Dr. William H. Cunningham Joins Viasystems Group, Inc. Board of Directors

    ST. LOUIS--March 22, 2002--Viasystems Group, Inc. today announced that Dr. William H. Cunningham has joined the company's board of directors.
    "Bill Cunningham brings tremendous expertise and counsel to the Viasystems board," said Thomas O. Hicks, chairman of the Viasystems board of directors and chairman and CEO of Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Incorporated. "His experience in a broad range of corporate issues will be very valuable as Viasystems strengthens its position as a low-cost, global competitor in the electronics manufacturing services industry."
    Cunningham currently holds the James L. Bayless Chair for Free Enterprise in the Red McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He served as chancellor and CEO of The University of Texas System from 1992 to 2000 and president of The University of Texas at Austin from 1985 to 1992. From 1983 to 1985, Cunningham was dean of the university's College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Business.
    Currently, he serves as board member for several public companies, including Southwest Airlines, Jefferson-Pilot Corporation, and Introgen Therapeutics. In addition, Cunningham serves as an independent trustee for several John Hancock mutual funds.
    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the federal securities laws, and these statements are based upon Viasystems' current expectations and assumptions, which are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated, projected, or implied. Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ include fluctuations in operating results and customer orders, a competitive environment, reliance on large customers, risks associated with international operations, ability to protect patents and trade secrets, environmental laws and regulations, relationship with unionized employees, risks associated with acquisitions, substantial indebtedness, control by large stockholders and other factors described in Viasystems' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
    Viasystems Group, Inc. is a leading global EMS provider with more than 18,000 employees in eight countries, supplying customers in the telecommunications, networking, automotive and consumer electronics industries. Viasystems is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "VG."