Ashton Partners Strengthens Corporate Communications Practice - Names Michael Geczi Executive Vice President, Practice Head.

Promotions and Hiring in Practice Also Announced

CHICAGO & BOSTON -- Ashton Partners, a strategic advisory firm specializing in investor relations and corporate communications, today announced a significant strengthening of its corporate communications practice with the appointment of Michael Geczi as Executive Vice President and head of the practice. Mr. Geczi is a highly experienced communications executive who has provided counsel to domestic and international companies in a variety of situations, including capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions, hostile takeover defenses, bankruptcies and restructurings, litigation support, crisis communications, economic development and investor relations.

Ashton also announced that Mike Banas had been promoted to Associate in the Chicago office and that Steve Brownell had joined the practice as Director of Corporate Communications in Boston. Mr. Banas, who joined Ashton Partners' Chicago office in 2005, will focus on the practice's more consumer-facing clients, while Mr. Brownell, who joins the firm from Shift Communications, will focus on technology-related clients.

Ashton Partners' Corporate Communications Practice is a rapidly growing part of the firm's overall strategic advisory service. The practice works with clients across the country on a range of issues, including strategic counsel, corporate reputation management, media relations and crisis communications.

"With this strengthening of our corporate communications practice, we are confident that we are positioning Ashton for the important next stage of our growth," said Christian Hodges, Founding Partner of Ashton Partners. "Ashton is a first choice for many companies looking for counsel on both investor relations and corporate communications. Mike Geczi's extensive experience, as well as the excellent contributions made by professionals such as Mike Banas, Steve Brownell and others in the firm, will ensure that we continue to provide our clients with the best possible advice and program implementation."

Mr. Geczi's experience includes earlier senior management positions at The Torrenzano Group, APCO Worldwide, Gavin Anderson & Company and Ogilvy Adams & Rinehart in New York; Edelman, where he served as the Hong Kong-based President of Asia-Pacific Financial Communications; and Sitrick And Company, where he split his time between Los Angeles and Moscow.

His corporate experience includes positions as vice president, media relations for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets and as director of corporate communications for Midlantic National Bank of New Jersey. His career in journalism spanned 16 years, with editorial positions at The Wall Street Journal, Business Week magazine, The Dallas Morning News, the Associated Press and The Financial Times of Canada.

About Ashton Partners

Founded in 1997, Ashton Partners is one of the largest independent strategic advisory firms specializing in investor relations and corporate communications. We work in partnership with top-level corporate executives at companies like Anixter, Borg Warner, CDW, FTD, Juniper Networks, Symantec, Tellabs, West Corp, and Watson Pharmaceuticals to manage and position the information that impacts a company's credibility, reputation and ultimately, its valuation. For more information, visit www.ashtonpartners.com.