Jackie M. Ward Elected to SYSCO's Board of Directors.

Business Editors

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2001

SYSCO Corporation (NYSE:SYY) today announced that Jackie M. Ward has been elected to the company's board of directors. Ms. Ward, whose election expands the number of directors to 13, will serve until the 2001 annual meeting, at which time she will stand for re-election by the company's shareholders.

Charles H. Cotros, SYSCO's chairman and chief executive officer, said, "Ms. Ward brings more than 30 years of business knowledge and experience to our board of directors. Her insight and expertise will add a new dimension to SYSCO's board and provide additional scope to the leadership of our corporation."

Ms. Ward is the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Computer Generation Incorporated, a company she founded in 1968. In December 2000, Computer Generation Incorporated was acquired by British-based Intec Telecom Systems, where she currently serves as outside managing director. Prior to founding Computer Generation Incorporated, Ms. Ward held positions with UNIVAC (a division of Sperry Corporation), General Electric Company and with J. P. Stevens Company. A resident of Fisher Island, Fla., Ms. Ward has two adult children.

Ms. Ward attended Georgia State College for Women and the University of Georgia Extension Center, where she majored in psychology and mathematics. She attended the London School of Business and was awarded a Doctor of Laws from Mercer University.

Ms. Ward also serves as a director of Equifax Inc., Flowers Industries, Matria Healthcare Inc., The Profit Recovery Group International Inc., SCI Systems Inc., Trigon Healthcare Inc. and Bank of America. In addition to her corporate duties, she is the past chairman of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and a regent emeritus and past chairman of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Among her many affiliations, she is a member of the Society of International Business Fellows, the Atlanta Business Roundtable, the Georgia Tech Advisory Board and the Georgia Tech School of Industrial Engineering Advisory Board.

SYSCO is the largest foodservice marketing and distribution organization in North America. Generating sales of $21.8 billion for the fiscal year 2001 that ended June 30, 2001, the company provides food and related products and services to about 370,000 customers, including restaurants, healthcare and educational institutions, lodging establishments and other foodservice operations. The SYSCO distribution network currently extends throughout the entire contiguous United States and portions of Alaska, Hawaii and Canada.