Dame Amanda Blanc was appointed to the Aviva plc Board as a Non-Executive Director on 2 January 2020 and as Group Chief Executive Officer on 6 July 2020.
Amanda started her career as a graduate at one of Aviva’s ancestor companies, Commercial Union. Following success in senior executive roles across the insurance industry, she came back to Aviva as CEO in July 2020.
Amanda has greatly simplified Aviva, successfully divesting eight non-core businesses. Aviva is now focused on its core markets in the UK, Ireland and Canada. Amanda has also overseen a significant strengthening of Aviva’s financial position.
Amanda is now focused on accelerating Aviva’s performance: capitalising on the structural growth opportunities in its core markets; providing customers with a simpler, more personalised offering; transforming our cost base and delivering our market-leading sustainability commitments. Aviva is the first major insurer in the world to target becoming net zero by 2040.
Amanda was formerly Group CEO at AXA UK, PPP & Ireland and CEO Europe, Middle East, Africa & Global Banking at Zurich Insurance Group. She also held executive leadership positions at Towergate Insurance Brokers, Groupama Insurance Company and Commercial Union.
She has previously served as Chair of the Association of British Insurers, Chair of the Insurance Fraud Bureau and President of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
In 2022, Amanda was included in the Financial Times 25 most influential women of 2022 and in January 2023 named as The Sunday Times business person of the year.
Amanda was awarded a Damehood in the King’s New Year Honours in January 2024.
Amanda says: “Aviva are Business in the Community’s (BITC’s) Founding Place Partner to help expand BITC’s long-term national place strategy to support communities across the UK. Aviva and BITC are working together to build thriving communities by breaking down barriers that impact access to education and employment, improving housing and local facilities, and tackling wider inequalities facing individuals throughout the UK. Together, we are building on BITC’s 40 years of experience in transforming communities and enabling their ambition to support 50 communities across every region and nation in the UK by 2032.”