First American Strengthens Investor Relations Program With Promotions of Two Executives

August 30, 2005

SANTA ANA, Calif., /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The First American Corporation (NYSE: FAF) announced the promotions of Denise M. Warren and Mark A. Hoppe as part of a move to increase the company's visibility and strengthen communications with shareholders on both the East and West Coasts.

Denise M. Warren, who is based in New York, will now serve as vice president and director of investor relations. With more than 20 years of expertise in this area, Warren has led First American's investor relations efforts since 1998. She played a key role in the successful implementation of a proactive program that integrates the company's investor relations and corporate communications functions to help secure a stable and diversified shareholder base and maximize shareholder value.

"First American has experienced tremendous change and growth over the past decade," said Warren. "I look forward to working with our growing communications and investor relations team to communicate the company's investor story of change, growth and profitability to our shareholders and prospective investors."

Prior to her tenure with First American, Warren was a managing director of JDJ & Co. Inc., an investor relations consulting firm. While there she developed and implemented investor and employee communications programs for a number of financial services companies including First American, and also conducted investor relations training seminars and workshops for newly public companies. Her background also includes a position as vice president in the Corporate Analysis division of Georgeson & Company, a global investor relations, shareholder analysis and proxy solicitation firm in New York.

Warren is a 10-year member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). She also has earned certification from the New York Institute of Finance and the New York Insurance Institute. She holds a bachelor's degree from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass.

Assisting Warren will be Mark A. Hoppe, who has been promoted to vice president, investor relations. Hoppe initially joined First American in 2000, when he was appointed president of First American Capital Management, Inc., the company's investment management arm. Leveraging his extensive relationships in the investment community, he will assist Warren in communicating First American's strategies, operations and financial performance to prospective shareholders. Hoppe will be based at the company's headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif.

"My primary goal is to assist senior management in their efforts to unlock the immense 'hidden value' of First American by helping the institutional marketplace to better understand the value of our many inter-related business entities," said Hoppe.

Hoppe has nearly 25 years of investment management experience. His background includes four years as vice president-investments for First Security Van Kasper. He also has held positions as vice president-investments for Prudential Securities and as president of Buffalo Capital Corporation.

Hoppe holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Southern California, as well as a number of professional licenses including Series-7, Series-63 and Series-65 Securities licenses, a California Department of Insurance Life and Disabilities Insurance License, and a California Real Estate Salespersons License.

"First American is dedicated to increasing the depth and breadth of our investor relations program," said Parker S. Kennedy, chairman and chief executive officer for The First American Corporation. "Denise's proven track record and Mark's industry contacts combined with our excellent corporate communications team, will strengthen communications with our shareholders and raise visibility for the company among analysts, portfolio managers, brokers and individuals."

Source: The First American Corporation


Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.