10 September 2007

‘TOWN AND GOWN’ COME TOGETHER AS LEADING INVESTMENT COMPANY CREATES GROUND-BREAKING PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY TO ALLOW ALL STAFF TO BECOME STUDENTS

Staff from one of the UK’s leading investment trust companies are enrolling as ‘virtual students’ in an innovative university-linked training initiative, it was announced today.

Alliance Trust, the Dundee-based international investment and financial services group, has launched a new e-learning partnership with the University of Abertay Dundee to deliver tailored programmes and give its 300 employees located in Dundee, Edinburgh, London and Hong Kong access to nationally recognised courses.

Staff throughout the investment company will study online programmes in financial services, regulation and technology using Abertay’s e-learning platform. Staff will be registered as students of the University and enrolled on customised courses. The programme, which is open to all staff, also offers the opportunity to be enrolled on courses that will be fully accredited by Abertay and count towards nationally-recognised qualifications, up to and including full degrees.

The partnership between Abertay and Alliance Trust has been set up under the auspices of the Alliance Trust Academy – an in-house learning resource for all employees, offering programmes from induction to financial regulation and management development. The flexibility of the technology and the course materials means that Alliance Trust employees can study at whatever time suits them during the day, or even with access from their own homes via the Internet.

Alan Harden, Chief Executive of Alliance Trust said, “We have undergone significant changes in recent years with the development of our banking, pensions and online dealing businesses. This growth demands world-class employees willing and able to continue developing their expertise to match the pace of our development and, of course, to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of our customers.”

“Our partnership with Abertay creates the platform we need to give all our staff from pensions administrators, customer advisers and investment managers to our executive directors the opportunity to develop their skills. This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone at Alliance Trust to become part of a learning organisation and take up the challenge of this new opportunity to develop skills that will help them to progress at work and acquire even broader new skills.”

Professor Bernard King, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abertay Dundee, said:  “The Alliance Trust is one of Dundee’s great success stories, carving out a world-leading position in its field by combining traditional values with a forward-looking vision for developing new talent and maximising value for customers.

“Abertay, as a modern university with more than a century of serving the educational and developmental needs of industry, commerce and the professions behind it, can readily identify with this approach.

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Alliance Trust in this exciting new venture, and we look forward to welcoming the Trust’s employees into our community of learning.”

(ends)

Contacts

Jane Holligan, Media Relations Manager Richard Winder/ Anna Schirmer

Alliance Trust PLC Lansons Communications

Tel +44 (0)1382 306064 Tel +44 (0) 20 7490 8828

Mobile 07745 783212 Email alliancetrust@lansons.com

Email jane.holligan@alliancetrust.co.uk

Web: www.alliancetrust.co.uk

Notes to editors

1. Alliance Trust PLC is the largest generalist investment trust company listed on the London Stock Exchange and a FTSE-250 company with assets of around £2.9bn (as at 31/07/07). Alliance Trust heads an international investment and financial services group with offices in Dundee, Edinburgh, London and Hong Kong. Through its subsidiaries it offers share dealing, wrapper plans such as ISAs and PEPs, Self-Invested Personal Pensions and third-party asset management.

2. Pictures of Alan Harden and Professor Bernard King are available on request.