Aviva restructures global IT organisation

Global insurance giant Aviva is restructuring its senior IT executive team as part of the changes being made at the top by incoming CEO Andrew Moss.

One of the biggest IT changes is a new group CIO role being created for Aviva, with an external search for that position currently underway. That person will report into Aviva's group strategy and development director Anupam Sahay. Sahay will be the person on Moss' executive committee with responsibility for IT.

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Elsewhere, Aviva will have regional CIOs for the Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America and the UK. Those CIOs will report into the CEOs for their region.

The changes mean Alex Robinson steps up from Norwich Union in the UK to become CIO for Aviva Europe. Robinson was recently voted one of the UK's top 50 CIOs. Robinson told silicon.com the new role will present some "new challenges and lots of interesting opportunities".

Norwich Union - the UK brand for Aviva - will get two new CIOs in the restructure. Ian Butterworth becomes CIO for Norwich Union Life and Sean Egan becomes CIO for Norwich Union Insurance. Malcom Simpkin also becomes IT services director for Norwich Union and all three will report into the UK CEO.

The Aviva Asia-Pacific CIO has already been announced as Amy Hoe and there is no change in North America where Mike Boltz is CIO for the US and Andrea Bodnar for Canada.

Moss will also set up a new technology council that will include all the senior IT executives and business representatives. The council will be responsible for setting Aviva's strategic direction on technology.

All the new positions become effective when finance chief Moss takes over on 12 July. Current CEO Richard Harvey is leaving to spend a year working in Africa with HIV charity Concern Universal.

An Aviva spokeswoman told silicon.com it is too early to say whether the changes will have any wider impact on Aviva's IT operations and staff.