Two senior leaders to join Aviva Canada’s executive team
Aviva Canada has appointed two senior leaders to its executive leadership team, reporting to CEO Tracy Garrad.
Garth Pepper joins as managing director of Aviva business insurance and Pascal Dessureault will become chief public affairs, marketing and communications officer.
Pepper is a seasoned insurance veteran in the Canadian and North American specialty and commercial insurance community and will join Aviva Canada on Aug. 6, the insurer said in a press release. With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Pepper was most recently president of the North America middle market and global risk solutions at Liberty Mutual Insurance.
“In his new role, Pepper will be responsible for the growth and development of Aviva Canada’s small to medium and middle-market commercial insurance business,” the insurer says in the release.
Dessureault will join Aviva Canada on Aug. 19. “An experienced communications and public affairs leader, Dessureault also has a deep understanding of corporate strategy and ESG [environmental, social and governance principles] within the financial sector.”
Formerly head of communications and public affairs for commercial banking at HSBC Canada, Dessureault led change communications and government relations strategy for key initiatives across international markets. He positioned the bank as a leader in the net-zero space and in this role, he will be accountable for building on Aviva Canada’s reputational and brand strategies.
Garrad welcomed the two leaders and said, “their expertise will be key in driving the focus, accountability and agility to execute and deliver our priorities for our customers, brokers and partners.”
In late July, the insurer announced two well-known former P&C industry execs — T. Neil Morrison and Carol Jardine — joined Aviva Canada’s board as non-executive directors.
Morrison has more than 38 years of experience in the Canadian insurance industry, most recently as managing partner and chairman of the brokerage Platform Insurance Management Inc.
Jardine also has extensive Canadian insurance experience, most recently as the former president of Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company’s Canadian P&C operations.
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