Media Centre

Morley has boosted its Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SRI) capabilities with the appointment of Jason Josefs as head of research.

Jason will manage the team of analysts responsible for the research aspect of Morley's SRI portfolios. He will report to Peter Michaelis, head of SRI.

Morley's head of SRI, Peter Michaelis said: "We are extremely pleased to welcome Jason to the team, which now manages £1.3 billion in assets for our clients (as at 30 April, 2007).

"Our team has a well established reputation in SRI and we have built great momentum over the past year. Jason's experience and expertise will contribute to the team's continued strong performance."

Jason joins Morley from Bernstein Value Equities, a unit of AllianceBernstein, where he was a portfolio manager. Prior to that, Jason was a quantitative research analyst with Instinet, where he worked in their New York office and launched their European Investment Strategy Group in London.

Jason started his career as an analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He earned a BA in Economics from Queens College of the City University of New York, an MSc in Finance from London Business School and is a CFA charter holder.

For the third year running, Morley, one of Europe's largest active fund managers, has been ranked the "No 1 Fund Manager for its understanding of SRI issues" in the Thomson Extel SRI Survey 2007. The team aims to deliver top performing funds while incorporating an understanding of social, environmental and corporate governance issues into the way it manages money.

-ends-

For more information contact:
Fiona Hill - Corporate Communications
Telephone: 020 7809 6296

Notes to editors:

Morley
Morley is the UK-based asset management business of Aviva plc. Firms within the Morley group of companies manage £168bn (€250bn) from offices around the world as at 30 June 2007.  

Morley manages both institutional and retail funds. It also acts as investment manager for a range of retail investment funds, marketed in the UK under the Norwich Union brand and in Europe under the Morley name. The property team manages in excess of £32bn (€48bn) of UK and European property assets.

Awards

• Morley ranks no 1 fund manager in the Thomson Extel SRI Survey, 2007
• Property Manager of the Year, UK Pensions Awards 2007
• Morley's G7 Fund awarded Fixed Income Hedge Fund of the Year, Eurohedge Awards 2007
• Equity End User of the Year - Derivatives Week DEAL Awards 2006
• Property Fund Manager of the Year, Pensions Management Awards 2006
• Best Commitment to Raising Standards of Trustee Education, Engaged Investor Awards 2006
• Property Fund Manager of the Year, Property Week Awards 2006
• SRI Provider of the Year, Global Pensions 2006
• Central European Property Awards 2005 - Outstanding Company of the Year & Investor of the Year
• UK Pensions Awards 2005 - Property Manager of the Year
• Property Week Awards 2004 - Best Property Fund Manager

With more than 90 investment professionals, Morley's Property team manages a range of funds on behalf of institutional, pension and retail clients. Morley has been at the forefront of innovation in property fund management and has launched fourteen specialist sector based funds with partners, including: Igloo Regeneration Fund, Quercus Healthcare Property, The Junction and The Mall. Further information about Morley can be found at http://www.morleyfm.com/

Aviva

• Aviva is the leading provider of life and pensions to Europe with substantial positions in other markets around the world, making it the world's fifth largest insurance group based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2006.
• Aviva's principal business activities are long-term savings, fund management and general insurance, with worldwide total sales of £41.5 billion and assets under management of £364 billion at 31 December 2006.
• The Aviva media centre at www.aviva.com/media includes images, company and product information and a news release archive.