Aviva Investors has appointed Pat O’Brien as CEO of Aviva Investors North America, effective 7 September 2010.

As CEO, O'Brien will have overall responsibility for Aviva Investors operations in the United States and Canada, reporting to Chief Executive Alain Dromer, and will join the Aviva Investors global Executive Committee. He will be based in Chicago, Illinois.

Since 2000 O'Brien worked for Evergreen Investment Management, the asset management subsidiary of the Wachovia Corporation, initially as President, Institutional Asset Management and between 2008 and 2009 as Head of International for Wachovia Global Asset Management. Prior to joining Evergreen, he spent eight years at Banc One Investment Advisors Corporation, initially as Managing Director and, from 1995 to 2000, as Senior Managing Director. O'Brien's early career saw him undertake a number of investment-related roles in a range of regional US financial services institutions.

Aviva Investors Chief Executive, Alain Dromer said: “Pat brings a deep knowledge of the US market and the practical experience required to drive our ambitions in the North American region. His success in developing institutional businesses in firms with large internal client bases is particularly relevant in helping Aviva Investors to deliver on its strategy to grow institutional assets under management. Pat will also have an important role as the primary local contact between Aviva Investors and our colleagues from the Aviva life and general insurance business in North America and, notably in this context, his strong understanding of fixed income investment, an asset class at the heart of our own business, will be particularly valuable.”

O’Brien said: “I am excited to be joining Aviva Investors and look forward to working with my new colleagues to leverage the deep resources of the firm to deliver superior investment solutions and exceptional service to our clients."