Senior Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management

Aviva; Markham; On-site; CAD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Aviva Canada seeks an accomplished SVP of Enterprise Risk Management to lead risk governance, analytics, and cross-functional risk partnering. You will drive the Risk Management Framework, provide independent challenge to the first line, and align risk strategy with Aviva Canada's strategic objectives.

A track record of influencing executives and regulators is essential. The role partners with the CRO and senior leaders to ensure resilient risk processes, strong risk culture, and sound strategic

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive risk leadership experience in insurance or financial services.
• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management; ability to influence executives, regulators, and cross-functional partners.
• Strong understanding of insurance risks including underwriting, pricing, claims, reserving, reinsurance, investments, and emerging risks.
• Deep expertise in Enterprise Risk Management, including governance, risk appetite, ORSA, stress testing, capital management, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience engaging with Boards, Board Risk Committees, and regulators (OSFI and/or equivalents).
• Strong strategic, analytical, and communication capabilities to translate risk/financial information into business insights.

Responsibilities

• Provide enterprise-wide leadership across risk, including risk governance, analytics, and risk business partnering.
• Oversee the Risk Management Framework implementation, and provide independent oversight and challenge to the first line.
• Partner with the CRO and senior leadership to shape risk strategy and ensure effective risk governance.
• Escalate significant risk issues with remediation recommendations to the Board and committees.
• Represent Risk on governance committees, regulators, and external forums to promote best practices.

Skills

Strategic risk leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory experience

Communication skills

People leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

FCAS/FCIA/FSA or equivalent designation

Job description

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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

Proven ability to develop and execute risk strategies that support business objectives, customer outcomes, and sustainable growth15+ years of progressive risk leadership experience within the insurance and/or broader financial services industryExceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build high-performing teams and influence executives, regulators, and cross-functional partnersBachelor’s degree and relevant professional designation (e.g., FCAS, FCIA, FSA, CRM) or equivalent combination of education and experienceStrong understanding of insurance risks, including underwriting, pricing, claims, reserving, reinsurance, investments, and emerging risksDeep expertise in Enterprise Risk Management, including risk governance, risk appetite, risk culture, ORSA, stress testing, capital management, and regulatory complianceExperience engaging with Boards, Board Risk Committees, and regulators (OSFI and/or equivalent regulatory bodies)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