Walker Named President of Polk North America

    SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 24 Joseph Walker has been named
president of Polk North America, responsible for overseeing the entire North
American unit as well as all functions that were formerly part of Polk's
corporate services division.  The announcement was made by Stephen Polk,
chairman and CEO.

    Prior to this appointment, Walker was chief administrative officer.  He
joined the Polk organization three years ago and has served in a variety of
capacities, including senior vice-president, general counsel and corporate
secretary.

    Before joining Polk, Walker served as president and CEO of Plunkett &
Cooney, a Detroit-based law firm.  While there, Walker oversaw a complete
modernization of the firm's technological infrastructure and led the
organization through a period of financial growth and expansion.  Also during
this time, Walker authored a variety of articles and books, including: "TQM In
Action: One Firm's Journey Toward Quality and Excellence" and "The Magical
World of Customer Service: Success Stories from Service Leaders."  He
continues to lecture on topics such as ethics and law firm management.

    Walker is a member of The State Bar of Michigan and the American Bar
Association.  He is also on the board of directors of Geographic Data
Technology, Inc., Life Directions USA Inc., The Providence Hospital Foundation
and the American Corporate Counsel Association.

    Walker earned his law degree from the University of Detroit and holds a
bachelor of science degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.  He and
his family reside in Bingham Farms, Mich.

    About Polk
    Polk has served the automotive industry for nearly 80 years and is the
longest standing curator of automobile records in the United States.  Founded
in Detroit in 1870, Polk launched its motor vehicle statistical operations in
1922 when the first car registration reports were published.  It now provides
automotive solutions to nearly every segment of the motor vehicle industry as
an analytical consultant and statistician, as a provider of database-marketing
services, as a supplier of vehicle histories and as a data enabler for
geographic information systems.  Based in Southfield, Mich., Polk is a
privately held global firm, currently operating in Australia, Canada, China,
France, Germany, Holland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.