NEWS RELEASE

Media Contact:

Bonnie Schindler

Vivient Consulting

(310) 426-2340 or bschindler@vivient.com

Vivient Consulting Opens for Business

-- New Company Helps Clients Design Compensation Programs that Support Critical Business Goals --

El Segundo, CA – October 15, 2002 – Vivient Consulting LLC, a new management consulting firm formed by three former principals at major compensation consulting firms, has opened its doors for business in El Segundo.

            Vivient helps public and private companies design compensation programs that align the interests of shareholders with the interests of the managers and employees who make the day-to-day decisions that determine company success.  Its founding partners include Bertha Masuda and Susan Schroeder, former principals at SCA Consulting, and Bonnie Schindler, a former principal at Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

“We founded Vivient to provide middle-market firms with performance measurement and rewards consulting services based on rigorous financial analysis and alignment with shareholder interests,” said Masuda.  “The name ‘Vivient,’ which combines the words ‘vivify’ and ‘incent,’ means to motivate.  Vivient offers a broad array of performance measurement and rewards services that help motivate managers and employees to achieve company goals.”

According to Masuda, Vivient’s services include:

·         Compensation strategy development and competitive pay benchmarking;

·         Selection of financial and non-financial performance measures, and goal-setting;

·         Design and implementation of short- and long-term incentive plans, including annual bonus plans, real and phantom equity plans, and multi-year cash incentive plans; 

·         Development of compensation programs for specific business situations, including start-ups, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds, management changes and family-owned businesses;

·         Design and implementation of compensation processes and procedures for businesses with limited human resource staff;

·         Communication and training of performance and rewards programs; and

·         Corporate governance advisory services and Compensation Committee support.

“Vivient distinguishes itself from other compensation consulting firms in several important ways,” said Schroeder.  “Our partners actively work on engagements, and we have minimal overhead costs to pass along to clients.  We are well-equipped to serve as a high-impact and cost-effective resource.”

Vivient’s partners bring a wealth of experience to the firm:

·         Bertha Masuda has more than 10 years of consulting experience with SCA Consulting, Gemini Consulting, and Ernst & Young.  She is a Certified Public Accountant, and holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. 

·         Bonnie Schindler has more than 10 years of consulting, human resource and communications experience with SCA Consulting, Mercer Human Resource Consulting and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.  She has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. 

·         Susan Schroeder has more than 15 years of broad-based experience in finance, human resources, and strategy execution in both management consulting and corporate environments.  Prior to Vivient, she worked with SCA Consulting, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Wells Fargo Bank, and First Interstate Bank.  She has an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. 

Masuda, Schindler and Schroeder are assisted by consultants with extensive human resource, consulting and financial experience.

“We don’t believe in providing off-the-shelf recommendations,” said Schindler.  “Each client engagement is unique, and our approach is customized to the client’s strategy, organization and culture.”

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400 Continental Boulevard, 6th Floor, El Segundo, CA, 90245 • Phone: 310.426.2340 • Fax: 310.426.2001 • info@vivient.com

Copyright © 2005 Vivient Consulting LLC