Former AIA chief Mark Wilson to take helm of Aviva

Mark Wilson, a former CEO of Asian life insurance giant AIA Group Ltd. who has also held executive roles at AXA Group in east Asia, will become CEO of London-based Aviva PLC on Jan. 1.

Wilson, who is from New Zealand originally, will join Aviva’s board of directors Dec. 1, the firm stated in a press release Tuesday.

Chairman John McFarlane has been acting in an executive capacity since Andrew Moss left the company as CEO earlier this year.

“His appointment follows a comprehensive global search process which produced a shortlist of exceptional internal and external candidates,” McFarlane stated in a press release of Wilson.

When Wilson takes over as CEO Jan. 1, McFarlane will become non-executive chairman.

Aviva operates in 21 countries and Canada is its second-largest general insurance market. In Canada, Aviva’s products include home, auto, commercial, liability and surety.

Wilson, 46, was CEO of AIA until 2010. From 2001 until 2003 he was CEO of AXA Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd. and then CEO of AXA China Region Ltd. from 2003 until 2006, the year he joined AIA. He has 25 years’ experience in insurance. After he left AIA he was involved with private equity firms including Blackstone, according to Aviva.