'We're not new, we're renewed': Aviva Investors' CEO sets his sights on institutional, insurance channels

After two decades at Franklin Templeton, the last seven as president and CEO of the Canadian business, Duane Green knew that it was time for change.

Having turned 50 and having held several roles with the firm, Green reached a turning point. Fueled by drive and ambition, the question was: what big challenge should come next?

“I had 20 years with the firm,” he said of his tenure at Franklin Templeton. “But I knew I had a long runway and a lot of energy left. So, I was just trying to figure out what I wanted that next challenge to be.”

Green didn’t rush the process. He took nearly a year to step back, reassess, and focus on personal and professional development. That included completing the International Directors Programme at INSEAD - a non-profit business school - and accepting nearly every meeting and networking opportunity that came his way. He acknowledged those conversations not only broadened his perspective on the asset management industry but also doubled his professional network.

What emerged from that reflection was a clear understanding of what drives him: building and leading high-performing teams within the asset management space. He was drawn to the idea of contributing to a firm’s growth strategy from the ground up - especially in a market like Canada, where he still sees substantial opportunity for development and leadership.

“You can step back and look at the industry holistically, realizing that you don’t know what you thought you knew a lot about,” admitted Green.

Now ten months into his mandate, his new role as CEO of the Americas at Aviva Investors is part of a broader reorganization at the firm. Green explained they split its global operations into three regions - APAC, EMEA, and the Americas - as part of a strategic shift to accelerate growth outside of its traditional UK stronghold. Green now oversees a vast and largely untapped region that includes North, Central, and South America, as well as US offshore and the offshore insurance markets like Bermuda, Barbados and the Cayman Islands.

With no legacy issues to manage or inherited revenue models to adjust, Green has been given the freedom to build a business from the ground up. That includes expanding office space to accommodate a growing team, which he’s actively assembling. His ultimate goal is to make Aviva Investors a recognizable and respected name across the country.

To that end, while Green acknowledges that Aviva Investors has had a long-standing presence in Canada through its partnership and relationship with Aviva Canada, the asset manager has largely remained under the radar.

“We’ve been in Canada longer than I probably want to even reference,” he said, describing the business as a “little gold mine that we haven’t really exploited yet.”

Until recently, the firm’s focus was largely internal, managing Aviva Canada's balance sheet, but that’s now shifting. Green is working to bring Aviva’s investment capabilities to a broader set of clients across Canada. The strategy, he noted, is less about launching something new and more about reintroducing the business with greater visibility.

“We’re not brand new. I’d say we’re not new, we’re renewed,” he added.

While Aviva Investors is rooted in the UK, with strong infrastructure in London and a heavy emphasis on European private markets, it’s starting to globalize key capabilities.

Green sees an opening in the Canadian institutional space for exactly that kind of exposure. Most local investors already have significant allocations to domestic and US real estate, he said, which creates space for differentiated strategies like European infrastructure, real estate, private credit and venture capital.

Rather than trying to displace core allocations, Green is positioning Aviva as a complementary offering, noting that Canadian plans are beginning to ask how they can diversify their portfolios beyond North America. That’s where he believes Aviva’s strength in pan-European private markets comes into play.

Aviva’s approach also appeals to institutions seeking more than just pooled funds. The firm encourages direct investments and co-investment structures, and Green noted there’s already growing demand from Canadian investors to participate alongside Aviva in specific deals.

From his perspective, Aviva’s blend of public and private market capabilities - anchored by its expertise in fixed income and managing insurance assets - positions the firm well for broader distribution. And with sustainability deeply embedded in its investment philosophy, Green sees a chance to bring differentiated offerings to a Canadian market that’s increasingly open to alternative strategies.

Green believes the mandate is already evolving. The region's strategic importance is growing, the team is expanding, and market conversations are ramping up. For Green, the role checks every box he was looking for: a leadership position with the freedom to build, an incredibly strong cultural fit, and a platform with global capabilities that are still relatively unknown in the Americas.

But as Green suggests, he doesn’t want to just expand AUM; he also wants to forge meaningful, long-term relationships with clients. He sees partnership as the core of the firm’s strategy in the Americas, though he acknowledges it’s a word that's often overused in the industry.

“I know that term is bantered around probably too liberally… but for me, it really is, how can we create a long-term relationship with a pension plan or insurance company?”

Green views Aviva’s role not just as a provider of investment solutions, but as a collaborator and thought partner, one that institutions can turn to for insights as well as products. He’s focused on increasing awareness of Aviva’s capabilities and broadening the conversations the firm is having with clients. The idea is that if those relationships are built properly, growth in AUM and product adoption will follow naturally.

He strongly believes consultants, platforms, and gatekeepers matter and building those relationships will be key.

“I’m very relationship-driven and not transactional. Relationships take time. But people will default to who they know and who they like,” said Green, underscoring that shaping the culture at Aviva means rallying the team around purpose, not hierarchy.

“I’m a big believer in surrounding yourself with the best people, and as a result, the best ideas are going to come out of it,” he added. “We’re probably the best resourced with the best balance sheet of any startup you’re going to find.”