Hillenbrand, Inc. Appoints Hinesh Patel Vice President of Business Development and Strategy

BATESVILLE, Ind., Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI) has appointed Hinesh Patel as vice president of business development and strategy. Reporting directly to President and CEO Kenneth A. Camp, Patel will be part of Hillenbrand's executive management team, working to identify and execute strategic initiatives that will drive growth and shareholder value across the organization.

Patel most recently served as director of strategy and business development for Honeywell, where he started his career as a manufacturing process engineer. In the intervening years, Patel held management roles in strategy and development at Milliken & Company, Caspian Networks, Eaton Corporation and Arthur D. Little.

Patel received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University and his master's in business administration from the University of Michigan.

"Hillenbrand and Batesville Casket are recognized for superior customer relationships, a world-class manufacturing competency and financial stability," said Patel. "The organization also has a culture that encourages high performance, while supporting individuals in their goals to develop and achieve success. I'm looking forward to helping the Hillenbrand enterprise leverage these strengths to identify both internal and external growth opportunities."

"As a new public company, we have a great opportunity to chart a course that takes advantage of the core competencies of our operating division, Batesville Casket Company," said Camp. "Hinesh brings our team a high level of knowledge in strategy and business development, which will help us to grow and create additional value for our shareholders."

ABOUT HILLENBRAND, INC.

Hillenbrand, Inc. ( www.HillenbrandInc.com ) is the holding company for Batesville Casket Company, a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing and other personalization and memorialization products. HI-INC-E

SOURCE Hillenbrand, Inc.

Released September 15, 2008