Adecco Receives Procter & Gamble's Supplier Diversity Advocate Award.

Business Editors

MELVILLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

Adecco, the nation's leader in staffing services, announced today that it is the recipient of a 2000 Supplier Diversity Advocate Award from Procter & Gamble Global Business Services.

The award, given for the first time in 2000, was presented by Procter & Gamble Global Business Services to five of its vendor companies that demonstrate a commitment to diversity in their policies and practices. Adecco's national diversity initiatives and its efforts to meet Procter & Gamble's goals to support minority and woman-owned businesses are the primary reasons Adecco won the distinguished honor.

Adecco has been providing staffing services to Procter & Gamble for more than 14 years. Stacey Jacobs, Adecco's Ohio Valley Regional Vice President, oversees the Procter & Gamble account. She says, "Adecco mentors minority and woman-owned enterprises, providing them direction and training on how to service Procter & Gamble's complex staffing needs. Although some might consider these firms our competitors, Adecco is proud to view them as partners in our efforts to serve our clients."

Adecco is one of the world's largest employers of people worldwide, placing three million people in jobs in 2000 alone.

According to Adecco North America President Debbie Pond-Heide, "It's an honor to be recognized by one of our most valuable clients for our efforts to ensure a diverse workforce. But the fact that this recognition comes from Procter & Gamble--an early leader in minority business development--makes it especially meaningful. One of Adecco's guiding principles is that we not only put people to work, we also help them to realize their potential. We can't do that without reaching out to all segments of the population, and it's very gratifying to serve companies such as Procter & Gamble that share our commitment to diversity."

At the core of Adecco's diversity efforts is its National Diversity Council, composed of representatives from each of its five divisions around the country. The goal of the council is to enable ethnic minorities and older, disadvantaged and disabled citizens to join the workforce. Adecco's regional diversity teams develop programs to recruit diverse candidates and provide them with counseling and training so that they can become gainfully employed, productive contributors to the workforce.

Adecco is an active member of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Through its affiliation with NMSDC, Adecco has direct access to a comprehensive database of certified minority businesses. Adecco partners with these firms to provide high-quality temporary employees and full-time job candidates from all backgrounds to the country's top companies.

Adecco also partners with organizations such as Jobs for American Graduates, which works to turn at-risk students into productive members of the American workforce.

About Adecco

Adecco SA is the global leader in personnel services, connecting more than 600,000 temporary associates with businesses each day through a network of over 28,000 employees and over 4,500 offices in 60 countries around the world. Headquartered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, Adecco delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.

Adecco provides clients with staffing services and solutions covering all major industries as well as specific professions. The worldwide Adecco brand network focuses on global industries in transition, including automotive, banking, electronics, logistics, and telecommunications.

Adecco North America serves more than 50,000 clients a year through 2,000 points of sales and service in every state and seven Canadian provinces. With headquarters in Melville, NY, Adecco North America employs about 5,000 full time employees and places more than 160,000 temporary associates each week.

Adecco SA is listed on The Swiss Exchange (ADECCO N (ADEN 700'939), NYSE (ADO), the Bourse de Paris (RM 12819). Further information can be found at www.adecco.com.

About Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble markets approximately 300 brands to nearly five billion consumers in over 140 countries. These brands include Tide, Ariel, Crest, Pantene Pro-V, Always, Whisper, Pringles, Pampers, Olay, Iams and Vicks. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, P&G has on-the-ground operations in over 70 countries and employs more than 110,000 people worldwide. For more information on P&G and its products, please visit our worldwide website at http://www.pg.com.