Aviva shareholders have been warned about being disrespectful after last year’s annual general meeting sparked a sexism row over comments made to chief executive Amanda Blanc.
Chairman George Culmer said ‘unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated’ at the meeting on May 4 in Norwich.
Last May one investor complained that Blanc was not ‘the man for the job’. Another congratulated the insurer on its board’s diversity by saying women were ‘so good at basic housekeeping activities’.
Sexist abuse: At last May’s AGM one Aviva investor complained that chief exec Amanda Blanc (pictured) was not ‘the man for the job’
At the time, Culmer said he was ‘flabbergasted’ by the question-and-answer session. Blanc, 55, became the first woman to lead a major British insurer when appointed in 2020.
She began to streamline Aviva at pace by selling off a swathe of foreign units.
But one of the shareholders, Michael Mason-Mahon, mentioned her predecessors and questioned whether Blanc should be ‘wearing trousers’.
He later denied his remarks were sexist.
