Alliance Trust Savings appoints new finance director

Dundee-based Alliance Trust Savings has announced that Arlene Cairns has joined the company as its new finance director.

She joins ATS following an interim consulting role at Standard Life Investments.

A statement from ATS said: “Arlene has a wealth of international experience in the financial services industry, having recently moved back to the UK from Australia where she held senior finance and strategy roles in Westpac Institutional Bank, as well as wider financial services experience from her time at Allied Irish Bank and EY as a management consultant. Arlene will join the Executive team of ATS to help to develop the business in the rapidly expanding and increasingly competitive UK platforms market and drive the business forward.”

The appointment follows ATS’s acquisition earlier this year of Stocktrade, an execution-only stockbroking business from Brewin Dolphin, many of whose private clients have already migrated to ATS, adding over 16,000 new customers.

Work is now well underway to complete the transaction with the integration of the partnership channel. On completion of the deal, ATS will administer over £11.5 billion on behalf of clients across three main channels, direct, intermediaries and strategic partnerships.

Patrick Mill, Managing Director of Alliance Trust Savings, said: “I am delighted that Arlene has joined us Alliance Trust Savings. Following the announcement last week that ATS will become a standalone business, Arlene will have a key role as Finance Director. Having announcement that ATS will deliver meaningful profit in 2016, Arlene will be working with the ATS Executive team to continue the growth of the business in terms of assets, customers and profitability.”

Arlene Cairns added: “I am thrilled to be joining Alliance Trust Savings and to be working alongside Patrick and the rest of the Executive team. The recent announcement about ATS becoming a standalone business coupled by the acquisition of Stocktrade, leaves Alliance Trust Savings strongly positioned to deliver increased growth and profitability.”