Steven R. Foland Joins ThinkEquity Partners as Senior Managing Director and Head of West Coast Investment Banking

Steven R. Foland Joins ThinkEquity Partners as Senior Managing Director and Head of West Coast Investment Banking

June 10, 2003, San Francisco, CA - ThinkEquity Partners, a research-centric investment boutique focused on the growth sectors of the economy, announced today that Steven R. Foland has joined the Firm as a Senior Managing Director and Head of West Coast Investment Banking where he will lead the build-out of a banking franchise in technology, financial sponsors and other areas.

Steve was most recently a Managing Director and Head of Technology Investment Banking, Non-Japan Asia for Credit Suisse First Boston where he built and managed a team of 16 professionals. He was a member of CSFBs Global Technology Management Team and was responsible for the integration of DLJs Technology Investment Banking group. Prior to that, Steve was an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley in New York and Hong Kong where he again built and managed banking teams. Previously he was a Senior Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York and Sydney and at Brobeck Phleger & Harrison in Palo Alto. Steve is a graduate of the University of Michigan and University of Notre Dame Law School.

We are delighted to have a banker of Steves caliber join us at this juncture," noted Co-Founder Deborah Quazzo. Steves extensive experience building businesses within investment banks makes him ideally suited to help drive the continued build-out of our banking franchise. Additionally, his extensive experience in Asia should bring critical perspective to our technology clients and enhance our ability to deliver world-class client service."

About ThinkEquity Partners: Headquartered in San Francisco, ThinkEquity Partners is an 80-person research-centric institutional investment firm focused on the growth sectors of the economy. The knowledge economy is fueled by brainpower, ideas and entrepreneurial pursuits. ThinkEquity Partners is dedicated to providing focused insight, advisory services and capital to institutional investors and corporate constituents in the knowledge economy's key growth verticals including health care, technology, education, business services and consumer. ThinkEquity has offices in San Francisco (Headquarters), New York, Chicago and Minneapolis.

ThinkEquitys partnership structure is designed to leverage deep domain expertise across brokerage, investment banking and asset management businesses. Focused knowledge is power, and ThinkEquity aspires to harness this power by becoming an essential partner with the leading growth companies of today and tomorrow. For more information on ThinkEquity Partners please visit www.thinkequity.com. Member NASD and SIPC.