The Screen Actors Guild Names John F. Cooke Chief Executive Officer/National Executive Director.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 2001

The Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild today announced the appointment of John F. Cooke to the newly expanded post of Chief Executive Officer/National Executive Director. The decision comes as a result of an extensive effort by the SAG search committee working closely with Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY).

SAG President William Daniels stated, "The selection of John promises to usher in a new and exciting era for the Screen Actors Guild. He brings to us a wealth of understanding and experience both as a professional within the industry and in business overall. John was the unanimous choice of a very diverse committee representing all points of view of the union."

Daniels went on to say, "I would especially like to thank the entire selection committee for their hard work and mutual cooperation throughout the process. They have done a wonderful job. I think we all believe that a new chapter is being written in the history of the Guild today."

"This organization, which is the preeminent guild for actors the world over, has enormous potential to further the standing of its members, to promote good and proper practices in the entertainment industry, and to aid in the development of commerce in general," stated Cooke. "I have great respect for actors' talents and their sensibilities. I have enjoyed and been stimulated by my numerous meetings with the members of the search committee and I look forward with great anticipation to addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead for SAG."

Prior to accepting the SAG position, Cooke served as executive vice president, external affairs, of the J. Paul Getty Trust since March 2000. He was responsible for establishing and maintaining partnerships and other relationships between the Getty and a variety of cultural and corporate institutions and entities locally, nationally, and around the world. Cooke served on the Getty's Board of Trustees for more than four years before his move to the management group.

Before joining the J. Paul Getty Trust, Cooke was executive vice president, corporate affairs, for The Walt Disney Company for five years. He was responsible for corporate outreach, government relations, and the company's worldwide alliances with major corporations who partnered with The Walt Disney Company, such as Kodak, Coca Cola, AT&T, American Express, and Nestle. He served for almost ten years as president of The Disney Channel from June 1985 to January 1995, during which time subscriptions increased from 1.9 million to 15 million households.

Pretax income during this period grew by a compound annual rate of 39 percent -- a profit growth that never fell below 20 percent in any year. The Channel also received numerous awards, including 39 Emmy Awards, 43 CableAce Awards, and two Peabody Awards.

Prior to joining Disney, Cooke served as executive vice president of Times Mirror Cable Television, a subsidiary of The Times Mirror Company. Previously, he was president of Times Mirror Satellite Programming. Cooke was associated with the Times Mirror Company in various capacities for more than ten years.

Cooke is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Johns Hopkins University, The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the American Film Institute, the Huntington Library, and the Asia Society. He is chairman of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, co-chairman of the executive committee of the USC Annenberg School for Communication Board of Councilors, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Cooke served on the U.S. Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure and was co-chair of its Mega-Project on Privacy, Security, and Intellectual Property.

About Korn/Ferry International

Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY), with more than 100 offices in 41 countries, is the world's leading provider of recruitment solutions. The firm works closely with clients to provide solutions tailored to their recruitment and assessment needs, through the company's executive search business, identifying CEOs, COOs, CFOs, board members and other senior-level executives; through the firm's Management Assessment business, which provides evaluation of senior management teams; through Futurestep, which combines the power of the Internet with the firm's proprietary assessment tools and search expertise to fill the growing demand for middle managers; and through JobDirect, a U.S.-based online college recruitment company serving client requirements for college graduates and entry-level professionals.

For more information, visit the Korn/Ferry International Web site at www.kornferry.com, the Futurestep Web site at www.futurestep.com and the JobDirect Web site at www.jobdirect.com.