Ricardo Makes Key Appointment in Japan

VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., Jan. 25, 2006 -- A further strengthening of the senior management team of Ricardo plc was announced yesterday with the appointment of Akio Okamura as president of Ricardo Japan Ltd. Okamura joins Ricardo from his previous position as partner and Asia representative of the Automotive Competence Center of international strategic consultancy, Roland Berger Ltd.

A mechanical engineer with a Master of Business Administration degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Okamura spent the early part of his career with Nissan Motor Company before joining A.T. Kearney as principal of its Japanese Automotive Practice.

In this new role as president of Ricardo Japan Ltd, Okamura will be based at the company's Tokyo offices, which were formally opened in Oct. 2005. This is a new position within the company in which Okamura will report directly to Ricardo Chief Executive Officer Dave Shemmans, reflecting both the future importance of the Japanese market to Ricardo and the significant track record of growth enjoyed by the company in Japan in recent years.

Commenting on this key senior management appointment, Dave Shemmans said: "Having recently strengthened the technical senior management of the company, the appointment of Akio Okamura as president of Ricardo Japan Ltd brings significant and complementary skills to a highly strategic and customer facing role. This key appointment reflects our commitment for Ricardo plc to become the premium deep content automotive consultancy for the global automotive industry."

With its North American headquarters in Van Buren Twp., Mich., Ricardo has been a world-leading vehicle system and powertrain technology provider for automotive manufacturers, heavy-duty manufacturers and tier one suppliers since 1915.

The company provides expertise ranging from designing and developing engines, transmissions and drivelines, to integrating vehicle systems and creating software solutions, to developing gasoline, diesel, hybrid and fuel cell technology.

Ricardo is committed to excellence and industry leadership in people, technology and knowledge. A public company based in the U.K., Ricardo plc posted sales of $272 million in fiscal year 2005 and is a part of the FTSE techMark 100 index -- a group of innovative technology companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.