The Opportunity
The SVP, Enterprise Risk Management is a key member of the Aviva Canada Senior Risk Leadership Team, responsible for providing enterprise-wide leadership across risk business partnering, quantitative risk, insurance and financial risk, capital, model risk, and risk analytics. The role supports the effective performance of Aviva Canada by overseeing the implementation of the Risk Management Framework, providing independent oversight and challenge to the first line, and ensuring the organization operates within its Board-approved risk appetite.
Working closely with the Chief Risk Officer, Executive Committee, and business leaders, the SVP delivers commercially focused risk insight and independent challenge on strategic and business decisions. The role acts as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, ensuring robust governance, effective risk management, and a strong risk culture that support Aviva Canada's strategic objectives, regulatory obligations, and long-term resilience.
What you'll do
In this role, you will be accountable for the following key areas:
Enterprise Risk Leadership and Strategy
• Partner with the ACAN CRO to shape and execute Aviva Canada's risk strategy and ensure the effective operation of the Risk Management Framework.
• Provide independent, commercially focused risk insight and challenge to support strategic decision-making, growth objectives, and long-term value creation.
• Ensure the organization operates within Board-approved risk appetite and maintains effective risk governance, oversight, and risk culture.
• Support Executive Committee, Board Risk Committee, and ACAN Board reporting on key risk exposures, emerging risks, and risk management effectiveness.
Risk Oversight and Independent Challenge
• Lead independent oversight of Aviva Canada's aggregate risk profile, including insurance, financial, capital, model, technology, data, change, and operational risks.
• Provide effective review and challenge of business plans, capital deployment decisions, reinsurance strategies, material transactions, product development, pricing, and other significant business initiatives.
• Monitor emerging risks and material changes in risk exposure, ensuring appropriate mitigation strategies are identified and executed.
• Escalate significant risk issues and risk appetite breaches, providing clear recommendations for remediation and management action.
Quantitative, Capital and Model Risk Management
• Provide enterprise leadership for insurance risk, financial risk, capital risk, risk modelling and risk analytics.
• Accountable for overseeing Internal Model Independent Validation (IMIV) and material model governance across Aviva Canada.
• Oversee independent validation activities and provide challenge on capital adequacy, economic capital, liquidity, financial resilience, and risk-return optimization.
• Drive the evolution of quantitative risk capabilities and risk analytics to enhance business decision making and risk insights.
Business Partnering and Stakeholder Management
• Lead the Risk Business Partnering team, ensuring Risk is a trusted advisor and constructive challenger to business leaders across Aviva Canada.
• Build strong relationships with EC, regulators, Board members, Group Risk teams, and external stakeholders
• Represent Risk on key governance committees, industry forums, and global initiatives, promoting effective risk management practices and influencing outcomes.
• Foster a culture of transparency, collaboration, and proactive risk management across the organization.
People Leadership and Functional Excellence
• Lead and develop a high-performing team across Risk Business Partnering and Quantitative Risk.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and accountability for delivery of high-quality risk outcomes.
• Build organizational capability in risk management, business partnering, analytics, and technical risk disciplines.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, talent development, and succession planning while ensuring Risk operates as a cohesive and high-performing function.
What you'll bring
• Bachelor’s degree and relevant professional designation (e.g., FCAS, FCIA, FSA, CRM) or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 15+ years of progressive risk leadership experience within the insurance and/or broader financial services industry.
• Deep expertise in Enterprise Risk Management, including risk governance, risk appetite, risk culture, ORSA, stress testing, capital management, and regulatory compliance.
• Strong understanding of insurance risks, including underwriting, pricing, claims, reserving, reinsurance, investments, and emerging risks.
• Experience engaging with Boards, Board Risk Committees, and regulators (OSFI and/or equivalent regulatory bodies).
• Proven ability to develop and execute risk strategies that support business objectives, customer outcomes, and sustainable growth.
• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build high-performing teams and influence executives, regulators, and cross-functional partners.
• Strong strategic, analytical, and communication capabilities, including the ability to translate complex risk, actuarial, and financial information into clear business insights and drive organizational change.
What you'll get
• Competitive executive compensation package, including annual incentive opportunities.
• Comprehensive pension and retirement savings programs.
• Flexible hybrid work model.
• Industry-leading health and wellness benefits.
• Professional development and executive leadership growth opportunities.
• Inclusive employee resource groups and diversity initiatives.
• Volunteer opportunities and community impact programs.
• Competitive vacation and wellness offerings.
This job advertisement is for an existing vacancy which has been posted both internally & externally.
Aviva Canada may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools to assist us throughout the recruitment process to screen, assess or select applicants for a position to screen, assess or select applicants for a position.
