Kaplan's FTC Acquires Training and Publishing Businesses, Emile Woolf Colleges Ltd and AT Foulks Lynch Ltd.

LONDON, UK, November 5, 2003 - The Financial Training Company (FTC), a leading provider of professional finance qualifications and business training in the UK and Asia, today announced that it has agreed to acquire the London-based training company Emile Woolf Colleges Ltd and publishers AT Foulks Lynch. William Macpherson, CEO of FTC, will run the combined operations. FTC is a unit of Kaplan, Inc., a global provider of education and career services.

Emile Woolf Colleges Ltd, a provider of CIMA and ACCA training, will be integrated into FTC's London business, further building FTC's reputation as a premier provider of training courses. AT Foulks Lynch will be integrated into FTC's existing publishing business.

Established in the mid 1970s, Emile Woolf Colleges Ltd has been successfully helping professionals achieve their accountancy and marketing qualifications for three decades. AT Foulks Lynch has been associated with accountancy training materials of the highest quality for over 100 years, offering a comprehensive range of publications for ACCA, CIMA, AAT and CAT syllabi.

"We are thrilled with the opportunity to expand our business through the acquisition of Emile Woolf Colleges Ltd and AT Foulks Lynch," said William Macpherson. "This will enable us to enhance our leadership position in the industry."

FTC prepares over 30,000 students a year for professional accountancy exams such as the AAT, ACA, ACCA and CIMA as well as tax qualification programmes, training for investment professionals, CPE training and tailored training for non-finance professionals. FTC also produces exam-focused study materials for AAT, ACCA and CIMA. Headquartered in London, FTC has 28 training centres around the UK and a growing presence in Asia.

About Kaplan, Inc.
Kaplan, Inc. (www.kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses, and is comprised of four divisions: Kaplan Test Prep, which offers test prep and admissions services worldwide, including K12 services for schools; SCORE!, which offers after-school learning programs for kids; Kaplan Professional, which offers licensing and continuing education training and compliance tracking; and Kaplan Higher Education, which offers post-secondary educational certificate and degree programs online and through 56 campus-based schools. Kaplan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Press Contacts:

Georgina Wallace
+44 (0)20 7324 1403
g.wallace@financial-training.com

Carina Wong
+1 212-492-5992
carina_wong@kaplan.com 

Printable Version