NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett Teams with Monster to Launch 4XL; Charitable Program Designed to Help Minority Students Nationwide Achieve Academic and Career Success

MINNEAPOLIS & MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 29, 2003--As high school and college students across the country begin the new school year, many are facing uncertainty about how to take the next big step in their lives and careers. To help assist minority students find answers to their many questions, Kevin Garnett is launching 4XL - For Excellence in Leadership(R) in conjunction with Monster(R)(a), the leading global online careers property and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST).

Officially launched today during Kevin Garnett's visit with students at North High School in Minneapolis, the 4XL(R) program is built around three components that are designed to build upon what students learn in the classroom: 1) an interactive co-branded website powered by Monster (http://4xl.org/), 2) a personalized, email-based career development roadmap to guide students from high school to college and beyond by addressing their unique development needs, and 3) 2-3 day business immersions at leading corporations.

The 4XL website offers minority students nationwide access to educational and career development tools and services online through Monster's leading technology. The co-branded website will also allow students to:

  • participate in professionally moderated discussion boards;
  • search for colleges, scholarships, internships, and jobs;
  • connect with business and community leaders through online mentoring; and
  • participate in an interactive skill development and career guidance curriculum.

"Students need guidance from experts in education and business, and 4XL gives them the roadmap and resources to pursue their passions successfully," said Kevin Garnett, 4XL Founder and NBA-All-Star with the Minnesota Timberwolves. "Teaming with Monster to develop the technology behind the 4XL website gives us an opportunity to provide students with the best career tools and services available online."

"Our relationship with 4XL is a great opportunity to reach and help thousands of minority students across the country as they look toward the next step in their lives and careers," said Steve Pogorzelski, president of Monster, North America. "Through industry-leading tools and services from Monster, combined with the dedication of the 4XL program and Kevin Garnett, students will receive expert career advice to help them prepare to enter the workforce."

4XL is supported by leading companies, including Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). "The 4XL program fulfills a critical business need by reaching back earlier in the development pipeline to prepare thousands of students of color for careers in business," said Elizabeth Derby, Director of Global Diversity at Credit Suisse First Boston.

4XL's business immersions offer students the chance to spend 2-3 days at leading corporations where they can learn about a company's operations and strategies firsthand - all designed to augment the technology-based components of the program.

4XL's mission is to prepare African American, Latino/Hispanic American and Native American high school and college students to achieve their educational goals and put them on the road to leadership positions in business and their communities. It is free and open to all who apply through the website, www.4XL.org.

(a)In June 2003, Monster also launched Monster Diversity and Inclusion (http://diversity.monster.com), a new community that connects diverse job seekers with employers who are looking to recruit a more diverse workforce. Accessible via Monster's Career Center (http://content.monster.com/), the website serves as the central homepage for the Monster Diversity & Inclusion community and is also prominently featured as the official careers channel of the NAACP (http://www.naacp.org/). The Diversity and Inclusion community offers jobs across a wide breadth of industries, posted by companies nationwide that want to reach a diverse pool of qualified job seekers.

About 4XL

4XL - For Excellence in Leadership - a Kevin Garnett Foundation, was launched to connect minority high school and college students with business leaders, resources, opportunities, and internet-based guidance, while preparing them for business-related careers. (Kevin Garnett is an eight-year NBA veteran, perennial All-Star forward for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and member of the gold-medal-winning USA Basketball team in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games). 4XL is supported by leading companies, including adidas, Wilsons Leather, General Mills and Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). 4XL is a partnership with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT, www.ML4T.org), a New York-based non-profit 501c3 organization. For additional information about Kevin Garnett's 4XL--For Excellence in Leadership(R) program, please contact Ken Blacklow at (212) 686-2960, ext. 10 or ken@4XL.org.

About Monster

Monster, headquartered in Maynard, Mass., is the leading global careers website, recording over 49.1 million visits during the month of August 2003, according to independent research conducted by I/PRO. Monster connects the most progressive companies with the most qualified career-minded individuals, offering innovative technology and superior services that give them more control over the recruiting process. The Monster global network consists of local content and language sites in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Scotland, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg, India, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland. Monster is the official online career management services sponsor of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. More information about Monster is available at www.monster.com or by calling 1-800-MONSTER.

About Monster Worldwide

Founded in 1967, Monster Worldwide, Inc. is the parent company of Monster, the leading global online careers property. The company also owns TMP Worldwide, the world's largest Yellow Pages and Recruitment Advertising agency network and provider of direct marketing services. Headquartered in New York with approximately 4,500 employees in 19 countries, Monster Worldwide's clients include more than 90 of the FORTUNE 100 and more than 490 of the FORTUNE 500 companies. Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST - News) is a member of the S&P 500 Index. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com.

CONTACT: 4XL
Ken Blacklow, 212-686-2960, ext. 10
ken@4XL.org
or
Monster
Kevin Mullins, 978-461-8751
kevin.mullins@monster.com

SOURCE: Monster