For Immediate Release

Morningstar Consulting Group Announces Formation of Advisory Board

Rochester Hills, MI - October 1, 2003 - Morningstar Consulting Group today announced the formation of an Advisory Board consisting of six executives from various industries. The collective experience of the group totals more than 110 years and spans industries including strategic management consulting, investment banking, financial services, venture capital, health care, software services, and telecommunications.

Members of the Advisory Board are:

• Joel F. French, founder and Managing Partner of the Nephalios Group, LLC, a Seatle-based consultancy focused on assisting executives with turnaround management, growth and profitability improvement programs, as well as financial transactions.
• Eric Gurry, a fund manager with Aragorn Capital, LP, a Chicago-based deep-value hedge fund.
• Thomas C. Kracz, Vice President of Professional Services for Charles River Development, a Boston-based firm that develops and markets trading and compliance software for major investment firms.
• Fred J. O'Connor, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of DHR International, a Chicago-based Retained Executive Search Firm.
• Roy Winkles, a Senior Strategist affiliated with Doblin, Inc., a Chicago-based innovation strategy firm.
• Ahmed Yehia, Chairman and CEO of Quantum Leadership Solutions, a Los Angeles-based consultancy focusing on leadership enhancement, systems thinking, and organizational change.

"We're extremely excited to have such a diverse and experienced team of advisors," said Joe Morrow, Managing Director of Morningstar. "We're confident that the collective wisdom they possess will provide a key differentiator in both the development of our intellectual capital and the execution of our client work."

Advisor Roy Winkles, an affiliate of Doblin, Inc. echoes Morrow's enthusiasm: "My joining this Advisory Board merely formalizes and expands the relationship I've enjoyed with Morningstar since shortly after Joe Morrow founded the company. I look forward to working with Joe and his team in this new role, because frankly I know that they are true innovators."

Advisor Ahmed Yehia of Quantum Solutions has been instrumental in helping Morningstar develop its Business Philosophy™ practice, and his firm is a strategic business partner of Morningstar. "I believe that Morningstar's partners provide their clients with indispensable guidance in the areas of individual and organizational greatness, and that they create extraordinary value in the process," said the well-known consultant. "I very much look forward to working with them to broadly disseminate their insights."

The Advisory Board will act as a resource to Morningstar in several capacities:

• firm operations and growth;
• client engagements;
• intellectual capital;
• referrals and networking.

While Advisors will not typically work on client engagements, they will be available behind-the-scenes to provide additional perspective to Morningstar consultants, and may occasionally be brought in to serve as subject matter experts or facilitators in client workshops.

"Until the founding of Morningstar, the kind of intellectual horsepower possessed by these Advisors was only available from huge consultancies that charged commensurately huge fees," said Vince Cavasin, Morningstar Partner, cofounder, and Advisory Board liaison. "Formalization of the Advisory Board is one step in the strategy that fulfils our vision of providing top-tier consulting services at rates affordable to middle-market companies."

Morningstar Consulting Group, LLC is a management consulting firm that brings together Business Strategy and Business Philosophy™ to create lasting value for its Fortune 1000 and middle-market clients. Morningstar is comprised of a group of seasoned management consultants and executives with experience at several top consulting firms and Fortune 500 companies, including McKinsey & Co., A. T. Kearney, DiamondCluster International, Hewlett Packard, and Walt Disney. Morningstar's partners are certified by PiB, Peter Koestenbaum's organization, as practitioners of the Leadership Diamond®.