Aviva Canada announces executive appointments

Aviva Canada’s interim chief financial officer, Karan Kak, has been appointed CFO, the insurer announced Tuesday.

In another executive appointment, current chief audit officer Dan Cuffari will assume the role of chief risk officer, Aviva Canada says in a second press release.

Both appointments are effective Oct. 21.

Kak has been serving as interim CFO since June 2025. With more than 17 years of experience in the Canadian property and casualty industry, Kak “brings deep expertise and a strong track record of impact,” Aviva Canada says. Since joining the company in 2018, he’s led finance teams across commercial and personal lines and overseen critical functions like financial reporting, reinsurance, analytics and capital management.

Kak also played a key role in the acquisition of Optiom, Aviva Canada adds in the release.

Canadian Underwriter reported on the acquisition of Optiom O2 Holdings Inc., a managing general agent that specializes in vehicle replacement insurance in Canada, in November 2023. Aviva Canada was an underwriting capacity provider to Optiom, which provides total loss coverage for new, used and leased vehicles.

New chief risk officer

For his part, Cuffari has been with Aviva for 13 years.

“He has deep expertise in governance, audit, and risk oversight, having worked across multiple areas of the business,” the insurer says. “His leadership and familiarity with Aviva’s risk landscape will ensure continuity and confidence as Aviva moves forward.”

Steve Teskey, AVP of internal audit, will step in as Aviva Canada’s interim chief audit officer, reporting to Aviva Group.

“These changes are part of building a leadership team that’s aligned to Aviva Canada’s long-term strategy, focused on clarity, accountability, and delivering exceptional outcomes for our customers, brokers and partners,” the insurer says.

Jason Contant

Jason has been an award-winning journalist with Canadian Underwriter for more than a decade, including the past three years as associate editor and, before that, as digital editor for seven years.