David Alliance, Baron Alliance

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Alliance, Baron Alliance, GBE (born 15 June 1932 , Kashan, Iran) is an Iranian-born Jewish-British businessman and a Liberal Democrat politician.

David was born in Kashan, Iran to jewish parents.

Alliance was educated at the Etahad School, Iran.

He owns 33% and is chairman of N Brown Group plc, a major clothing catalogue retailer. He was also the joint founder with Sir Harry Djanogly of Coats Viyella plc (now Coats plc) operating in 67 countries with 22% global market share, employing 70,000 people. His family have a fortune worth £450m. Share sales, a valuable art collection and some small private firms account for the remainder of the family fortune. Despite such a varied CV, Lord Alliance is perhaps still best known as the man with who with Harry Djanogly turned Coats Viyella into a £2bn textile business.

Lord Alliance serves on a number of committees including the Prince’s Youth Business Trust, Council for Industry and Higher Education, and the University of Manchester Foundation, and the Wiseman Institute. He has a number of fellowships including Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce; Fellow of the City and Guilds of London Institute; and Hon.Fellow of the Shenkar College of Textile Technology and Fashion. Lord Alliance holds a Doctorate of Science at Heriot-Watt University and Legum doctor – Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Manchester. He is an Honorary Fellow of UMIST.

Alliance was appointed a CBE in 1984 and promoted to GBE in 1989. He was created a life peer as Baron Alliance, of Manchester in the County of Greater Manchester, in 2004. He sits on the Liberal Democrat benches.