Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (ticker: HSII, exchange: NASDAQ) News Release - 30-May-2000
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B2B Marketplace Leaders VerticalNet and LeadersOnline Enter Strategic Alliance; Branded Web Site Links Expected to Significantly Increase Traffic
HORSHAM, Pa., and IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2000--VerticalNet, Inc. (Nasdaq:VERT), the Internet's leading portfolio of e-market business-to-business trading communities of commerce, today announced a strategic business alliance with LeadersOnline(TM), Inc. (Leaders!), a leading Web-based e-Cruiting solution from Heidrick & Struggles International Inc. (Nasdaq:HSII).
The strategic alliance capitalizes on the strengths and synergies of two leaders in the business-to-business marketplace. Focused on placing mid-level managers and emerging executive talent, Leaders! combines Heidrick & Struggles' best executive recruiting practices with the efficiency of the Internet. VerticalNet operates 56 Internet business communities that provide news, information and electronic commerce services to specialized trade groups. The focused sites offer e-commerce solutions between vendors and corporate buyers through an online marketplace for each industry.
As part of the alliance, VerticalNet and Leaders! will establish branded links between their respective Web sites, and Leaders! will invite the candidates who have posted their resumes on the VerticalNet(R) career center to join the Leaders! candidate community.
"VerticalNet is pleased to offer our users access to the LeadersOnline community with its outstanding career development and recruiting services," said Dwayne Spradlin, vice president of corporate development of VerticalNet. "Aligning with Leaders! offers us the opportunity to enhance our on-line career resources, which is an important service to our corporate customers."
"We are very excited about working with VerticalNet -- one of the most respected high-growth companies in the business-to-business marketplace," said Michael T. Christy, president of Leaders!. "With both companies providing online services to a broad base of corporations globally, we have the opportunity to share users and provide them with quality services. Leaders! looks forward to reaching out to the millions of users who access VerticalNet's Web sites."
About VerticalNet
VerticalNet, Inc. (www.verticalnet.com) owns and operates 56 industry-specific Web sites designed as online business-to-business communities, known as vertical trade communities. These vertical trade communities provide users with comprehensive sources of information, interaction and e-commerce. They are grouped into the following industry sectors: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, COMMUNICATIONS, ENVIRONMENTAL, FOOD AND PACKAGING, FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY, HEALTHCARE/SCIENCE, MANUFACTURING AND METALS, PROCESS, PUBLIC SECTOR, SERVICE, TEXTILES AND APPAREL.
Additionally, VerticalNet provides auctions, catalogs, bookstores, career services and other e-commerce capabilities horizontally across its communities with sites like Industry Deals.com, IT CareerHub.com, LabX.com and Professional Store.com. VerticalNet's NECX(R) Exchange provides an exchange for the electronic components industry.
About LeadersOnline
LeadersOnline is a leading business-to-business Internet marketplace that enables efficient and effective aggregation, matching and fulfillment of employer demand with candidate supply in the recruitment market for mid-level executives and professionals. As of March 31, 2000, more than 110 companies located throughout the United States and Europe have used LeadersOnline's value-added Internet-based services to match and recruit candidates into a broad range of functions. LeadersOnline is headquartered in Irvine, California, with operations throughout North America and Europe. For more information about LeadersOnline, please visit our Web site at www.leadersonline.com.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as statements that are preceded by, followed by or include the words "believes," "plans," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," or similar expressions. For such statements, VerticalNet claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements include matters relating to technology, performance and operation; rapid technological and market changes; potential intellectual property and licensing issues; as well as those factors set forth in the company's Annual Report and the company's quarterly report on form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2000, both of which have been filed with the SEC.
Note: VerticalNet and NECX are the registered trademarks of VerticalNet, Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.
Sheree Aronson, 213/489-8226
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