AllianceBernstein Creates Certified Practice Management Consultant(SM) Program with Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management

Program Launches in Coordination with AB Digital Coach(SM) Diagnostic Tool for Financial Advisors

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Nov 16, 2021, 08:00 ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AllianceBernstein ("AB") (NYSE: AB), a leading research and global investment firm, announced today the expansion of its financial advisor practice management capability, the AB Advisor Institute. This expanded solution set includes a proprietary advisor digital assessment toolset and a team of Certified Practice Management Consultants (CPMC) who have completed the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management Practice Management Certificate program. The accreditation consists of a 3-part training module taught by the AB Advisor Institute and a capstone program taught by Vanderbilt faculty. Capstone topics are taught around the client engagement model of a leading international consulting firm and psychological tenets of how humans construct beliefs and make decisions.

AB's Regional Managers, who work with financial advisors across the U.S., have completed the program's curriculum. The curriculum includes academic resources related to practice management and team building. AB consultants then use their training to guide advisors through personalized learning programs from the AB Advisor Institute, supporting advisors' business goals. By December 2021, these managers will have all earned the CPMC designation.

"We are thrilled to participate in this joint certification program with AllianceBernstein," said Jon Lehman, Owen's Faculty Director for Executive Education. "Each organization brings unique content and perspective to provide financial advisors with the critical skills needed to be successful in today's exceptionally dynamic market. We've contributed the work of several of our most talented faculty in the area of executive decision-making," added Professor Lehman.

AB Digital Coach

In a recent study published by FUSE Research Network, over 90% of advisors said that they consider practice management programs to be important*. To meet this demand, AB developed a practice management solution set, which includes the AB Digital Coach. The Digital Coach is a new, interactive diagnostic experience created for financial advisors. Advisors are able to use the Digital Coach to identify their highest priority practice management opportunities through the diagnostic experience. By leveraging insights from behavioral finance and the AB Advisor Institute's experience in practice management strategy, the Digital Coach provides advisors with a personalized learning plan designed to address issues and opportunities most pressing their clients, all in 10 minutes or less.

"AB created this comprehensive approach for advisors to better meet customer needs," said Mark Gessner, Head of U.S. Retail at AllianceBernstein. "Through our design process, we discovered that advisors require more support in prioritizing and implementing changes to their business strategy. By analyzing trends in research and direct feedback, AB has built out a suite of solutions leveraging insights and data from our Advisor Institute's 18-year history."

AB began using the Digital Coach with select advisors in May 2021. Since inception, the tool has guided more than 200 advisors to their prioritized business needs and delivered hands-on training and engagement to more than 50% of those advisors. The Digital Coach was a finalist for the 2021 MMI/Barron's Awards for Digital Innovation.

*Source: FUSE Advisor Trend Monitor, Advisor Top Trends for 2021, March 2021, FUSE Research Network

About AllianceBernstein

AllianceBernstein is a leading global investment management firm that offers high-quality research and diversified investment services to institutional investors, individuals and private wealth clients in major world markets.

As of September 30, 2021, including both the general partnership and limited partnership interests in AllianceBernstein, AllianceBernstein Holding owned approximately 36.1% of AllianceBernstein and Equitable Holdings, Inc. ("EQH"), directly and through various subsidiaries, owned an approximate 64.7% economic interest in AllianceBernstein.

Additional information about AB may be found on our website, www.alliancebernstein.com.

About Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management

Ranked as a top business school by U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times, BusinessWeek and Forbes, the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management offers a variety of degrees and programs to help current and aspiring business professionals achieve their career goals. Learn more at business.vanderbilt.edu.

SOURCE AllianceBernstein