Matthews, a native of Australia, succeeds Mark Hodges, who today resigned from Aviva to join Towergate Insurance as its group chief executive.
Aviva is the UK’s largest insurer. It has 19 million customers, and claims that one in three UK households is a client in some capacity.
In a statement today, Aviva said Matthews would join Aviva “as soon as possible”, but did not elaborate. It is understood he will not be returning to work at Friends Life, where he recently was succeeded as chief executive, a role he had held since 2008, by Andy Briggs, formerly chief executive of general insurance at Lloyds Banking Group.
David Barral, CEO UK Life at Aviva, and David McMillan, CEO UK General Insurance, will continue to run Aviva’s insurance operations in the UK, Aviva said.
Matthews: ‘admired’ Aviva
In the Aviva statement, Matthews was quoted as saying that he had “always admired” Aviva and in his previous roles, had seen it as “a formidable competitor”.
“Over the coming years I am confident that Aviva UK will continue to strengthen its position as the country’s undisputed leader in insurance,” he added.
Matthews had been CEO of Friends Provident Holdings (UK) in 2009 when it was acquired by Resolution and subsequently became Friends Life.
While at the company he also oversaw the takeover and integration of the majority of AXA UK’s life business in September 2010 and Bupa’s life insurance business in January 2011, which culminated earlier this year in the rebranding of the combined businesses as Friends Life.
Prior to joining Friends, Matthews had been a CEO of Standard Life’s UK life and pensions business, and before that, a managing director of Legal & General in Australia.
Other previous roles including a stint as president and CEO of Manulife in Japan, chairman of Manulife Bank in Canada and managing director of Legal & General’s life insurance business in Australia.
Matthews is currently chairman of the Financial Skills Partnership in the UK, a board member of the Association of British Insurers.
Matthews’s appointment at Aviva is subject to FSA approval.
