Russell Website Earns Industry Branding Award (Russell.com)

Russell Website Earns Industry "Branding" Award

TACOMA, Wash. — July 30, 2003 — Russell's U.S. institutional investor website, ClientLINK, ranks as the third-best 'branding' website among global institutional asset management websites, according to a new study by kasina, LLC, a New York-based strategic management consulting firm.

"It's gratifying to see our approach to Russell's websites earn this level of recognition," said Mike Phillips, chairman. "Our web teams work diligently to connect Russell in a meaningful way to our clients, prospects and associates. The resulting web products offer timely, relevant and easy to find information; all of which responds to growing expectations among web users for increased control over how they access information and advice."

Last year, kasina conducted its initial study of institutional asset management websites and the firm reported that this year's follow-up study shows improvement across the board. According to the study, more websites offer accessible account balances now than ever, almost all of the companies' websites (96%) have basic information about the company and 63% of the websites in the study offer biographies of portfolio managers, up from 29% in 2001.

Misty Ford, who leads Russell's U.S. institutional web initiatives, said, "This study by kasina gives institutional investors a much-needed gauge by which to measure our work in the web arena. It provides us with a benchmark from a highly respected source to measure how our work compares to others in the industry."

kasina is a management consulting firm that is focused on helping financial services companies create intelligent relationships with their investors and intermediaries. By combining knowledge of distribution trends, technological innovations, and marketing strategies, kasina aids leading U.S. and European asset management firms with their front-office efforts and publishes a regular schedule of cutting-edge industry research. kasina's client list includes 18 of the 20 largest asset managers in the United States and leading European firms in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. An overview of services offered by kasina is available at www.kasina.com.

About Russell
Russell, a global leader in multi-manager investment services, provides investment products and services in more than 35 countries. Russell manages more than $76 billion in assets and advises clients worldwide representing more than $1.6 trillion. Founded in 1936, Russell is a subsidiary of Northwestern Mutual and is headquartered in Tacoma, Wash., with additional offices in New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland and Tokyo. For more information, go to www.russell.com.

Contact: Steve Claiborne, 253.594.1858

Frank Russell Company, a Washington, USA Corporation, operates through subsidiaries worldwide, and is a subsidiary of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.

RC #3137