If It’s Not Right, Leave | Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc

At one of the highest points in her career, Amanda Blanc made a decision most executives would avoid — she walked away. In this episode of Executive Decisions, the Aviva Group CEO reflects on leaving a senior role with no safety net, the judgment required to know when something isn’t right and how that instinct shaped the decisions she’s made since. From leading Aviva through a major turnaround to publicly calling out sexism at the top of the industry, Blanc explains how decisive action — not consensus — defines leadership under pressure. Subscribe to "Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick" wherever you get your podcasts. CHAPTERS: 1:24 From Rhondda Valley to Business: Amanda Blanc's Formative Years 5:10 The Big Leap: Amanda Blanc's First Career Move to Commercial Union 8:14 Confronting Sexism: Navigating a Male-Dominated Finance Industry 11:43 From Bad Decisions to Purpose: Why Insurance Matters to Amanda Blanc 15:02 Why Amanda Blanc Left Zurich: A Mismatch of Culture and Authority 18:50 The Partnership: Navigating Family Career Decisions 23:37 Taking the Helm: Leading Aviva Through Crisis and Major Turnaround 27:42 Publicly Challenging Sexism: The Viral LinkedIn Post 33:25 Driving Aviva's Success: Direct Line Acquisition and Culture of Performance #CNBC #CNBCPodcast #ExecutiveDecisions ----- Subscribe: @cnbci CNBC International Live: @cnbcinternationalive LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/cnbc-international/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cnbci Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnbcinternational Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnbcinternational/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@cnbcinternational X: https://twitter.com/CNBCi Telegram: https://t.me/cnbci WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/CNBCiWhatsApp