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History
Aviva can trace its heritage back over 300 years.
The group was formed as CGNU in 2000 following the merger of
CGU and Norwich Union. CGU was itself the result of an earlier
merger, between Commercial Union and General Accident in 1998.
Key dates in the company history are as follows:
1696
The Hand-in-Hand was formed at Tom's coffee house, in London. It
is the oldest of the many companies that have been absorbed into
what is now Aviva.
1797
Norwich Union was founded as a mutual fire insurance society by
Thomas Bignold in Norwich, Norfolk.
1808
A particularly severe winter involving widespread suffering and loss
of life prompted Thomas Bignold to establish the Norwich Union Life
Insurance Society, again on the mutual principle.
1816
The first Norwich Union office opened in Ireland.
1824
Norwich Union's first overseas agency was opened, in Portugal.
Eventually the Norwich Union name spread across mainland Europe
to the Middle East, Africa, India, the Far East, Australia, New
Zealand, the United States, Canada and South America.
1861
Commercial Union was formed by a group of merchants in protest
at the action of existing insurance companies, who raised premiums
following a two-day fire in a London hemp warehouse. By
December, the company had an agency in Germany.
1862
Commercial Union established a life insurance business.
1863
Commercial Union continued its overseas expansion and within two
years had agencies in India, South Africa, the Caribbean.
1866
Norwich Union acquired the Amicable Society, established in 1706
and the world's oldest mutual life office.
1869
Commercial Union appointed its first American agent in
San Francisco to conduct fire insurance business.
1877
Commercial Union established its first Australian agency. Norwich
Cathedral first appeared as a Norwich Union company trademark,
and the spire was an inspiration for part of the current Aviva logo.
1885
General Accident was founded in Perth, Scotland, by a group of
local businessmen. Commercial Union was registered as a limited
company.
1902
General Accident moved into Asia by appointing agents in India. By
the outbreak of the Second World War it was also represented in
France, Belgium, Holland, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, China,
Japan, Hong Kong, the USA, Canada and Argentina.
1906
General Accident started a life business.
1957
Norwich Union opened a life business in Australia.
1973
Commercial Union acquired Dutch insurer Delta Lloyd.
1990
Norwich Union acquired Plus Ultra in Spain.
1994
Commercial Union acquired French asset manager Groupe Victoire.
1997
In the year of its bicentenary, Norwich Union demutualised and
floated as a public limited company.
1998
Commercial Union and General Accident merged to form CGU,
Norwich Union acquires UK general insurer London & Edinburgh.
1999
Morley Fund Management launched as CGU's London-based asset
management division. Delta Lloyd confirms its merger with Dutch
insurer Nuts Ohra. CGU acquired the Hibernian Group in Ireland.
2000
CGU and Norwich Union merged to create CGNU.
2001
CGNU completed the sale of its US general insurance business.
2002
CGNU renamed as Aviva and sells general insurance businesses
in Portugal, Spain, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand and
CGU Courtage in France.
2004
Aviva sells its general insurance businesses in Asia, its Your Move
estate agency and e.surv surveying businesses in the UK. It also
acquires HPI Group Holdings Ltd, the UK’s leading provider of
vehicle status checks for used-car purchasers, and closes UK broker
subsidiary Hill House Hammond.
2005
Aviva brings together Norwich Union Insurance and RAC in the UK for about £1.1 billion. Aviva
appoints new chairman. In Ireland, Hibernian enters a bancassurance joint venture with AIB.
2006
Aviva announces changes to group organisation to create Aviva UK and Aviva International.
Aviva partners with Centurion Bank of Punjab in India and announces an acquistion and bancassurance
deal in Sri Lanka. Aviva receives a licence in Russia and acquires AmerUs in the US.