Simon Machell
Chief Executive Asia Pacific

Aviva

Simon is Chief Executive of Aviva Asia Pacific. He was appointed to this role in July 2007 as part of Aviva’s focus to build a multinational business through four strong regions. Reporting to the Group Chief Executive of Aviva plc, Simon is also a member of the Aviva Group Executive Committee.

As CEO of Aviva Asia Pacific, Simon is responsible for all aspects of the business in the markets of Australia, India, Sri Lanka, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea and the Middle East.

The business incorporates long-term savings, protection and investments services across each of these markets through a multi-distribution strategy that includes bancassurance, agents, independent financial advisers, brokers, corporate partners and direct channels.
Prior to this appointment, Simon was the Chief Executive of Norwich Union Insurance (NUI), Aviva’s insurance and motoring services business in the UK. NUI is the UK’s largest insurance group with a premium of circa US$12bn and nearly 22,000 staff.

Simon joined Norwich Union in 1994 and held a number of senior positions in finance and claims prior to taking on the role of Customer Services Director in 2003. He was appointed Managing Director, RAC in May 2005, when Aviva acquired one of the UK’s largest motoring services companies.

Simon has been instrumental in developing a strong relationship between Aviva and INSEAD during the last six years. As Norwich Union’s claims and then customer services director, Simon imported value innovation principles into customer service, working alongside INSEAD visiting Professors Chan Kim and Rene Mauborgne. The project, which became the subject of an INSEAD case study, transformed Norwich Union's customer services delivery and contributed to a period of significant profitable growth and improvements in staff morale for the insurer. Connections with INSEAD were strengthened further following the decision in 2004 to endow the Aviva Chair in Leadership and responsibility at INSEAD. Under the auspices of the Chair, a number of research papers have been written which have informed Aviva's business decision making in a number of areas, including offshoring, an issue where Norwich Union led the insurance industry in the UK.

Simon was also the Chairman of the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) for seven years from 2001 – 2007. The MIB is the UK fund which pays out to uninsured drivers.

Prior to joining the Aviva Group, Simon spent two years as a consultant with Ernst & Young in their financial services practice in London. The work concentrated on insurance companies and included financial re-engineering projects; cost reduction work and IT systems implementation.

Simon’s previous role was at Legal & General where he started in the group audit function and then went on to be the Finance Director of one of the estate agency subsidiaries. Simon then spent a period in the life and pensions sales division in finance.

Simon qualified as a chartered accountant with Ernst and Whinney.
Simon obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Second Class Division 1) degree in Economics from Durham University and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.