Aviva has appointed Fran Bruce as managing director (MD) of protection to oversee the individual and group businesses under one role – replacing Paul Brencher and Kathryn Stringer respectively.
Brencher was previously MD of individual protection at Aviva and will be leaving the insurer at the end of the month.
Stringer was MD of group protection and will now be director of existing platforms in the savings and retirement business.
Bruce has been at Aviva since 2003 and has most recently been managing director of existing customer management in Aviva UK Life and will formally takeover her new position at the start of November.
The moves follow on from the arrival of Doug Brown as CEO of Aviva’s CEO of its UK & Ireland Life business late last year.
Rob Barker, who was previously MD of Aviva Health and Protection became MD of the savings and retirements business in April, with Steve Bridger temporarily expanding his position as MD of health to include protection.
“As Doug Brown has come in really wanting to look at how to shift the growth agenda of the UK life business, he wanted to put more focus on this area,” Bruce told Health & Protection.
“So Steve will be focusing on the health area and somebody on the protection business, and that’s where I came across and have taken that opportunity.”
Bruce added that having taken over the heritage business three years ago, which was a closed book customer base in runoff, the opportunity to lead the protection business was a very attractive one.
“The purpose of the business is fabulous, the strength of the business, it’s really well established but also it’s got great opportunities within it,” she said.
“And one of the things that really attracted me is it’s a dynamic trading business.
“I really wanted to get stuck in and use some of my commercial skills and move across into a business where those could really be put to some good use,” she added.