Atlas Editions Appoints Bertlesmann's Ioffe As CFO.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1998--Alex Ioffe, a former finance and corporate development executive with Bertelsmann's North American book group and Doubleday Direct, has joined Atlas Editions, Inc., as chief financial officer, it was announced today by John Perrachon, president and chief operating officer of this leading U.S. direct marketing company.

In this position, Ioffe will be responsible for all aspects of the company's financial and management reporting, financial planning, analysis, and general accounting functions and related systems, as well as other duties appropriate to his position as CFO. In addition, he will work with Perrachon and Julian Trunkfield, executive vice president, international finance & corporate development, as well as other members of Atlas senior management on strategic planning, operations and systems improvements.

"With his solid executive experience in our industry, as well as his earlier consulting background, Alex brings a fresh perspective on the direct marketing and publishing businesses to the Atlas Editions USA management team. Developing strategies for growth and managing change are the strong suits that will make his leadership important to our company's future," said Perrachon.

Before coming to Atlas, Ioffe was vice president, corporate development for Bertelsmann's book group, which he had rejoined in 1997. Prior to that he had served as director of finance for Doubleday Direct and, previously, as director of special projects, spending a total of 4 years at Bertelsmann. Ioffe, 31, who began his career at Andersen Consulting, holds an MBA in finance and management from the Columbia University Business School and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University.

About Atlas Editions

By publishing quality educational, entertainment and reference materials for both adults and children, Atlas Editions makes knowledge entertaining with such well-known products as the Star Trek Universe continuity card product; the I Can Read and Story Book Treasure children's book clubs; and the Child Development Toy Program. The De Agostini Atlas Editions group acquired P.F. Collier in 1993 and Newfield Publications in 1995. Those companies were merged with Atlas Editions to form Atlas Editions, Inc.

Today, Atlas Editions is the U.S. operating arm of De Agostini Atlas Editions, B.V. This sub-holding of Istituto Geografico De Agostini, known worldwide as Atlas Editions, includes Editions Atlas, the highly successful French direct marketer as well as sister companies in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Istituto Geografico De Agostini is a $1 billion privately held, Italy-based international publishing, marketing and printing/manufacturing firm.