Norwich Union boss Richard Harvey is to stand down as group chief executive of parent company, Aviva, in July.

Norwich Union boss Richard Harvey is to stand down as group chief executive of parent company, Aviva, in July.

He was responsible for the flotation of Norwich Union ten years ago and will leave this summer at the age of 56.

Mr Harvey, who became chief executive of Norwich Union in 1998, which then merged with CGU in May 2000. Now, Aviva is the world's fifth biggest insurance group and Britain's largest.

He will be succeeded by Andrew Moss, today's statement to the London Stock Exchange confirms.

Aviva's chairman Lord Sharman of Redlynch said Mr Harvey had previously indicated that he would not stay with the group until the normal retiring age of 60. "Richard Harvey is a class act by anyone's standards. His professionalism, skill, and foresight have made a lasting, positive contribution not only to Aviva but to the international insurance industry.”

Originally, Mr Harvey joined the group in 1992 as chief executive of Norwich Union's New Zealand interests.

Aviva has also announced that Mr Moss, currently Aviva's group finance director, will succeed Richard following his retirement as group chief executive. Philip Scott, currently executive director, Aviva International, will become group finance director and Patrick Snowball, appointed executive director, Aviva UK, in January last year, will continue to be responsible for Norwich Union, RAC and Aviva's offshore services.

Mr Harvey said earlier today: “I am proud of having helped to create in Aviva a business that has scale, presence and identity in more than 25 markets across the world. Aviva is now one of the outright leaders in the global insurance industry with an increasingly powerful brand that is instantly recognisable and highly differentiated in international markets. With almost 10 years as a CEO under my belt, there are other dimensions to my life and other things I want to achieve in both international charity work and the business world."