Aviva has been making tangible progress in its reinvention under the leadership of Amanda Blanc, the former Axa and Zurich executive who has been in charge for eight months.
A raft of disposals, including in France and Turkey this week, is not only simplifying the blue-chip insurer but is also bringing in plenty of cash. Once debts have been brought down, shareholders should be able to look forward to a plentiful capital return in the form of a stock buyback or a special dividend, probably next year. Some might feel that it couldn’t come soon enough; last year’s payout was cut by a third and the final dividend for 2019 was skipped because of Covid-19.
Still, since Blanc, 53, became chief executive in July
