Harte-Hanks Names Mike Ortegon as Managing Director in its Australia Organization

FRENCHS FOREST, Australia – December 28, 2005 – Harte-Hanks, Inc. (NYSE:HHS), a worldwide, direct and targeted marketing company, has named Mike Ortegon as its new managing director for direct marketing, Australia.  The company also announces that David Blythe, who previously held this managing director position, has been named senior vice president, business development, Asia-Pacific, Harte-Hanks.

“Our Sydney operation [located in Frenchs Forest] will continue to grow and develop business in the Australian domestic market, as well as provide a platform for future growth in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region,” said Gary Skidmore, corporate officer and senior vice president, Harte-Hanks.  “Mike [Ortegon]’s operational skills and broad knowledge of Harte-Hanks will help drive business expansion.”

Ortegon has worked for Harte-Hanks for 11 years, and has served in client-facing roles in Texas, California and Europe facilities where he was responsible for deployment of customer relationship management programs in high-tech, pharmaceutical and retail markets. His most recent position was client services director in Hasselt, Belgium, where he delivered outbound lead management, data acquisition and analysis, channel management and fulfillment programs for various Pan-European and worldwide accounts. He is a graduate of St. Edwards University (Austin, TX) with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

David Blythe, formerly managing director, Australia, and founder of the company acquired by Harte-Hanks in February 2005 [Communiqué Direct], has been appointed senior vice president, business development, Asia-Pacific.  In this newly created role, Blythe will lead the high-tech market business development effort in the region.  

“Dave will help support our existing North American- and European-based accounts as they expand into the Asia-Pacific region,” Skidmore said.  “He also will assist in identifying new market opportunities and service delivery partners.”

Based in Sydney, Blythe has more than 20 years’ experience in high-technology markets, serving in both client and service provider positions.

About Harte-Hanks

Harte-Hanks, Inc., San Antonio, TX, is a worldwide, direct and targeted marketing company that provides direct marketing services and shopper advertising opportunities to a wide range of local, regional, national and international consumer and business-to-business marketers.  Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing improves the return on its clients' marketing investment with a range of services organized around five solution points: Construct and update the database -- Access the data -- Analyze the data -- Apply the knowledge -- Execute the programs.  Expert at each element within this process, Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing is highly skilled at tailoring solutions for each of the vertical markets it serves.  Harte-Hanks Shoppers is North America's largest owner, operator and distributor of shopper publications, with shoppers that are zoned into more than 1000 separate editions with circulation of 12 million in California and Florida each week. Visit the Harte-Hanks Web site at http://www.harte-hanks.com or call (800) 456-9748.