Jun 8, 2000
John C. Jenkins to become Vice President and General Counsel of Guidant Corporation

Indianapolis, IN - Guidant Corporation (NYSE and PCX: GDT) today announced that on October 1, 2000 John C. Jenkins will become Vice President and General Counsel of the company, reporting to Ronald W. Dollens, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Jenkins will succeed J.B. King, who at that time will assume the position of Special Counsel until his retirement from the company on December 31, 2000.

"I am pleased that John Jenkins will be joining Guidant as Vice President and General Counsel," stated Mr. Dollens. "John''s depth of experience and proven leadership capabilities will be valuable in this critical role as we continue to grow and expand our business worldwide."

"Guidant is extremely fortunate to have John Jenkins accept the position of Vice President and General Counsel," added Mr. King. "John is an able and experienced counselor, he has worked closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as with other major regulatory agencies, and is an outstanding corporate law practitioner. I am confident that Guidant will be well served by a person of John''s caliber."

Mr. Jenkins, age 55, served as Deputy General Counsel of Eli Lilly and Company until his retirement in February 2000. He was extensively involved in securities transactions on behalf of Lilly in addition to supervising major litigation. During his span of service at Lilly, Mr. Jenkins also served as General Counsel of the Lilly U.S. pharmaceutical affiliate and as General Counsel and Secretary of Elanco Products Company.

Mr. Jenkins graduated from Kenyon College and Columbia Law School and attended the University of Bristol in England. He is a member of the American, Indiana and Indianapolis Bar Associations, as well as the American Corporate Counsel Association.

As announced, Mr. King will retire from the Company in December of this year. However, he will continue to serve as a member of the Guidant Board of Directors until his term of office as a Director expires in May 2002.

James M. Cornelius, Guidant Chairman of the Board, commented, "Since joining Guidant as the company''s initial General Counsel, J.B. King has provided exceptional leadership and guidance that will serve as a solid foundation in the years to come. He is a tremendous asset to our corporation and we look forward to his continued contributions as an integral member of Guidant''s Board of Directors."

A global leader in the medical technology industry, Guidant Corporation provides innovative, minimally invasive and cost-effective products and services for the treatment of cardiovascular and vascular disease. For more information on Guidant''s products and services, visit the company''s web site at http://www.guidant.com.