Sharon Ludlow joins Aviva Canada as President, Aviva Insurance Company of Canada

TORONTO, May 27, 2014 /CNW/ - Aviva Canada, one of the country's leading providers of home, auto, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon Ludlow as President, Aviva Insurance Company of Canada, effective June 17.  Sharon will be responsible for Aviva Canada's broker distribution operations, as well as the company's customer, marketing and digital strategy. In the newly created role, Sharon will report directly to Aviva Canada President and CEO, Greg Somerville.

"I think it is a testament to our brand, and the potential within our organization that we are able to attract top talent, such as Sharon, to our business to complement our great team at Aviva. I am excited about her joining us as we take our business to the next level," stated Someville.

Sharon joins Aviva Canada from Swiss Re's Canadian operations where she served as President and CEO. Under her leadership, Swiss Re achieved a dominant P&C market position. She has also served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Liberty International Underwriters' commercial P&C operations. In 2000, as CFO, Sharon was instrumental in launching Kanetix, a web-based auto insurance quotation service providing consumers with instant quotations from a variety of insurers. Sharon also played a key role in Canada Life's demutualization and IPO. 

Sharon is a Chartered Professional Accountant, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto. She holds an FLMI (Fellow, Life Management Institute) designation and is a Director for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. Sharon also serves as Chair, Solvency & Capital Committee and is a member of the Adaptation to Severe Weather Strategic Committee and the Earthquake Oversight Committee of the Insurance Bureau of Canada. She is a member of the Reinsurance Committee of the Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association, and is Chair and past-President of the Reinsurance Research Council. 

In 2013, Sharon was named by Women's Executive Network (WXN) one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and one of the Top 50 Women in the insurance industry globally by Reactions magazine. Sharon has actively volunteered for Junior Achievement of Canada, and has held Treasurer, President, and Chair of the Board positions for various non-profit organizations.

"I am excited by the opportunity and potential within the Aviva business.  It's a company I know really well from my role in the market. I look forward to working with everyone in the Canadian business and collaborating with my colleagues globally," added Ludlow.

About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc and has more than 3,000 employees, 25 locations and 1,700 independent broker partners. Aviva Canada and its employees invest in positive change including through the Aviva Community Fund and Eva's Initiatives, its partner in Aviva's global Street to School program to help homeless and other at-risk youth reach their potential.

For more information visit AvivaCanada.com, our blog or our Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

SOURCE: Aviva Canada Inc.

Media Contact: Glenn Cooper, Senior Manager, Public Relations and Social Media, Aviva Canada Inc., Desk: [phone], Mobile: [phone], [email protected]