UPDATE 1-ING hires Alliance Trust CEO as Asia fund head

(Adds details, background)

HONG KONG, July 10 (Reuters) - ING Groep NV (ING.AS)(ING.N) said on Thursday it had hired Alliance Trust Plc's (ATST.L) chief executive to head its Asian fund arm, filling a vacancy created in January when ING's previous Asia fund chief was poached.

The Dutch financial group said Alan Harden would take up the role of CEO of ING Investment Management Asia/Pacific by the end of the year. London-listed Alliance said on Wednesday Harden's resignation would take effect from a date in the autumn "yet to be agreed".

Harden was hired as chief executive of Dundee, Scotland-based Alliance in 2004. Developments during his tenure included recruiting Katherine Garrett-Cox as chief investment officer and the growth of its financial services business.

ING said before this Harden spent more than 20 years in Asia and the Middle East working for Standard Chartered (STAN.L) (2888.HK) and several investment management firms, including three and a half years as the Asia Pacific regional head of Citigroup Asset Management.

Harden would also be appointed to ING Investment Management's global management board and become a member of ING Group's management council, the firm said.

He will be based in Hong Kong and report to Hans van der Noordaa, head of ING Insurance Asia/Pacific.

The appointment fills a vacancy created when the former head of ING's Asia Pacific fund operations, Chris Ryan, was poached by rival Fidelity International in January. ING said in January that Eddy Belmans, its regional general manager for North Asia, had been appointed interim chief executive.

ING is one of the region's largest investment managers, operating in 13 Asia-Pacific markets. It said earlier this year, before the major slide in equity markets, that the unit had more than 100 billion euros ($157.4 billion) of assets under management. ($1=.6354 Euro) (Reporting by Jeffrey Hodgson; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree)