Alliance Trust PLC announced the appointment of Alan Trotter (aged 41) as Finance Director. Alan will join the company in early 2010 and will become a member of the board of directors. Alan is currently Group Corporate Development Director at Legal & General Group PLC, where he is also responsible for the UK Central Finance function. Before joining Legal & General in 2007 he held senior financial roles with a number of Scottish financial services institutions.

Alliance Trust Savings managing director Rob Burgess has been appointed chief executive and will sit on the board of parent company Alliance Trust plc Mr. Burgess took over as managing director in February and will continue to lead development of the brand. The company welcomed the appointment of Mr. Burgess as a director of the investment trust. Prior to joining Alliance Trust, Mr. Burgess held senior banking roles at Lloyds TSB, managing the retail and business banking sectors as an executive director of Lloyds TSB Scotland.

Alliance Trust has poached four senior members of the Swip fixed-income team, including global head of fixed income Rod Davidson. Davidson is to be joined by fellow Swip employees Gareth Quantrill, Stuart McMaster and Stuart Steven as Alliance Trust looks to bolster its expertise in the space. The team will officially join Alliance Trust in early 2010.