Geoff Kerr, USWeb/CKS, 415/367-6723
[email protected]
Laura Field, Whittman-Hart, Inc., 312/913-3052
[email protected]
Whittman-Hart, USWeb/CKS Announce Filing of Shareholder Proxy Statement on Proposed Merger
Whittman-Hart Executive, Michael Berent, to Lead Joint Integration Team
CHICAGO, IL - January 13, 2000 - Whittman-Hart, Inc. (NASDAQ: WHIT) and USWeb/CKS (NASDAQ: USWB) today announced the filing of a joint proxy statement/prospectus detailing the proposed merger of the two companies to the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).
Robert Bernard, Whittman-Hart Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, also announced the appointment of Chief Operating Officer Michael Berent to lead the joint Whittman-Hart and USWeb/CKS integration/creation team, which is charged with integration planning including the creation of a new company business model and brand.
"Mike's leadership skills and deep understanding of our new business vision, as well as the extensive post-integration experience he gained working for a Big Five firm and its clients, make him the ideal person to lead this critically important effort," Bernard said.
Berent will report to Bernard and direct an integration team that includes professionals from Whittman-Hart and USWeb/CKS. Executive leadership on the team includes Robert Clarkson, USWeb/CKS Chief Operating Officer; Bill Matassoni, USWeb/CKS Chief Marketing Officer, formerly Partner with Mitchell Madison Group (MMG), a strategy consulting firm recently acquired by USWeb/CKS; Ian Small, USWeb/CKS Chief Strategist and Knowledge Officer; Tom Steiner, USWeb/CKS President, formerly the Managing Partner at MMG; Ed Szofer, Whittman-Hart President, and Bert Young, Whittman-Hart Chief Financial Officer.
Once the SEC has declared the registration statement effective, both companies will conduct shareholder meetings to secure stockholder approval of the proposed merger and related proposals. The transaction also is subject to review under the provisions of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The companies anticipate that the merger will be completed within several days of stockholder approval.
The SEC filing is public and can be reviewed online through EDGAR or by requesting copies from either company�s Investor Relations department.
About Whittman-Hart
Headquartered in Chicago, Whittman-Hart helps clients improve marketplace performance by creating the essential connections between business and technology. In 1999, FORTUNE ranked Whittman-Hart as one of America�s Fastest-Growing Companies. In 1998 and 1997, Forbes named Whittman-Hart one of the 200 Best Small Companies in America. In 1998, Standard & Poor�s added the Company to its S&P SmallCap 600 Index. Whittman-Hart has approximately 3,900 employees in 23 branch offices throughout the United States and the United Kingdom. Whittman-Hart recently announced its intention to merge with USWeb/CKS. Its Web site is www.whittman-hart.com.
About USWeb/CKS
USWeb/CKS seeks to transform businesses in the digital economy and create sustainable market leadership for its clients. As the leading Internet professional services firm, USWeb/CKS has created a new standard for success in the digital economy - Time-to-Value. Time-to-Value means USWeb/CKS applies its extensive insight, experience and scale to deliver breakthrough results quickly. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with more than 4,000 professionals in 13 countries around the world. USWeb/CKS recently announced its intention to merge with Whittman-Hart, Inc. Additional information about USWeb/CKS is available by calling 415/284-7070.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (as defined under securities law) regarding the planned merger of USWeb/CKS and Whittman-Hart. The merger is subject to stockholder approval and other customary closing conditions. There can be no assurance that the merger will be completed on the intended schedule, or at all, or that the combined entities will be able to realize the intended benefits. For additional information about factors that could affect the businesses of Whittman-Hart and USWeb/CKS, see the documents filed by the companies with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.