I am Jonathan Keith, a Senior Manager in Aviva’s Group Transformation Office. However, the part of my work that perhaps says most about me sits outside my formal role: I’m the co-chair of Aviva’s Social Mobility Working Group. My connection to social mobility comes from lived experience. Earlier in my career, I often felt like an outsider. When I started my professional career I became conscious of the differences between my background and those of people around me, and I responded by trying to fit in. At times, that meant masking parts of myself and treating my story as something to be hidden rather than something that had shaped my resilience, perspective and ambition.
Joining Aviva had a profound effect on me. I encountered people who were willing to share their own experiences and a culture that gave me greater confidence to do the same. For the first time, I began to understand that the experiences I had regarded as disadvantages could help me connect with others, challenge accepted norms and contribute something valuable. I did not need to rewrite where I had come from to justify where I was going.
That realisation changed how I wanted to show up at work. I became involved in the Social Mobility Working Group 3.5 years ago because its purpose felt deeply familiar: creating a workplace where people do not feel they must disguise their starting point in life to be taken seriously. Over time, involvement became leadership. I stepped forward not because I had all the answers, but because I understood the power of being seen, of hearing somebody articulate an experience you thought was yours alone, and of having someone use their influence to open a door.
When I became Co-Chair, my initial focus was on setting the network up for long-term success. We defined a clear, simplified strategy, formalised our steering group and introduced a more disciplined approach to planning. At the start of 2025, this centred on a small working group of 14 colleagues. By giving members clear areas of ownership and focusing activity around the needs and opportunities within individual sites, we grew that group to 60 by the end of the year. We also delivered a Group-wide training session for leaders, helping them recognise common development needs and understand the practical support they could provide. 2025 was the year we laid the foundations: creating shared purpose, clearer accountabilities and a model that could grow without losing its local energy. In 2026, we began to build the house. The integration of Direct Line and Aviva Investors gave us the opportunity to align behind a larger structure, establish a steering board of 19 leaders and broaden both our reach and our impact.
I am particularly proud that we are helping colleagues find a platform for their own stories, ideas and local activity. Some arrived with personal experiences they had rarely discussed at work. Others simply wanted to help but did not know where to begin. Bringing those people together, encouraging them to take ownership and watching their confidence grow has been one of our most meaningful achievements. The Working Group has become a place where colleagues can move from empathy to action and where people who may never have considered themselves leaders can make a visible difference.
We have brought social mobility to life through recorded interviews with our senior sponsors and other members of Aviva’s Group Board, inviting them to share their personal journeys, the barriers they have faced and the experiences that shaped their careers. Sharing these stories has helped challenge assumptions about what successful leaders look like and shown colleagues from different backgrounds that senior leadership can be achievable for them too. We have complemented this visible sponsorship with presentations at numerous team meetings across Aviva, explaining why social mobility matters, showcasing the Working Group’s activity and giving colleagues clear, practical ways to contribute. This combination of relatable leadership stories and direct engagement has helped us reach new audiences, make the subject feel relevant and encourage more colleagues to see themselves as members, allies and future leaders.
Ultimately, our Working Group exists to ensure that no colleague feels they must hide where they started to be valued for where they can go. By turning lived experience into shared understanding, and shared understanding into action, we are building a community where background is not a barrier, potential is recognised and more people can see a place for themselves in Aviva’s future.
Aviva’s Social Mobility Working Group | UK
