Profile: Aviva's capital planning after Friends Life takeover

Aviva’s purchase of Friends Life promises as much as half-a-billion pounds in capital savings. Capital management director Marcus Bowser’s job is to make sure they happen. Insurance Risk asks how he plans to do it

In evolutionary terms, Aviva is hoping its acquisition of Friends Life turns out to be like the development of opposable thumbs in human ancestors – a change that might look strange at first but makes possible a leap into the future.

It was thumbs that made early hominids use their hands, and so stand and walk on two legs. In turn, greater dexterity encouraged advances in brain development. Aviva will be hoping for a similarly transformational outcome from its acquisition, even if the deal