Aviva’s global marketing head Amanda Mackenzie is to take a two-year secondment from the insurance company to lead a new global education programme.

Mackenzie, Aviva’s chief marketing and communications officer, will develop a global campaign to galvanise public support for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals end extreme poverty and arrest the problems caused by climate change.

The initiative has been created by Make Poverty History-founder and ‘Notting Hill’ film director Richard Curtis.

The former British Airways and BT marketer joins the project from 1 December, with Aviva also becoming a founding partner of the initiative.

It is understood that Aviva’s global insurance CEO and Asia chairman Chris Wei will oversee global marketing during the secondment.

Mackenzie said: “It is a real privilege to have this opportunity to work with such an inspirational and creative person as Richard Curtis and to take up this fantastic opportunity with the full support of Aviva.

“I am extremely excited about the future but obviously it’s tinged with sadness as I won’t be working with my colleagues and team so directly. Aviva is an exceedingly special company with wonderful people.”

Curtis added: “I am delighted that we have the support of someone as outstanding as Amanda to support this life-changing initiative and I am sure that her energy and experience will make a massive contribution to this project.

“Amanda is joining a powerful team of campaigners and partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation who believe that 2015 is a pivotal year to change the future of our people and our planet. I would like to thank Aviva for allowing us to work with Amanda in this partnership.”