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April 17, 2018

Kelly Tompkins and Brittany Whitman added to Dix & Eaton Investor Relations Practice

CLEVELAND – April 17, 2018 – Dix & Eaton announced today that P. Kelly Tompkins has been named a Senior Advisor, and Brittany Whitman has joined the firm as a Senior Account Executive. Tompkins, who has more than 30 years of public company experience, and Whitman, who is a former equity research analyst, will work in investor relations and corporate communications, among other areas, for the Cleveland-based integrated communications consultancy.

As a Senior Advisor, Tompkins brings a broad range of C-suite-level experience, having provided advice and counsel to board chairs, CEOs, CFOs and other corporate officers on matters relating to governance, investor relations, transactions, enterprise risk management, sustainability, capital markets, finance, government and public affairs, and corporate communications. He has an extensive track record of success in a variety of challenging public company situations including turnarounds, strategic restructurings, and executive management and board-level transitions.

Whitman partners with clients on comprehensive investor relations and corporate communications projects, delivering strategic counsel and serving as a dedicated extension of their teams. Her background as a sell-side research analyst brings a unique perspective to the clients she serves, with the ability to combine her strengths in analysis and communications. She is skilled in writing, research, financial analysis, capital markets and project management.

“Investor relations and corporate communications have been Dix & Eaton mainstays for more than four decades,” Chief Executive Officer Chas Withers said. “We are very excited to welcome Kelly Tompkins and Brittany Whitman to the D&E team. Kelly’s extensive track record of success in corporate management and board leadership enables us to further expand our ability to provide clients with unequaled senior counsel and insight. In a period of rapid change for many companies, it is a tremendous benefit to our firm and our clients to have access to Kelly’s expertise with shareholder activism, major corporate transactions, management turnover, strategic review and reset, and sustainability.”

Withers continued, “As a former sell-side analyst, Brittany offers strong financial and analytical skills that will help clients communicate with investors and translate that information for other audiences. She is an extremely important addition to our investor relations and corporate communications teams.”

Investor relations and corporate communications are core service offerings for Dix & Eaton. This work includes shareholder communications, corporate governance counsel, executive transitions, investor targeting, proxy contests and shareholder activism, M&A/IPO communications, bankruptcy communications, websites and digital strategies, annual reports, corporate sustainability reports, and program assessment and measurement.

About P. Kelly Tompkins

Prior to joining Dix & Eaton, Tompkins was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF), the largest iron ore mining company in the U.S. His other C-suite positions while at Cliffs since 2010 included serving as Chief Financial Officer; Executive Vice President, Business Development; Executive Vice President, External Affairs & President, Global Commercial; Chief Administrative Officer; Executive Vice President, Legal, Government Affairs and Sustainability; and President, Cliffs China.

From 1996 to 2010, Tompkins was a C-suite executive at global coatings, sealants and building materials manufacturer RPM International Inc. (NYSE: RPM), having served as Chief Financial Officer; Chief Administrative Officer; Senior Vice President and General Counsel; Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary; and Assistant General Counsel.

Early in his career, Tompkins co-founded an independent IR consulting firm. Before that, he worked for Reliance Electric, as Product Marketing Manager, Director of Investor & Public Relations, Senior Corporate Counsel and Director of Corporate Development. While at Reliance, Tompkins participated in a management-led leveraged buyout, an initial public offering, and was extensively involved in the sale of Reliance to Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK), including serving on the post-sale integration team. Tompkins also worked for Exxon Corporation as a Trial Attorney in its Houston-based law department.

Tompkins holds a bachelor’s degree from Mercyhurst University in Erie, and a J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he is currently serving as a Leader-in-Residence. His other community leadership roles include serving as a Trustee at Mercyhurst; Chair of the Advisory Council of the Baldwin Wallace University Center for Innovation & Growth; and Co-Chair of the United Way’s Humanitarian Society.

About Brittany Whitman

Whitman joined Dix and Eaton from Longbow Research, where she was an Equity Research Analyst for the restaurant industry. During her five-plus years at Longbow, she covered nearly 20 publicly traded restaurant stocks, maintaining comprehensive financial models as well as creating and publishing earnings/event recaps for each company. She conducted and published proprietary research as well as industry-specific reports and served as the primary point of contact for clients, investor relations and leadership executives.

Whitman graduated from John Carroll’s Boler School of Business in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. She also serves as an Education Ambassador for national nonprofit Bright Pink and sits on the planning committee for Cleveland Clinic’s Key to the Cure fundraising event.

About Dix & Eaton

Dix & Eaton is an integrated communications consultancy specializing in investor relations, crisis communications, media relations and marketing communications. Working as trusted partners, we bring deep experience, foresight and creativity to every relationship and help clients realize the full power of communication to drive results. Founded in 1952, Dix & Eaton is 100 percent employee-owned and has twice been named the nation’s best midsized firm.

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