Aviva

John McFarlane, former chief executive of the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ), is to become the new chairman of Aviva.

With 2010 proving a difficult year for equity income, the first quarter of 2011 has provided some hope for the sector, writes Peter Brunt, analyst at S&P Fund Services.

Aviva has appointed Trevor Matthews as CEO of its UK region and as an executive director of Aviva.

Aviva Investors is launching a US Equity Income fund on 1 July, managed by wholly-owned US equity subsidiary River Road Asset Management.

Aviva Investors has confirmed its long-standing plans to bring the group's £1.3bn multi-manager mandates in-house.

Punch Taverns' bondholders are seeking to halt the ailing firm from selling pubs in its estate and instead arrange a debt for equity swap.

Henderson's Trevor Green has joined Aviva Investors' UK equity desk, replacing Mervyn Douglas.

Aviva has boosted its UK profits by 21%, led by higher sales in the life and pensions business.

Aviva Investors, the insurer's global asset management business, has been granted permission to offer fund running services to the Singaporean market.

Aviva Investors has received shareholder approval to merge the assets of the International Property fund, formerly Henderson International Property, into the Aviva Investors European Property and the Asia Pacific Property funds.