John Russell Joins Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown As Orlando-Based Marketing Company Completes Reacquisition

Peter Yesawich, president and CEO, confirmed that the reacquisition of the firm from Panoramic Communications was concluded on September 30, 2002. In 1996, Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown sold a percentage of the firm to the New York holding company that, over the past four years, became Panoramic Communications.

Specific terms of the sale were not disclosed.

"The conclusion of our relationship with Panoramic means we have now regained complete ownership and control of our company," said Yesawich.

Russell joins YPB&R as partner

With the reacquisition complete, John Russell, a 27-year hospitality management, marketing, franchising and timeshare veteran is joining Yesawich as a partner and will continue to remain CEO, Hospitality Artists, LLC, Naples, with his partner Toma Brashear.

"John Russell is recognized globally throughout the hospitality industry for his marketing and management expertise," said Yesawich. "He will join Jeb Brown and me as an active partner in our business, and his name will become part of our masthead."

The new company name will be Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, which will also be identified under the acronym YPB&R. Russell will continue to reside in Atlanta but will also maintain an office at YPB&R's headquarters office in Orlando. Brown resides in Potomac Maryland, but also maintains an office in Orlando.

Russell is the immediate past chairman of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). He previously served as vice chairman of Cendant's Travel Division and president/CEO of Resort Condominium International LLC, Global Operations. Prior to that, he was chairman and chief executive officer of Cendant's Hotel Division, where he oversaw the marketing of eight hotel brands - Days Inns, Howard Johnson, Knights Inn, Ramada, Super 8, Travelodge, Villager Lodge, and Wingate Inns and for three years served as President/CEO, Days Inn of America, Inc. From 1995 to 1996 Russell was executive vice president of franchise sales for the Century 21 Real Estate Corporation; under his direction, Century 21 franchise sales grew by 600 percent. He also held senior management positions with Sheraton Corporation, Carlson Companies and Benchmark Hospitality.

Russell has received several distinguished professional awards in the lodging industry including:

• Albert E. Koehl Lifetime Achievement Award in Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
• 1996 Peace Award from the American Friends of the Tel Aviv University
• 1998 Cecil B. Day Community Service Award from the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
• 2000 Lodging Conference's Above and Beyond Award

A former U.S. Army officer, Russell is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY and a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Jeb Brown previously served as CEO of Earle Palmer Brown, building EPB into a multi-national integrated communications company with more than 900 employees in 12 offices before selling the operation to PubliGroupe in 2000. Brown holds a degree from Washington & Lee where he serves on the board of the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics, He also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

YPB&R is America's leading marketing, advertising and public relations agency specializing in serving travel and leisure-industry clients. The company's offices—Orlando, New York, Honolulu, Los Angeles, London, Zurich and São Paulo—serve more than 50 clients worldwide

For more information: Rod Caborn, 407-838-1799, Rod_Caborn@YPB.com or Will Wellons, 407-838-1794, Will_Wellons@YPB.com, Yesawich, Pepperdine & Brown Web site: www.ypb.com.