Aviva confirms appointment of Chief Underwriting Officer – Commercial Lines

Aviva has confirmed Karen Dayal as its new Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) – Commercial Lines*. In this role, she will develop and set Aviva’s underwriting appetite across Commercial Lines – shaping underwriting strategy, ensuring alignment, good governance and driving best practice across our Commercial Lines business (GCS & SME).

Karen has worked at Aviva for four years, most recently as Director of Exposure Management, Pricing and Insight for our Commercial Lines business, and she will continue to be responsible for this area. The move aligns critical capabilities, supporting Aviva’s fast-growing Commercial Lines business.

She begins this role with immediate effect and reports into UK and Ireland GI CEO, Jason Storah.

Karen is a qualified GI pricing actuary with more than 20 years’ pricing experience, including a wide knowledge of the London Market and commercial pricing. Karen also chairs Aviva’s Commercial Lines Women’s Network, which was recognised in the 2023 Women in Insurance Awards for championing diversity, equity and inclusion within the insurance industry.

In July 2023, Aviva announced the creation of four new roles to drive its GCS growth ambition. This included new underwriting director roles, to provide responsibility for the strategic direction for GCS across Financial, Specialty, Multinational, and Corporate Lines. The previous role of CUO Commercial Lines was separated into two roles, CUO Commercial Lines and Underwriting Director for Corporate Lines, with Marc Wanless named as the latter.

Jason Storah, Aviva UK&I GI CEO, said: “I’d like to congratulate Karen on her new role. She will be an exceptional addition to the GI ExCo and play an important role in accelerating us towards our ambitions. I believe this appointment demonstrates how important Commercial Lines is to our General Insurance strategy in the UK and I look forward to the team continuing their great work.”

Mark Dunham, who covered the Chief Underwriting Officer Commercial Lines role on an interim basis, will resume his role as Head of Commercial Lines Underwriting.

*subject to regulatory approval