Aviva former brand chief moves to HSBC insurance division

Raj Kumar has been appointed the customer and marketing head for HSBC Life, topping off a year which saw him leading the rebrand of Silicon Valley Bank UK (SVB UK).

Raj is responsible for bringing the brand’s health and wealth propositions to customers around the world.

He joined the team at SVB UK in November 2022, which was acquired by HSBC for £1 the following March after its parent company went bust.

He then led the firm’s rebrand to HSBC Innovation Banking, as it sought to combine the strengths of the two brands.

Previously, Raj worked at Aviva for nine years, where he was responsible for rebranding around the company’s new purpose and business strategy.

Reflecting on the two rebrands, he gave three key learnings, with the first being to do research and be clear on objectives. He also noted that the success of a brand strategy is dependent on how it lands both internally and externally, as well as noting the importance of the right team.

Prior to moving into financial services, Raj also worked at Nokia and Siemens.