Aviva chief joins African Aids charity

The boss of the UK's biggest insurer will swap the boardroom for the villages of Kenya and Malawi when he quits his job next month.

It was revealed today that Richard Harvey, who is retiring from Norwich Union owner Aviva, will spend his year in Africa, working for the charity Concern Universal.

He and his wife, Kay, will work with the Hereford-based charity to raise awareness of Aids and HIV among rural communities in Kenya and Malawi, as well as working on water sanitation schemes.

Concern Universal, which has around 500 staff, helps more than 1.5 million people in the world's poorest countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

Mr Harvey, who announced plans to step down in January, said: "In the financial services industry we worry about people living longer and outliving their savings. In Malawi, life expectancy is estimated to be about 37 years and decreasing."

Mr Harvey became chief executive of Norwich Union in 1998. He oversaw its merger with CGU in 2000, which made the combined business, renamed Aviva, the UK's biggest insurer.

The Harveys have paid for their trip with a "generous" donation to Concern Universal, a spokeswoman for the charity said.

Mrs Harvey also has experience as a volunteer for community organisations in the UK and New Zealand and has just qualified to teach English as a foreign language.

Executive director Dr Ian Williams, said: "We're delighted that Richard and Kay have chosen us in a field where there are other more high-profile charities that they could have chosen."

Concern Universal was set up in 1976 and has a turnover of around £14m.

Mr Harvey said: "It was large enough for us to make a genuine contribution, but at the same time had the feel and personal approach of a smaller organisation that we were looking for."

Aviva finance director Andrew Moss will succeed 56-year-old Mr Harvey as chief executive on July 11.

In March, the company posted operating profits up 12% to £3.24bn for 2006, following strong contributions in both general and life insurance.

The company made a failed merger approach to Prudential last year but bolstered its international operation with US insurer AmerUS.