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Interview with Aviva’s
GREG SOMERVILLE
Recently, Greg Somerville was appointed
President and Chief Executive Officer of Aviva
Canada, succeeding Maurice Tulloch. Greg
took time from his very hectic schedule to
speak with Manitoba Insurance Broker.
Q - Can you briefly describe your
background in the general insurance industry?
A - I entered the insurance industry fresh out of university
in 1979. I began my career as a road adjuster with Liberty
Mutual Insurance Company before moving to State Farm
for 10 years. Both companies were excellent training
organizations from a technical and entry-level management
perspective and were instrumental in cementing in my
mind the value and importance of the fundamentals of
general insurance.
In 1992 I joined General Accident (now Aviva Canada
Inc.) through the acquisition of the Prudential Insurance
Company as the Vice President of Claims. Since then I
had several increasingly senior management positions in
claims, reinsurance, and surety operations including being
appointed as the executive vice-president of Claims in
June 2003 and as the executive vice-president of broker
distribution, sales and marketing in 2010. I have been a
member of Aviva’s Executive Committee since 2004.
I am currently Chair of the Insurance Bureau of
Canada (IBC) Ontario Committee, member of various IBC
governance committees (Board of Directors, Governance,
HR and Administration Committee) and a member of the
Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) CEO
Advisory Committee.
Q - How has your transition to
President and CEO gone?
A - I am extremely proud to take over this business. Maurice
did a tremendous job in leading Aviva Canada to financial
outperformance, building a strong executive team and
developing our broker partnerships. I worked closely with
Maurice when he ran broker distribution for Ontario and I
was responsible for all other distribution regions. We basically
co-led the business and it worked well because we had a
tremendous amount of respect for each other. With Maurice
moving to the UK, there is no doubt that there will be a little
healthy competition in connection with whose business is
performing better- those conversations have already started.
Aviva Canada is a strong business with a clear strategy
and an exciting future. I am delighted to be given the
opportunity to lead this great company. We have a tremendous
management team, and a dedicated group of employees who
understand what our strategy is and what our objectives
are. There is continuity in me leading the business with
my extensive property and casualty experience and strong
and long-standing relationships with brokers across the
Canadian market. There is nothing foreign about what we
are trying to accomplish. We have a focus on strengthening
the performance culture and employee engagement across the
business, while maintaining and growing strong relationships
with our distribution partners. Aviva Canada is successful by
focusing on the fundamentals of general insurance, which is
managing distribution, pricing, underwriting, risk selection,
claims adjudication and expenses. That is the journey we are
on and we will continue to be on.
38 | SPRING 2014 | Manitoba INSURANCE BROKER ⬅ Index