D&B Elects Frederic V. Salerno to Its Board of Directors.

Business Editors

MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2002

Frederic V. Salerno of Verizon Communications, Inc., has been elected to the board of directors of D&B (NYSE: DNB), the leading provider of global business information and technology solutions, effective immediately.

Salerno is vice chairman of Verizon Communications Inc., a company formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE and one of the world's leading providers of high-growth communications services. Salerno was Verizon's vice chairman and chief financial officer from the time the company was formed in June 2000 until April 2002, when he announced his intention to retire from the Company after 37 years of service with Verizon and its predecessor companies.

"Fred brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, business development and finance to our board," said Allan Z. Loren, D&B chairman, chief executive officer and president. "We will leverage his expertise to help us transform D&B and deliver on our Blueprint for Growth strategy."

Prior to the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, Salerno was senior executive vice president and chief financial officer of Bell Atlantic, a position he assumed in 1997. Salerno was with NYNEX from 1984 to 1996 prior to the merger of NYNEX and Bell Atlantic. Key leadership roles at NYNEX included vice chairman-finance and business development, vice chairman and president-Worldwide Services, president and chief executive officer of New York Telephone, and executive vice president and chief operating officer of New England Telephone.

Salerno is a member of the board of directors of AVNET, Inc., Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., Viacom, Inc., and Manhattan College. He is also a member of the American Association of the Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of Malta, an international relief organization with permanent observer status in the United Nations. Salerno received a Masters of Business Administration degree from Adelphi University and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Manhattan College.

About D&B

D&B (NYSE: DNB) provides the information, tools and expertise to help customers Decide with Confidence. D&B enables customers quick access to objective, global information whenever and wherever they need it. Customers use D&B Risk Management Solutions to manage credit exposure, D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions to find profitable customers and D&B Supply Management Solutions to manage suppliers efficiently. D&B's E-Commerce Solutions are also used to authenticate and verify potential trading partners online, increasing trust and confidence in e-commerce transactions. Over 90 percent of the Business Week Global 1000 rely on D&B as a trusted partner to make confident business decisions. For more information, please visit www.dnb.com.