CheckFree CEO Pete Kight Named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' by the Association for Corporate Growth

ATLANTA – CheckFree Corporation (Nasdaq: CKFR) Chairman and CEO Pete Kight was presented with the “2005 Entrepreneur of the Year” award by the Atlanta chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth at a recognition dinner on May 26, 2005. Kight joins a distinguished group of past ACG honorees, including entrepreneurs Charles Brewer, Chairman and CEO of Mindspring Enterprises, Thomas E. Noonan, Chairman, President and CEO of Internet Security Systems, Inc. and Charles Loudermilk, President and CEO of Aaron Rents, and Atlanta executive Arthur Blank, Owner and CEO of The Atlanta Falcons.

“This award recognizes an Atlanta business leader who has set a new standard for corporate management in terms of corporate vision, endurance and growth,” says Joe Chapman, managing director of Marsh U.S.A. and 2005 president of the ACG Atlanta chapter. “Pete Kight founded CheckFree in 1981 and has since navigated 25 years of change, including the proliferation of the Internet, as the company secured its leadership position in financial electronic commerce. He has balanced entrepreneurial spirit with sound decision-making, and has brought to reality his vision of moving money electronically, thus transforming the way in which consumers and businesses manage finances. We are delighted to recognize his contribution to his industry and the Atlanta community with the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award.”

Kight founded CheckFree in 1981 in his grandmother’s basement to automate the monthly payment of health club dues. Through internal development and strategic acquisitions, he has expanded CheckFree into a global leader with more than 3,300 employees and 2004 revenues of $606.5 million. The company is recognized as a leading provider of financial electronic commerce services and products and is the market leader in electronic billing and payment. CheckFree holds numerous patents related to risk management and e-commerce, and was among the first to apply Sigma quality methodology to financial services.

Today more than 16 million consumers pay their bills online from nearly 1,600 sites powered by CheckFree, including banks, credit unions, brokerage firms and Internet portals. CheckFree delivers millions of electronic bills each month that represent thousands of consumer brands.