Aviva has appointed Emma Stewart as Chief Underwriting Officer for its Personal Lines business, effective December 1, 2026, as the insurer continues to strengthen its leadership team following the integration of Direct Line Group.
Stewart joins Aviva from Lloyd's, where she served as Chief Actuary, bringing more than 16 years of experience in the general insurance sector.
Joining from Lloyd's
During her decade at Lloyd's, Stewart held a number of senior leadership positions and led regulatory and strategic transformation initiatives across the organisation.
Prior to joining Lloyd's, she specialised in personal lines pricing and reserving.
In her new role, Stewart will lead Aviva's Personal Lines Underwriting function and become a member of the Personal Lines Executive Committee.
Matt Fothergill, who has led the underwriting function on an interim basis over the past year, will remain in the role until Stewart takes up her position. Aviva said further details regarding his future role will be announced in due course.
Executive comments
Owen Morris, Chief Executive of UK Personal Lines at Aviva, welcomed Stewart's appointment.
"Emma's deep technical expertise, proven leadership and extensive industry experience will be a real asset to Aviva."
He added that Stewart's experience leading major regulatory and business transformation initiatives would bring valuable expertise to the business.
Morris also thanked Matt Fothergill for his contribution over the past year, recognising his role in supporting the integration of the underwriting function and positioning the business for future success.
Leadership during Direct Line integration
Stewart joins Aviva as its Personal Lines business continues to integrate Direct Line Group, which the insurer acquired on July 1, 2025.
During the first quarter of 2026, Aviva reported UK & Ireland general insurance premiums of £2.5 billion, a 26%increase year-on-year. Personal Lines premiums rose 59%, driven by the Direct Line acquisition and continued growth through intermediary distribution.
The insurer also reported an undiscounted combined operating ratio of 94.1% for its UK & Ireland business and said policies sold through price comparison websites had nearly doubled since the beginning of the year as integration progressed.
Challenging underwriting environment
Stewart takes on the role as UK personal lines insurers continue to navigate rising claims costs across both motor and home insurance.
The Financial Conduct Authority's Motor Insurance Taskforce concluded in late 2025 that recent premium increases were primarily driven by higher claims costs rather than insurer profitability, recommending greater claims efficiency across the market.
Meanwhile, continued claims inflation, increasing vehicle repair costs and more frequent severe weather events have placed additional pressure on underwriting performance across the sector.
Against this backdrop, Aviva's appointment of a senior actuarial and regulatory leader reflects its continued focus on underwriting discipline as it integrates the enlarged Personal Lines portfolio and responds to evolving market conditions.
