Aviva insisted yesterday that it had made a "solid start" to the year, despite the investor fury surrounding the now departed chief executive Andrew Moss. He stepped down last week, recognising that shareholder unhappiness at his pay and the company performance made it difficult for him to continue.

Last week, Andrew Moss was giving up his pay rise. This week it's his job. The so-called "Shareholder Spring" has claimed its first scalp. Scalp, perhaps, but Mr Moss is no victim. Aviva's now former chief executive will depart with a severance package of £1.75m, despite having presided over a fall in share price of around 60 per cent.

The shareholder revolt sweeping through the City claimed its biggest scalp yesterday when Andrew Moss abruptly quit as the boss of giant insurer Aviva, a move cushioned by a pay-off of £1.75m.

Andrew Moss quits insurance giant to join ex-AstraZeneca and Trinity Mirror chiefs

Outlook Talking of shareholder revolts, William Hill, became the latest victim yesterday.

Outlook Last week, Andrew Moss was giving up his pay rise. This week it's his job. The so-called "Shareholder Spring" has claimed its first scalp. Scalp, perhaps, but Mr Moss is no victim. Aviva's now former chief executive will depart with a severance package of £1.75m despite having presided over a share price fall of around 60 per cent.

The UK's largest bookmaker William Hill signalled today that its boss will still get a £1.2 million pay-to-stay bonus, despite a major rebuke from shareholders.

Nearly 60 per cent of Aviva shareholders refuse to back boardroom pay deals. Sly Bailey ousted at Trinity Mirror. Big backers revolt at Inmarsat. Bonus row erupts at Premier Foods

It was there in black and pink on the front page of the Financial Times. Front page of the FT! Aviva chief Andrew Moss is "swept up in a pay storm," said the august journal of record... "but a bigger question is whether the company needs a new chief executive". And then this line attributed to a top 10 shareholder: "No one supports Moss."

Outlook It was there in black and pink on the front page of the Financial Times. Front page of the FT! Aviva chief Andrew Moss is "swept up in a pay storm" said the august journal of record... "but a bigger question is whether the company needs a new chief executive". And then this line attributed to a top ten shareholder: "No one supports Moss."

Faced with the very real possibility of a Barclays-style blow-up at its AGM on Thursday, Aviva's chief executive, Andrew Moss, has taken the prudent course and declined an inflation-busting pay rise of nearly 5 per cent. Perhaps he, at least, sees the problem: notwithstanding the continuing questions about strategy (critics claim it doesn't have one), the shares have fallen off a cliff over the past couple of months.

This sets a terrible example to the firms in which Aviva’s fund management arm invests

The boss of insurer Aviva bowed to shareholder pressure today and waived a near-5 per cent pay rise which would have taken his annual salary over the £1 million mark.