STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) has been selected as a recipient of the American Business Ethics Award (ABEA) by the Society of Financial Service Professionals for demonstrating a commitment to ethical business practices through management and employee behavior. The ABEA award was presented to Pitney Bowes on January 16 at The Union League in Philadelphia.

Pitney Bowes Chairman and CEO Michael J. Critelli stated that the company has had a longstanding commitment to a code of ethical conduct in its business practices "before corporate ethics and compliance programs were in vogue."

"Our history is one steeped in a commitment to values and principles that are fundamental to our belief that when we do the right thing, we will always win. We are proud of our track record of creating, raising and exceeding industry norms in the areas of business practices, diversity and community relations, and we thank the Society of Financial Service Professionals for this honor," he added.

The ABEA recognizes U.S. companies that exemplify high standards of ethical behavior in their everyday business conduct and in response to specific crises or challenges.

John P. Walker, chief of Corporate Compliance and Integrity Affairs at Pitney Bowes, stated that strong leadership commitment to business ethics has served as the backbone of the company's corporate and ethics compliance programs.

"Our executive officers continue to set an example of sound business practices through their words and actions, and work together with employees to bring these ethical principles to life."

Walker also cited that crises such as the September 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax mail scare put the company's business practices to the test under extraordinary circumstances. "Our employees worked together to help the community and individuals who were impacted by these tragedies in a way that reflected quite positively on the company and our business."

Pitney Bowes has a number of programs that focus on educating employees about ethical business practices and good corporate citizenship, including:

• A Corporate Compliance Program, which has been in place since the 1970's and was formalized in 1998. This program has a dedicated staff and provides a variety of services to assure compliance with company policies and the law, and to promote ethical business conduct.

• All 35,000 employees worldwide are trained in the company's Business Practices Guidelines, which have been printed in eight different languages and distributed worldwide through live training sessions.

• A 24-hour Ethics Help Line, which serves as a resource for questions and a place for employees to raise issues of concern about potential unethical or illegal behavior.

Pitney Bowes is a sponsoring partner in the Ethics Officer Association and actively participates in the organization's activities and programs. The company has also received numerous awards and recognition for its standards and practices in business, diversity and community relations, including the Business Ethics Magazine list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens" for several consecutive years; the Connecticut Business Ethics award from the Society of Financial Service Professionals; the CIO-100 Award for Customer Service Excellence; the Heart of Gold Society award, and Working Women Magazine's "Top 25 Companies for Executive Women," to name a few.

The Society of Financial Service Professionals, the standard bearer of excellence in professionalism, advanced continuing education and ethical guidance for its 25,000 members nationwide, established the ABEA in 1994 for the nation's top financial advisers comprised of 25,000 financial service professionals. The award is given to one large company (with more than 2,500 employees), one mid-sized company (with 250 to 2,500 employees), and one small company (with fewer than 250 employees.) Pitney Bowes is the award recipient in the large company category. For additional information about the ABEA program, visit http://www.financialpro.org.

Pitney Bowes is a $4.1 billion leading global provider of integrated mail and document management solutions, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The company serves over 2 million businesses of all sizes through direct and dealer operations in more than 130 countries. For more information on the company, its products, services and solutions, contact http://www.pitneybowes.com.

SOURCE Pitney Bowes Inc.

-0- 01/17/2003

/CONTACT: Marianne Fulgenzi, Director, External Affairs of Pitney Bowes Inc., +1-203-351-6974, Marianne.fulgenzi@pb.com/

/Web site: http://www.pitneybowes.com