AVP, Direct Distribution and Affinity (Personal Lines)

Job description

Individually we are people, but together we are Aviva. Individually these are just words, but together they are our Values – Care, Commitment, Community, and Confidence. We are looking for our next AVP, Direct Channel Lead, to help shape and execute Aviva Canada’s Direct distribution strategy and drive profitable, sustainable growth across the channel. This role will translate strategy and channel performance insights into clear priorities and targeted actions across portfolio performance, customer outcomes, sales and service, digital, marketing, pricing, underwriting, product, technology and operations.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Personal Insurance, the AVP will lead the cross-functional Direct agenda, strengthen governance and performance management, and advance transformation and continuous improvement initiatives that improve growth, profitability, efficiency and customer experience. Come join our team! What you'll do Support the development and execution of Aviva Canada’s Direct distribution strategy, business plan and multi-year roadmap, with clear priorities for profitable growth, portfolio performance, customer outcomes and competitive differentiation.

Lead the cross-functional Direct agenda, partnering across Sales & Service, Digital, Marketing, Product, Pricing, Underwriting, Claims, Technology, Finance and Performance Management to align priorities and accelerate delivery. Translate financial, customer, sales, service, underwriting, operational and portfolio data into clear insights, targeted business actions and recommendations for senior leaders. Establish and maintain effective channel governance, performance measures, decision forums and reporting to ensure clear accountability for strategic initiatives, financial outcomes and operational execution.

Drive portfolio performance and clean-up actions across Direct and relevant Affinity businesses, identifying leakage and opportunities to improve growth, profitability, retention and customer outcomes. Advance the Direct transformation and continuous improvement agenda, maintaining a prioritized backlog of technology and non-technology initiatives that support growth, profitability, efficiency, and customer experience.

Provide respectful challenge and remove barriers across the cross-functional team to improve productivity, execution, and delivery. Lead competitor and market intelligence for the Direct channel, including pricing developments, digital capabilities, customer experience innovation, emerging technology and evolving customer needs. Support the development and evolution of Direct and Affinity propositions, ensuring alignment with customer needs, Aviva’s Personal Insurance strategy, and risk appetite.

Keep stakeholders informed of priorities, progress, decisions, risks and roadblocks, escalating issues where required. Ensure customer interests, fair outcomes, regulatory requirements and risk management expectations are embedded in channel decisions and change initiatives. Role model Aviva’s values and behaviors, promoting a One Aviva culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement and customer focus.

What you'll bring Significant Canadian Personal Insurance experience, ideally including Direct, digital, consumer or multi-channel insurance. Strong technical and commercial understanding of Personal Insurance portfolio performance, including pricing, underwriting, product, segmentation, loss ratio, rate adequacy, customer acquisition and retention. Demonstrated experience translating complex channel and portfolio data into strategic priorities, recommendations and targeted business actions.

Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional work with shared accountability across sales, service, digital, marketing, pricing, underwriting, product, technology and operations. Strong financial and business acumen, with the ability to understand P&L drivers and balance growth, profitability, risk and customer outcomes. Experience leading transformation, continuous improvement, or strategic initiatives in a dynamic and complex operating environment.

Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to simplify complex issues and influence senior leaders and partners. Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to establish trust and credibility with internal and external partners. A customer-led, strategic and commercially minded approach, with curiosity about market trends, technology and emerging innovation. Experience with Affinity, partnerships, bancassurance or B2B relationship management is an asset.

CIP, FCIP, or equivalent designation is an asset.