Carlos Hank Rhon

In this episode, Paul Hyde, a vice president in Booz Allen's financial services group, discusses what he calls the 'have-not' banks, which have resulted from nearly two decades of banking industry mergers. He describes their characteristics, what sets them apart from their more successful counterparts, and what strategies they should follow to survive in an environment of continued consolidation.

?These regional and super-regional 'have-nots' are challenged to differentiate themselves," said Hyde. "They must each build new business models that clearly define their value propositions for customers, and their individual rights-to-win in the marketplace.

"Looking ahead, I think we'll see continued consolidation on a national level -- particularly among the 'have-nots' that fail to find the unique niches that will allow them to compete."

Mergercast by Booz Allen is a podcast exploring the world of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings. Episode 13 has a runtime of 15 minutes and 40 seconds, and can be accessed at www.boozallen.com/mergercast. Listeners can play the podcast on its homepage or subscribe via RSS feed, e-mail or the iTunes store.

About Booz Allen Hamilton:

Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of management consulting for businesses and governments for more than 90 years. Providing consulting services in strategy, operations, organization and change, and information technology, Booz Allen is the one firm that helps clients solve their toughest problems, working by their side to help them achieve their missions. Booz Allen is committed to delivering results that endure.

With 19,000 employees on six continents, the firm generates annual sales of $4 billion. Booz Allen has been recognized as a consultant and an employer of choice. In 2007, for the third consecutive year, Fortune magazine named Booz Allen one of 'The 100 Best Companies to Work For,' and for the past eight years, Working Mother has ranked the firm among its '100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.'

To learn more about the firm, visit the Booz Allen Web site at www.boozallen.com. To learn more about the best ideas in business, visit www.strategy-business.com, the Web site for strategy+business, a quarterly journal sponsored by Booz Allen.

The company has since sold the banknote to a private collector who has very generously agreed to allow The Rare Coin Company to exhibit the banknote under strict security and insurance arrangements.

Company Director Robert Jackman confirmed that the company was set to exhibit the banknote in Albany and Perth in early 2008, which will allow the general public a once in a lifetime opportunity to view a significant piece of Australia's heritage and an outstanding artistic specimen.

"This is truly an opportunity for all Western Australian's to view a unique numismatic rarity as once the exhibition is over the banknote is unlikely to be seen in the public domain again for a significant period of time," Mr Jackman said. "As one of Australia's leading numismatic specialists, we are thrilled to secure such an important numismatic rarity and what makes this experience even more satisfying for us is to know that the artistic excellence and historical value of the banknote will now be able to be enjoyed by all those who attend the exhibit." he said.

Further details regarding the public exhibition of the banknote will be released early in the New Year.

?This important study demonstrates that conservation and human well-being are indelibly linked,? said Stephanie Meeks, acting president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy. ?It?s clear from this study that taking steps to protect vital natural systems, such as through the establishment of marine protected areas, provides clear benefits to people as well as wildlife.?

Governments around the world are wrestling with questions about whether investments in conservation benefit the lives of extremely impoverished people. The Nature?s Investment Bank study provides new, tangible evidence that these investments do bring about measurable economic and quality of life benefits.

Co-authored by Nature Conservancy policy advisor Craig Leisher, Dutch economist Dr. Peter van Beukering, and Brazilian/Australian social scientist Dr. Lea M. Scherl, this study (http://www.nature.org/initiatives/protectedareas/howwework/art22205.html) found that restoration of local resources ? be they fisheries or coral reefs ? increased fish catch and economic opportunities, improved community health, and directly enhanced the lives of local residents.

?When marine protected areas are developed with government support, scientific data, and are managed primarily by local communities that take pride in the management of their natural resources, significant improvements in quality of life can be seen,? said Craig Leisher, co-author of the study. ?Building networks of resilient marine protected areas will help maintain the food and income necessary to support coastal communities as well as curb the use of destructive fishing techniques, and enable coral reefs to survive the impacts of climate change.?

As a Fijian community leader from Waiqanake village named Weku Ratumainaceva noted, ?The marine protected area is like a bank to the people. Opening more branches of the ?bank? in developing countries can contribute to coastal poverty reduction.?

The study team conducted more than 1,100 interviews within poor communities in four countries and, using rigorous scientific methodology endorsed by several leading environmental economists and social scientists, analyzed the effect of marine protected areas at four very different sites:

?    In Indonesia?s Bunaken National Marine Park, local communities benefited from an increase in incomes from dive tourism and a share in revenue from park fees. Interestingly, marine protected area fishers in Bunaken also spent approximately 50 percent less time per year fishing than fishers in an area without a marine protected area, yet their income was roughly equal ? suggesting that the protected area fishers have more time to invest in other activities.

?    In Fiji?s Navakavu Locally Managed Marine Area, poverty was reduced by increased fish and shellfish catches (the #1 source of income for the local community), and local incomes more than doubled for the community?s 600 people.

?    In the Solomon Islands Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area, communities saw better governance and more productive management of Arnavon?s marine resources, leading to cooperation on many other community problems as well as greater food security and better public health.

?    On Apo Island in the Philippines, local communities also experienced greater incomes and better public health, due in large part to greater fish catches, more protein, and better nutrition. In addition, increased revenues from tourism were invested to improve local education and healthcare.

The worldwide poverty crisis has risen to the forefront of global issues, and with nearly 3 billion people around the world living on the equivalent of US$2 a day or less, millions are forced to make decisions that damage their environment in order to feed themselves and their families.

When poverty increases, fish stocks are depleted. Fishers are often driven to use destructive methods to catch what little is left, damaging the reefs and fish habitat that produce the food local communities depend upon for survival. With every 5 percent loss of coral reefs, 250,000-500,000 tons of fish are lost as well, threatening food security for millions.

This study highlights the importance of protecting these ocean habitats, to both preserve essential marine life and reduce poverty in coastal areas ? not only in Asia-Pacific but across many impoverished coastal communities around the globe.

"Nature?s Investment Bank" was co-funded by the Nature Conservancy, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Australian Government and WWF-Indonesia, and was completed in collaboration with local NGOs and universities in each of the four study sites.

The report and an accompanying film can be viewed at: www.nature.org/mpapovertystudy

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.

Contact:

Cristina Mestre

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+1.703-841-8779 (U.S. and Australia)

Tri Soekirman

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