Garthwaite named risk chief at Aegon

AEGON UK, the Edinburgh-based life and pensions company, has appointed Charles Garthwaite as chief risk officer.

He will report directly to UK chief executive Otto Thoresen and will be responsible for leading and developing risk strategy.

He succeeds Mark Laidlaw who has been promoted to a new global role at company headquarters in the Hague where he will deal with new solvency regulations being brought in by the European Union.

Garthwaite, who joins Aegon this week, was group risk and compliance director for Resolution from 2003 until it was acquired by Pearl Group in 2008.

He brings substantial experience in risk and regulatory management as well as in the delivery of change programmes.

He has also held senior risk positions with a number of other companies.

Most recently he was the chief executive and founder of Assent Financial, a buy-out and restructuring vehicle targeting the mutual insurer and friendly society sector.

He said: "Effective risk management is now more important than ever for life insurers. "