PrivateBancorp, Inc. Selected as Winner of 18th Midwest Annual Report Awards Competition

PrivateBancorp, Inc. was selected from among a pool of nearly 700 Midwestern companies. The Midwest Annual Report Awards program also announced nine other reports that, together with Private Bancorp, comprise the Midwest Annual Report Awards Top 10 reports for 2008. In alphabetical order with the exception of the winner, Private Bancorp, the Midwest Annual Report Awards 2008 Top 10 winners are:

-- PrivateBancorp, Inc., Chicago, Illinois

-- CME Group, Chicago, Illinois

-- Illinois Tool Works, Glenview, Illinois

-- McDonald's Corp., Oak Brook, Illinois

-- Molex Inc., Lisle, Illinois

-- Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio

-- Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., Chicago, Illinois

-- Target Corp., Minneapolis, Minnesota

-- Taubman Centers Inc., Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

-- Wausau Paper Corp., Mosinee, Wisconsin

"On behalf of NIRI-Chicago, the American Institute of Graphics Designers-Chicago Chapter, and DePaul University, congratulations to PrivateBancorp and the other winners this year," said Kevin Kelly, president of NIRI-Chicago. "The winners represent different industries, market caps and exchanges, but are united by their sophisticated achievements in investor relations, as demonstrated by the quality of these annual reports."

Added Dennis Klaeser, Chief Financial Officer for PrivateBancorp: "We are honored to receive this award from NIRI and to have been selected from such a terrific group of entries. We want to thank the judges for this recognition as it really validates the emphasis we place on creating an informative and meaningful annual report."

Commenting on the workshop and luncheon program that accompanied the awards ceremony, Kelly remarked, "This year our program paid special attention to developments in financial reporting, which continue apace, and to the innovations companies are making with online annual reports, which are becoming increasingly interactive."

At the luncheon, Linda Kelleher, executive vice president, National Investor Relations Institute, discussed recommendations from the SEC Advisory Committee on Improvements to Financial Reporting (CIFR). In addition to the luncheon program, attendees shared approaches to online annual reports based upon a panel discussion with Donna Sitkiewicz, director of corporate communications for Kraft, Inc.; Irma Villarreal, chief counsel and assistant corporate secretary, Kraft, Inc.; and Mike Miller, partner and creative director for Genesis, Inc.

The Midwest Annual Reports Program is unique among annual report competitions in that three independent professions sponsor and evaluate annual reports from all public companies in the eight-state Midwest region. The judges are members of NIRI-Chicago; leading Chicago-area graphic designers representing the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Chicago Chapter; and professors from DePaul University's Department of Finance. Judges from the disciplines represented by the organizations (investor relations, graphic design and finance) evaluate the reports submitted based on stringent criteria. No fees or memberships are required on the part of companies submitting annual reports to participate in the competition.

About NIRI-Chicago

The Chicago Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI-Chicago) works to advance the practice of investor relations and meet the growing professional development needs of those engaged in the field. The members of NIRI-Chicago include corporate officers, consultants, service providers, academics, and others involved in the practice of investor relations, which is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance. With approximately 200 members, NIRI-Chicago is one of the largest NIRI chapters in the United States and the recipient of several NIRI awards for large chapters, including Best Chapter, Best Special Events and most recently in 2008, Best Communications. For more information, visit www.niri-chicago.org.

SOURCE: NIRI-Chicago

NIRI-Chicago Maryellen Thielen (773) 677-0646 mtthielen@aol.com