Standard Life

Phoenix has agreed to sell Ark Life Assurance Group for £197m to Irish Life Group.

In association with Simplyhealth

Huw Evans will succeed Otto Thoresen as director general of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in February 2015.

Standard Life's Barry O'Dwyer has been confirmed in his appointment as chairman of the long-term savings and life insurance committee (LTSLIC).

Aviva and Legal and General are among the six insurers that have agreed to collectively invest £25bn in UK infrastructure over the next five years.

The UK needs about 5,000 extra financial advisers to cope with the rising demand for retirement advice, research from Standard Life concludes.