His departure follows a revolt by investors of Aviva last week as 59% voted against his remuneration level at the company’s AGM.
Read more on the role institutional investors are playing in the executive pay debate.
It also comes after a move by Trinity Mirror’s boss Sly Bailey to leave the ailing publisher over a row about executive pay, although she subsequently reached a deal to stay on until the end of the year to aid an orderly transition at the top of the company.
UBS, Barclays and Inmarsat have also suffered the wrath of unhappy shareholders recently as investors question the increasing pay packets of executives against declining share prices.
Aviva’s board has asked Chairman Designate John McFarlane to become interim executive deputy chairman with immediate effect and executive chairman from 1 July pending the appointment of a new CEO.
Decision to leave
The firm said Moss had approached current chairman Lord Sharman with the decision to resign as he felt it was in the best interests of the company that he step aside to make way for new leadership.
Lord Sharman, said: "We should acknowledge the progress that has been achieved under Andrew Moss’s leadership.
"Through the global financial crisis he led the consolidation of our international presence and the integration of 40 brands into a very powerful single Aviva brand. He reduced the cost base, improved operational performance and more recently began the implementation of the strategic focus."
Moss will leave the board shortly and a further announcement is to be made regarding the financial terms of his departure and his date of leaving
