​Aviva Investors hires former Lyxor head as French CEO

Inés de Dinechin has been named chief executive of Aviva Investors’ French business, succeeding Jean-François Boulier after seven years in the role.

De Dinechin has several decades experience in the financial industry, largely within Société Générale Group.

The French banking group owns Lyxor Asset Management, where de Dinechin spent two years from 2012 as chief executive and chair.

She has also served as a member of the Société Générale Investment Bank executive committee.

De Dinechin is to replace Boulier, who will stay with Aviva as a consultant to oversee the transition. She will report to Mark Connolly, CIO of liquid markets.

Euan Munro, chief executive of Aviva Investors, said he was “delighted” by her hire.

“France is a key region for our business, and I have every confidence Inés will help capitalise on the significant opportunity to grow assets by delivering best-in-class investment outcomes for all our clients,” he said. 

Munro has set his sights on Aviva Investors becoming a significant institutional player, outside of the manager’s captive insurance assets.

He told the current issue of IPE: “I’m not expecting third-party assets to [exceed] the captive assets in the foreseeable future, but, if you’re talking about profit contribution, then the third-party business could be a substantial part of that in the next 3-4 years.”

For more from Euan Munro, read IPE’s interview with the Aviva Investors chief executive