According to Sunday reports in the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal online edition, Mark Tucker – the ex-CEO of the UK insurer Prudential PLC – has been hired by the American International Group (AIG) as the new CEO and chairman of AIA Group – AIG’s overseas life insurance division.

Citing the information forwarded by unnamed sources ‘in the know,’ Tucker will replace the present AIA CEO Mark Wilson, who will likely remain with AIA till 2010-end, to help with the transition. Furthermore, the AIG chief executive Robert Benmosche is seeking to accelerate the sale of assets.

The appointment of the 52-year-old Tucker by the AIG is largely being seen as a prelude to a planned initial public offering (IPO) of AIA in the fall, which might be somewhat delayed due the CEO-change announcement since Tucker is known to investors. It is also reported that AIG expects will raise approximately $23 billion cash from the IPO.

The announcement of the forthcoming change of CEO at the AIA comes close on the heels of the Wednesday resignation of Harvey Golub as the AIG chairman, following a clash with Benmosche. In place of Golub, AIG has appointed Robert Miller - who has headed companies like Delphi Corp. and Waste Management Inc. – as its new chairman.