Appoints New Chairman

Aviva PLC
10 August 2005


News release


10 August 2005


                         AVIVA PLC APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN


The Board of Aviva plc ('Aviva') is pleased to announce that Lord Sharman of
Redlynch, OBE, will succeed Pehr Gyllenhammar as chairman of Aviva with effect
from 1 January 2006.

Lord Sharman, 62, joined the Aviva board in January 2005.  He has wide
international experience gained largely through his career at KPMG where he
became chairman of KPMG International before his retirement in 1999.

Lord Sharman is chairman of Aegis Group plc, an independent non-executive
director of BG Group plc and Reed Elsevier plc and a member of the supervisory
board of ABN AMRO NV. He is currently deputy chairman of Group 4 Securicor plc
and will retire from this role later this year, as previously announced.

Pehr Gyllenhammar was appointed to the board of Commercial Union in 1997,
becoming chairman in 1998. He chaired Commercial Union during its merger with
General Accident in 1998 to form CGU and subsequently CGU's merger with Norwich
Union in 2000, which created Aviva plc. Pehr Gyllenhammar will retire from the
Aviva board on 31 December 2005.

Commenting on Lord Sharman's appointment, Pehr Gyllenhammar said:

'Colin has an outstanding track record in international finance. The board and I
are confident that a combination of his wide-ranging experience and Richard
Harvey's proven leadership skills will ensure that a first rate team is in
place.'


Lord Sharman added:

'I am delighted to have been asked by the Aviva board to become the Group's
chairman. It's a company with drive, ambition and the highest standards of
professionalism.  I am looking forward with much enthusiasm to contributing to
Aviva's continued growth.'


Richard Harvey, group chief executive of Aviva, said:

'Aviva's industry position owes much to the vision of Pehr Gyllenhammar in
bringing together businesses to form what we know today as Aviva.  I have valued
the support Pehr has given me personally during this time and I, together with
my colleagues at Aviva, wish him well for the future. We are fortunate in having
Colin as our next chairman and are delighted to be able to work with him on the
next phase of Aviva's development.'


                                    - ends -


Enquiries:

Media
Hayley Stimpson, director of external affairs               [phone]
Sue Winston, head of group media relations                  [phone]
Rob Bailhache, Financial Dynamics                           [phone]

Analysts
Nicole Marques, investor relations manager                  [phone]


Notes to editors:
     
•    Photographs taken today of Lord Sharman are available from the media centre 
     at www.aviva.com/media

•    Aviva is the world's fifth-largest insurance group based on gross 
     world-wide premiums and one of the leading providers of life and pensions 
     to Europe with substantial positions in other markets around the world.

•    Aviva's principal business activities are long-term savings, fund 
     management and general insurance, with world-wide premium income and retail 
     investment sales from continuing operations of £33 billion and assets
     under management of £273 billion.

•    The Aviva media centre at www.aviva.com/media includes images, company and 
     product information and a news release archive.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange