Aviva has appointed Michele Golunska as managing director of wealth and advice.
Golunska will be in charge of the workplace business, legacy customer solutions, intermediary platform business of Aviva, as well as the advising businesses of Aviva, which includes succession wealth, Aviva financial advisers, and Sesame Bankhall Group.
Following Golunska’s appointment, Ross Liston, managing director of distribution for Sesame Bankhall Group, will serve as acting CEO while the wealth managing director at Aviva, Rob Barker, is leaving to pursue other opportunities.
Additionally, Aviva is hiring a managing director of direct wealth to expand its direct businesses, which include Wealthify and its direct-to-customer platform company. This will strengthen Aviva’s capacity to provide consumers with solutions, whether they prefer to seek financial advice or work directly with the company. The team will be under the interim direction of Sarah Layden, interim direct wealth director.
Golunska says: “This is a great opportunity to build on Aviva’s strengths in the wealth and advice markets. I am committed to strengthening the relationships we have with the advice community including James Stevenson and his team at Succession Wealth. I am a passionate believer in the importance of providing high-quality advice to customers to help improve their financial wellbeing.”
Aviva UK & Ireland Life CEO Doug Brown says: “I am delighted to announce Michele Golunska as our MD of wealth and advice. Michele has considerable experience in the wealth market, most recently in her current role as CEO of Sesame Bankhall Group.
“Aviva is a major player in the IFA and workplace markets, and we are also significantly expanding our advice capability to ensure that we can offer much-needed financial advice to more customers. Michele has a key role to play in delivering our ambitious plans for these areas and I am delighted to welcome her to my team.”
Brown adds: “We thank Rob for his considerable contribution over the last eight years during which time he has led Aviva’s Wealth business, the Health and Protection businesses, as well as heading up UK Strategic Partnerships, Distribution and Propositions.”
