Wilmington Trust Elects New Board Member; Susan D. Whiting Adds Market Research and Business Development Expertise

Business Wire, Dec 19, 2005

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Wilmington Trust Corporation (NYSE:WL) announced today that Susan D. Whiting has been elected to its Board of Directors. Ms. Whiting, 49, is president and chief executive officer of Nielsen Media Research and Executive Vice President, VNU Media Measurement & Information. Her career spans more than 27 years of management, marketing, information systems, and business development experience.

"Susan is one of the most recognized and respected executives in the market research industry," said Ted T. Cecala, Wilmington Trust chairman and chief executive officer. "She adds a unique perspective to our strategic thinking, and her knowledge complements the vast and diverse expertise already represented on our Board. We look forward to having the benefit of her counsel as we continue to build relationships with clients and expand into new markets."

During her tenure at Nielsen Media Research, Ms. Whiting has been responsible for creating, developing, and marketing a variety of services for broadcast and cable television networks, advertising agencies, and cable system operators throughout the United States. Nielsen Media Research, a provider of television audience measurement and related services, and VNU Media Measurement & Information are divisions of VNU NV. VNU NV is a media and marketing information company that had 2004 revenues of EUR 3.8 billion.

"I am pleased to be joining the Board of such a high-caliber company," said Ms. Whiting. "I look forward to applying my knowledge of marketing strategies, business development, and national markets on behalf of Wilmington Trust's clients and shareholders."

Ms. Whiting's election to the Wilmington Trust Board was effective December 15, 2005. She is an outside director, as are all but two of the company's 15 directors. The only two inside directors are Mr. Cecala and Robert V.A. Harra Jr., the company's president and chief operating officer.

Ms. Whiting is a member of the Board of Nielsen NetRatings, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Chicago's Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and of Denison University. She is past president of the Connecticut Women's Forum, former Board member of the Advertising Research Foundation, and former President of the New York Radio and TV Research Council. She is a cum laude graduate of Denison University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.

About Wilmington Trust

Wilmington Trust Corporation (NYSE:WL) is a $10 billion financial services holding company that provides wealth management and specialized corporate services to clients throughout the United States and in more than 50 other countries, and commercial banking services throughout the Delaware Valley region. Its wholly owned bank subsidiary, Wilmington Trust Company, was founded in 1903 and is the 15th largest personal trust provider in the United States, as well as the leading retail and commercial bank in Delaware. Wilmington Trust Corporation and its affiliates have offices in California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, the Cayman Islands, the Channel Islands, London, and Dublin. For more information, visit www.wilmingtontrust.com.