Aviva chief denies his job is done after fourth year of growth

AVIVA’S boss has batted off the suggestion that he might relinquish the chief executive job any time soon as the insurer he once compared to a “couch potato” continues to spring back to life.

The FTSE 100 company lifted its dividend by 13pc to 8.4p after its profits for the six months to June 30 rose 11pc to almost £1.5bn, its fourth straight year of profit growth.

Investors have credited Mark Wilson, the chief executive, for fixing a group which used to be “a bit of a mess” when he joined in 2012, with the New Zealander admitting himself that the firm was out of shape.

But he denied that the strong set of results, driven by growth in the group’s general insurance and fund management business, meant his job at the 321-year-old insurer was nearly done. “Frankly, my to-do list is no shorter than it was a couple of years ago; it is longer,” he said when asked if he was thinking about stepping down.

“I’m enjoying it. I think that’s really all I can say.”

He also suggested that another management reshuffle like the one seen in January, when the insurer merged its UK life, general and health units in a surprise rejig that saw its Europe CEO leave, was highly unlikely.

“[It’s] a team that’s pretty unified,” he said, noting that the group as a whole was now in the “transformation” phase.

One of the areas the group will focus on in the months ahead is car insurance, an industry Mr Wilson has repeatedly slated for being “dysfunctional” because loyal customers are often punished with higher costs. Aviva’s shares firmed 0.5p to at 538.5p.