Aviva UK, which announced structural changes to its SME and distribution leadership teams in July, is giving the insurer’s distribution line-up a further boost with two senior appointments.

In October, Sharon Boobyer is moving from her role as head of SME commercial change, systems, and transformation to become chief operating officer for SME and distribution. The promoted leader will be joined by Rebecca Gambrell, who will come on board as portfolio director in December.

Dave Martin, managing director for general insurance distribution and SME trading, commented in an emailed release: “Sharon and Rebecca’s appointments cement a strong, diverse leadership team, combining expertise with innovation and a genuine desire to deliver for brokers and their customers.

“Sharon already has made a huge impact in driving the efficiency and effectiveness of the SME systems, people, and processes, and I look forward to her continued focus on delivering great outcomes for our business and our customers.

“As a qualified actuary, Rebecca will bring greater technical discipline driving forward our schemes, MGA (managing general agent), and SME portfolio. I am confident that her valuable breadth of experience across retail and commercial will help us achieve our ambitions across SME and distribution.

Boobyer brings 33 years of commercial insurance experience to the post, while Gambrell is making the switch from Zurich where she started her career in 2009 and most recently served as personal lines & MGAs head. 

“I’m confident that we have the right ingredients to continue to grow and succeed in commercial lines and further increase our visibility and responsiveness for the brokers and partners we work with,” Martin said.       

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