R. L. Polk & Co. Expands Analytic Services

Lionel Yron Named Director of Advanced Analytics

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 31 -- R. L. Polk & Co. announced today it is expanding its analytical services strength in two key areas which include the formation of an Advanced Analytics group led by Lionel Yron, and the expansion of the company's Industry Analysis team.

"Providing our customers with the very best intelligence when making important business decisions is our highest priority," said Stephen Polk, chairman, president and CEO of R. L. Polk & Co. "By raising the bar for industry analysis and advanced analytics, we have put the right talent and capabilities in place to help ensure our customers will grow their business in the very competitive automotive marketplace."

Lionel Yron has joined Polk as the director of advanced analytics to lead the newly formed Advanced Analytics group. In this role, Yron will oversee the design, development and delivery of Polk's advanced analytical products and services. He and his team will proactively develop new means of delivering marketplace insight and intelligence to Polk's customers.

"Lionel's industry experience and background make him an excellent choice to lead Polk's Advanced Analytics group," said Stephen Polk. "He will spearhead our partnering efforts with clients to respond to identified needs for new analysis and market insights, and move Polk forward in thought leadership for the automotive industry."

Prior to joining Polk, Yron was director of consulting and analytics at the Power Information Network. Previous to his work with J.D. Power, Yron was a consultant at Deloitte Consulting, and business planning manager at Hewlett Packard (HP) where he was responsible for worldwide business planning at HP's corporate PC division. Yron earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and holds a graduate degree in Industrial Engineering and undergraduate majors in Math and Physics from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble.

Complementing the support for market-driven analyses and new product development, Polk has also expanded its Industry Analysis group. Two additions to the team, Dan Zetu, analytic consultant and Bruce Giffin, manager of corporate market research, reflect Polk's commitment to this area. Both Zetu and Giffin will report to Lonnie Miller, Polk's director of industry analysis. "It is important to keep a proactive focus on industry trends and continually enhance Polk's analytical products and services," said Lonnie Miller. "With our existing team, we are advancing our efforts to provide relevant insights and services to align our offerings with market and client needs."

Dan Zetu joins Polk with experience in several industries where he led efforts to develop and apply market segmentation, customer satisfaction/loyalty and other techniques supporting product development and positioning initiatives. Zetu holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering & Operations Research from The University of Illinois at Chicago.

Bruce Giffin comes to Polk with 20 years of marketing research experience with international research suppliers in advertising and corporate research and has conducted primary and secondary research in a variety of industries with a strong concentration in the automotive sector. Giffin holds an MBA from Wayne State University.

"Both Dan and Bruce complement our existing team in the areas of predictive modeling, market research and understanding market needs to support the new products and services our customers require," said Lonnie Miller.

About R. L. Polk & Co.

R. L. Polk & Co. is the premier provider of automotive information and marketing solutions. Polk collects and interprets global data, and provides extensive automotive business expertise to help customers understand their market position, identify trends, build brand loyalty, conquest new business and gain a competitive advantage. Polk helps automotive manufacturers and dealers, automotive aftermarket companies, finance and insurance companies, advertising agencies, media companies, consulting organizations, government agencies and market research firms make good business decisions. A privately held global firm, Polk is based in Southfield, Mich. with operations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, please visit www.polk.com.