ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.----Feb. 13, 2002--Danka Business Systems today announced the forthcoming retirement of Brian L. Merriman, president and chief operating officer, and the appointment of Donald W. Thurman as chief growth and marketing officer. Merriman is planning to retire by July 1, 2002, which would coincide with his 65th birthday. His tenure at Danka caps a distinguished career in the office imaging industry, in which he was named Office Machine Executive of the Year six times. "I'm proud of Danka's accomplishments over the last few years, especially the way our associates have responded positively to the challenges facing our entire industry,'' said Merriman. "I'm going to miss my many friends at Danka, but the company is in good hands and is well-positioned to maintain its leadership.'' Last summer, Merriman transitioned his operational responsibilities to group presidents Todd Mavis, U.S. Office Imaging; Peter Williams, Europe; and David Berg, Canada/Latin America/Asia Pacific. He will continue his special project work over the next few months, including improving the company's supply chain and progressing Danka's Vision 21 customer-centric process and system improvements. He also will continue to serve his term on Danka's Board of Directors. The appointment of Don Thurman as Danka's first-ever chief growth and marketing officer (CGMO) marks a turning point in the positioning of Danka as a value-added provider of digital document solutions. Thurman, a successful executive and entrepreneur in the digital printing, document storage, and web presentment industries, will lead the development of Danka's new growth initiatives. "I'm excited by the opportunities here at Danka,'' commented Thurman. "We have a terrific customer base, and those clients are looking for Danka to provide a wider range of solutions related to the processing and management of documents. We have the expertise and the infrastructure to deliver those additional solutions, and to do so in a way that further distinguishes Danka from the competition in providing unparalleled customer service.'' Thurman's initial focus will include the expansion of Danka's highly regarded technical services into other areas of value to customers, the development of a document management software solution to be called Danka @ the Desktop(TM), and the incubation of a new electronic storage and distribution offering. "First, I want to thank Brian for his support in ensuring a smooth transition and for his leadership on several key initiatives that have been helpful to our turnaround efforts,'' said Danka Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lang Lowrey. "Second, I'm pleased to have Don aboard to help position Danka strategically and to champion and coordinate our global marketing efforts. Although we still face challenges in the industry-wide analog-to-digital transition, our recent financial and business restructurings enable us to expand our offerings in a way that creates greater value for our clients. Danka's strategy is straightforward: continue its leadership in the office imaging industry while providing new, comprehensive document printing solutions - all with world-class customer service.''