Hewitt Associates Chairman and CEO announces plans to retire at year end

Hewitt Associates, Inc., a global human resources services company, announced that Dale L. Gifford, who has served as chief executive officer since 1992, has informed the Company's board of directors of his plans to retire as chairman and CEO at the end of December. Hewitt's board is commencing an external search for a successor to Mr. Gifford.

"I feel extremely privileged to have served Hewitt and our clients for more than 30 years, and have a great sense of pride in our 22,000 worldwide associates and the leadership position they have created for Hewitt across the total spectrum of human resources outsourcing and consulting services," said Mr. Gifford. "Our strategic investments in recent years have enabled us to create broad, innovative and flexible solutions on behalf of our clients and have built the foundation for strong future growth potential for our investors."

The Company also announced today that Julie S. Gordon, Hewitt's chief business excellence officer and a member of its board of directors since 2000, will assume responsibility, effective immediately, for Hewitt's HR outsourcing business as its acting president. She succeeds Bryan J. Doyle, president of Hewitt's HR outsourcing business, who has resigned his positions with the Company and the board to pursue other opportunities.

Commenting on Mr. Gifford's decision to retire, Cheryl A. Francis, Hewitt's lead director, said, "Dale is a visionary who embodies the spirit of Hewitt to be close to our clients and ready to respond to the critical needs of their businesses as it relates to their people. He cares passionately about making clients, and Hewitt, better places to work through integrated human resources solutions. That spirit and Dale's determination have created today's Hewitt - the clear global leader in HR - and have helped position the Company to drive long-term growth and shareholder value. On behalf of the board and Hewitt's 22,000 associates, I deeply appreciate Dale's lifetime of service to, and his distinguished leadership of, Hewitt Associates."