Standard Life Exec Matthews Resigns-Source

LONDON (Reuters) - UK insurer Standard Life (SL.L) executive Trevor Matthews has resigned from the firm, a source close to the situation said on Tuesday, fueling speculation that he could be appointed as chief executive of Friends Provident (FP.L).

The source could not confirm whether Matthews would take up the CEO job at Friends, which has been recently approached by U.S. private equity firm JC Flowers.

Standard Life declined to comment.

(Reporting by Clara Ferreira-Marques, editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)