New Chairman for Alliance and Leicester

The Board of Alliance and Leicester plc is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Gillespie as Chairman.

Alan Gillespie has over thirty years' experience in the banking industry.

He has been Chairman of the Ulster Bank Group (a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group) since 2001 and is stepping down from that role on 4 September 2008.

He will take up the role of Chairman of Alliance and Leicester from 8 September 2008.

The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.

Roy Brown will revert to his previous role of Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director following the appointment, having taken on the responsibility as Acting Chairman following the death of Sir Derek Higgs in April 2008.

Roy Brown said: "We are delighted to appoint Alan Gillespie as Chairman of Alliance and Leicester.

Alan's career includes outstanding accomplishments in capital markets and corporate finance in two leading global financial institutions as well as Chairmanship of a retail bank.

He has also played significant leadership roles in the public sector.

After a thorough search of a wide range of potential candidates, Alan was the outstanding choice.

He is well connected in banking circles, understands UK retail and corporate banking and brings the experience, skill and energy needed to chair Alliance and Leicester." David Bennett, Group Chief Executive, said: "Alan has a wealth of experience as a successful banker and a proven record as a successful Chairman of both banking and government organisations.

I look forward to working with him on the future development of Alliance and Leicester." Alan Gillespie said: "I am particularly pleased to become the next Chairman of Alliance and Leicester.

With its distinctive brand and customer franchise, and broadly diversified retail and commercial banking businesses, it is well positioned to face the challenging times in the banking industry.

Its strong internal culture, committed management team and good credit quality provide a firm platform for growth as opportunities arise." Information on Alan Gillespie: Alan Gillespie CBE (aged 57), a native of Northern Ireland, was educated at the University of Cambridge, 1969-1976.

His PhD thesis was on the role of industrial location policy on economic development.

His banking career began at Citibank where he spent ten years (1976-1986) with assignments in London and Geneva, specializing in debt capital markets.

He joined Goldman Sachs and Co in New York in 1986 and then spent fourteen years with the firm in London as a Partner and Managing Director.

He was responsible for marketing corporate finance advisory and M and A services in the UK and Ireland.

He established and was co-head of Goldman Sachs European Financial Institutions Group working with UK and European banks and insurance companies.

He also initiated the firm's activities in the Netherlands and South Africa.

He has been non-executive Chairman of the Ulster Bank Group, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group subsidiary in Ireland, from 2001-2008.

At 30 June 2008 Ulster Bank Group had total assets of ?60 billion, 350 branches and business centres and 6,500 employees, and is regulated by the FSA and the IFSRA.

Parallel to his career in banking, Alan Gillespie has held a number of public sector positions.

In 1995 he joined the Board of the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board, becoming its Chairman from 1997-2002.

He was Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Development Corporation from 1999-2002, successfully leading the organisation through a strategic change that resulted in the creation of Actis and CDC Capital Partners as equity investors in the poorer countries.

Since 2005 he has been Chairman of the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFIm), a UK government initiative along with France, Spain, Italy, Norway, Sweden and South Africa.

This development financing agency has $5.3 billion in committed funding for child immunization programmes in seventy of the poorest countries of the world.

He was a non-executive director of Elan Corporation from 1996-2007.

Currently, as well as being Chairman of IFFIm he is also Senior Independent Director of United Business Media plc.

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