Hitachi Consulting Acquires Leading Financial Services

DALLAS .- Hitachi Consulting, the global consulting company of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), announced today that it has acquired JMN Associates, a leading provider of consulting services to the financial services, real estate and insurance industries. JMN, based in San Francisco brings practical and proven solutions to its clients in the areas of business and technology strategy, process improvement, organizational change, project management, and regulatory compliance.

“The Financial Services Industry is an important area of future growth for Hitachi Consulting across the United States,” said Michael Travis, president and CEO of Hitachi Consulting. “We feel the JMN team brings us the critical skills, experience, and clients to enrich our offerings for the U.S. Financial Services Industry.”

Jim Neckopulos, the founder and chief executive officer of JMN Associates, will become managing vice president for Hitachi Consulting’s newly formed Financial Services Industry national practice. Prior to forming JMN Associates, he was the partner in charge of the financial services industry consulting practice in the Western U.S. for Arthur Andersen.

Joining this new practice will also be the Financial Services practice of the Dove Consulting Division of Hitachi Consulting, led by Chris Allen, director, consulting services, as well as its Payments Compliance practice, led by Paul Turgeon, vice president consulting services.

“The combination of JMN and Hitachi Consulting now provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios of consulting services and solutions for the financial services industry,” said Mr. Neckopulos. “And, our client list is a veritable who’s who of the banking, investment, and payments processing sectors.”