Aviva tells firms: Promote women or we’ll cut links

THE Insurance giant Aviva has threatened to terminate deals with firms that do not promote women to senior roles.

Sarah Morris, human resources boss at the company, issued the warning to more than a dozen subcontractors.

In a letter, she said her firm’s suppliers were ‘critically placed to drive the change that is needed in future talent pipelines’, and ‘publicly backing’ initiatives to get women in more senior roles would give them a ‘competitive edge’.

These subcontractors are thought to include recruitment firms and specialist providers of insurance services.

The warning was aimed at those that have not joined gender equality initiatives such as the 30 per cent Club campaign, which Miss Morris spearheaded.

She told The Sunday Times Aviva had had some positive responses to the letter but it would ‘consider ending our ongoing relationship if our partner firms don’t share our values on this’.