Aviva shareholders warned to be respectful after sexist brawl at AGM over comments to chief exec Amanda Blanc
Aviva shareholders have been warned of disrespect after last year’s annual general meeting sparked a sexist row over comments made to CEO Amanda Blanc.
Chairman George Culmer said at the May 4 meeting in Norwich that ‘unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated’.
Last May, an investor complained that Blanc was not “the man for the job.” Another congratulated the insurer on the board’s diversity, saying women were “so good at basic household chores.”
Sexist abuse: At last May’s AGM, an Aviva investor complained that chief exec Amanda Blanc (pictured) was not “the man for the job”
At the time, Culmer said he was “stunned” by the question-and-answer session. Blanc, 55, became the first woman to lead a major UK insurer when she was appointed in 2020.
She began streamlining Aviva at a rapid pace by selling a slew of foreign units.
But one of the shareholders, Michael Mason-Mahon, mentioned her predecessors and questioned whether Blanc should “wear pants.”
He later denied that his comments were sexist.