AGE Edwards AG

ST. LOUIS, March 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bryan E. Gingrich, Ph.D., joins A.G. Edwards (NYSE:AGE) as associate vice president and director of diversity and inclusion. Bringing more than a decade of experience in diversity strategy and management, Gingrich will report to the director of the Staff Division and work with senior management to further strengthen the organizational diversity strategy and initiatives for the St. Louis-based financial services firm. Previously, Gingrich served as the senior director of diversity at Sodexho, Inc., a food and facilities management provider located in Gaithersburg, Md. Prior to that he served as the managing director of the Inclusion Advisory Council for Nextel Communications and was the director of research, education and measurements for the Memphis Diversity Institute. "With his comprehensive experience as a diversity executive, Bryan will bring dedicated leadership and focus to our diversity initiatives," said Mary Atkin, executive vice president and director of Staff for A.G. Edwards. "We are counting on him to coordinate and intensify our existing efforts in this area while also developing and advancing additional initiatives that will make ours an even more diverse and inclusive organization." Gingrich brings his diversity leadership, change management, work force planning, and training and development skills to a firm that has been listed for the last 10 consecutive years on FORTUNE magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For." During his tenure at Sodexho, Gingrich managed all aspects of the company's diversity and inclusion strategy and related programs for a work force of 118,000 employees, including 15,000 managers. He successfully implemented a diversity learning strategy, mentoring initiative and corporate wide diversity scorecard, which assisted in Sodexho receiving more than 20 awards from national diversity-related publications and organizations. At Nextel, Gingrich established the Inclusion Advisory Council for the CEO and the entire senior executive team and drove a $3.2 million turnover cost savings initiative by successfully implementing diversity training. Gingrich received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Purdue University. He earned both a master's degree in cognitive psychology and a Ph.D. in social cognitive psychology from the University of Memphis. Gingrich belongs to the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society, and he is a member of the executive board of the Conference Board's Diversity Business Council. About A.G. Edwards Drawn to the firm's client-first philosophy, individuals and businesses have turned to A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. for sound advice and access to a wide array of investment products and services that can help them meet their financial goals and objectives. Founded in 1887, A.G. Edwards and its affiliates employ more than 6,600 financial consultants in more than 700 offices nationwide and two European locations in London and Geneva. More information can be found on agedwards.com. DATASOURCE: A.G. Edwards CONTACT: Byron Goodrich, +1-314-955-3235, , or Margaret Welch, +1-314-955-5912, , both of A.G. Edwards Web site: http://www.agedwards.com/

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