David Barral, the former chief executive of Aviva UK and Ireland, has died in a car accident near Leeds at the age of 63. Barral was driving his Aston Martin DBX when it collided with a tree and caught fire on the A58 Leeds Road. Despite the efforts of emergency crews, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The news of his death has been met with an outpouring of tributes from the financial services industry, where he was widely respected and admired.
Barral began his insurance career at Norwich Union in 1999, before the company rebranded as Aviva. He rose through the ranks and was appointed chief executive of Aviva UK & Ireland in 2011, a role he held until 2015. During his career, he held several senior positions across the financial services and investment sectors, and was working as a strategic adviser at Harwood Capital at the time of his death.
Those who knew Barral have described him as a personable and forward-thinking leader who combined strong business discipline with a genuine interest in people. He was remembered as a “superstar manager” and a “genuinely inspirational and likeable family man” who will be deeply missed by all who knew him. Aviva confirmed his death in a statement, saying: “We are very sad to hear of the death of David Barral, a much-valued former colleague and leader at Aviva. Our deepest condolences and prayers go to David’s family at this time.”
Nucleus Financial Services and others from across the industry have also paid tribute to Barral, sharing their memories and condolences. Duncan R Glassey, a partner at AAB Wealth, said that Barral was his first boss in financial services and had a profound impact on his life and career. Derek McCulloch described Barral as a “tragic loss” and said that he will be missed by all who knew him. Barral’s family has described his death as “a devastating loss”, and the industry will undoubtedly feel his absence in the days and weeks to come.