aviva’s second-largest [...]
Persimmon and Aviva agree to make leasehold payments fairer for homeowners after CMA probe June 23, 2021 Following an investigation by the UK’s markets watchdog, housebuilder Persimmon and financial services group Aviva have agreed to overhaul their leasehold contracts to make payments fairer for homeowners. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into Persimonn’s leaseholds pushed the housebuilder to cap the price of freehold at £2,000 in its Right to Buy scheme [...]
Lloyd’s chair slams plans for Shard-height skyscraper next to Leadenhall Market July 2, 2024 The chairman of Lloyd's of London has objected to plans for the building of a new Shard-scale skyscraper in the City of London
Aviva to sell Polish arm to Allianz for €2.5bn March 26, 2021 Aviva has agreed to sell its Polish arm to Allianz for a cash consideration of €2.5bn, which it said valued the acquired business at €2.7bn. The pension provider and insurer said it will now focus on its business in the UK, Ireland and Canada. This is Aviva’s eighth transaction in as many months. The giant [...]
Top investors call on government to boost female climate fight as Cop27 begins November 7, 2022 A group of top investors including Aviva and Legal & General Investment Management have called on governments to ramp up climate action today by enshrining the role of women within the fight against climate change.
Aviva boss Amanda Blanc appointed Women in Finance Champion March 17, 2021 Amanda Blanc, chief executive of Aviva, has been appointed the Treasury’s Women in Finance champion. She succeeds Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, former chief executive of Virgin Money, who led the 2016 review into the representation of women in the industry. The Treasury launched its Women in Finance Charter after the review and it now has over [...]
Aviva brings executive committee to one-third women with new senior hire April 13, 2021 Aviva has added another c-suite female to its arsenal with the appointment of Cheryl Toner as chief customer and marketing officer. Toner will start at Aviva in May 2021, where she will join the group executive committee, a senior committee where women make up a third (33%) of its members. Aviva’s board, which Toner will [...]
Campaigners slam Aviva’s ‘ambiguous’ net zero commitment March 1, 2021 Climate campaigners have questioned Aviva’s net zero commitment claiming the insurance giant will continue to invest in fossil fuels. This morning Aviva announced it planned to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2040. The firm said it had written to the biggest carbon emitters in its portfolio urging them to sign up to [...]