Alliance Trust in board changes amid diversity push

Vicky Hastings and Milyae Park

Alliance Trust plc, the £3.2 billion Dundee investment trust company which uses external fund managers Willis Towers Watson (WTW), announced that Vicky Hastings and Milyae Park have been appointed as independent non-executive directors and will join its board immediately.

In February, Alliance Trust announced it wanted to “achieve a more ethnically diverse board” over the next two years because “the board is currently all white and all British.”

Hastings has over 30 years’ experience in the investment management industry, having been a European equity fund manager before holding senior leadership roles at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and JOHambro Capital Management.

Hastings is currently chair of Henderson European Focus Trust Plc, senior independent director of Edinburgh Investment Trust Plc, a non-executive director of Impax Environmental Markets Plc and a Trustee of Moorfields Eye Charity.

Hastings was previously an independent non-executive director of JPMorgan Asset Management UK Ltd and JP Morgan Asset Management International Ltd and a non-executive director of Henderson Global Trust Plc and Charter European Trust Plc.

Park began her career as a chartered accountant in the US and holds an MBA from The Wharton School. She has held senior global executive positions in a diverse career that has spanned investment banking and other financial services, retail, consumer and technology.

She is currently a non-executive director of Fidelity European Trust PLC, where she serves on the Audit and Management Engagement Committees, the Museum of London where she also chairs the Museum of London (Trading) Ltd board which governs the museum’s commercial interests, and Faber and Faber Ltd.

Alliance Trust plc Gregor Stewart said: “I am delighted to welcome Vicky and Milyae to the board.

“Both bring skills and experience that will complement those of the current directors.

“Both are joining the board as part of its ongoing succession planning.

“As part of those plans and as previously announced, Anthony Brooke, will complete his tenure at the company’s Annual General Meeting in 2023.”