Strengthens Company’s Leadership Position in Staffing for Creative, Marketing and Communications - Adds further momentum to current 70% growth performance in 2003

Sydney, Australia (October 28, 2003) — Aquent, a global professional services firm that delivers total staffing, executive search, and outsourcing solutions in the marketing, communications, and creative fields, today announced its acquisition of Sydney-based recruitment firm, Eclipse Personnel. The deal officially closed on October 10, 2003.

“This acquisition is a perfect match and a logical step in Aquent’s growth strategy,” said Greg Savage, CEO of Aquent Asia Pacific. “It also delivers an unmatched delivery model to clients and candidates in Sydney and Melbourne.”

Mr Savage said the acquisition combines the strength of Aquent’s global network of Creative, Marketing and Communications candidates, with Eclipse Personnel’s leadership position in the Advertising, Marketing and Media industries in Sydney.

“We acquired Eclipse Personnel because it was a great strategic partner for us”, Mr Savage said. “Aquent and Eclipse Personnel have been very successful in their own niche, and both companies have shared a real commitment to innovation and the quality of the service they provide. This commitment to service will continue into the future with the added benefit of enhanced resources and candidate reach.

“During the past 12 months, Aquent has embarked on a carefully mapped out, expansion and growth strategy,” Mr Savage said. “Our entry into Marketing and Communications recruitment in Asia Pacific has been a revelation—helping our region to sales growth of 70% this year. Eclipse Personnel gives us an immediate beachhead in the Marketing, Advertising and Media recruitment space in Sydney, and in Melbourne. We plan to build on the already strong Eclipse permanent mid-to-senior level executive recruitment business in these specialties.”

Eclipse Personnel’s principals, Gronya Conlan and Nicky Reed will join Aquent in Sydney and continue to foster their existing relationships with Talent and Clients.

“We saw Aquent’s acquisition of Eclipse Personnel as the perfect synergy for our company,” said Nicky Reed. “New and existing clients now have a broader array of specialties from which to choose and a larger Talent pool to service them. Through a worldwide network of over eighty offices in fifteen countries, we can recruit and provide clients with the best creative, marketing and communications Talent available.”

For more information, contact Greg Savage, CEO of Aquent Asia Pacific on +61 2 9264 1888 or email gsavage@aquent.com.

About Aquent:
Aquent (aquent.com) is a global professional services firm that delivers staffing, consulting and outsourcing solutions for Marketing, Communications and Creative. Through a network of nearly seventy offices in fifteen countries, Aquent services in the areas of print and web design and production; advertising and media, marketing, public relations and marcomm office support. In its eighteen-year history Aquent has made nearly 400,000 matches of independent professionals with client companies worldwide. The company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters are in Sydney with other regional offices in Melbourne, and Brisbane in Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul in Korea, Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya in Japan; and Mumbai, India.