Universal Technical Institute Announces Interim Chief Financial Officer

PHOENIX, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Universal Technical Institute
Inc. (NYSE: UTI), a provider of technical education training, today announced
that Eugene S. Putnam, Jr. assumed the role of Interim Chief Financial Officer
of the Company. Mr. Putnam will serve as the Company's principal financial
officer and principal accounting officer until a permanent Chief Financial
Officer is appointed. Mr. Putnam is currently employed by Resources Global
Professionals, a professional services firm, and will be providing his
services to the Company through an agreement between the Company and Resources
Global Professionals. Ms. Haslip, the Company's former Chief Financial
Officer, will be available to assist in Mr. Putnam's integration into the
Company.
Prior to joining Resources Global Professionals, from 2005 through 2007,
Mr. Putnam, 48, served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Aegis Mortgage Corporation. At Aegis Mortgage Corporation, Mr.
Putnam was responsible for financial leadership, corporate strategy and
mergers and acquisitions. From 2003 through 2005, Mr. Putnam served as the
President of Coastal Securities L.P., where he was responsible for all
operational and strategic aspects of the company's broker-dealer operations.
From 2001 through 2003, Mr. Putnam served as the Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of Sterling Bancshares, Inc. Mr. Putnam holds an
M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina and a B.S. in economics from the
University of California, Los Angeles.
"I am very pleased to have someone of Eugene's caliber join our team to
assist us during this interim period. We continue the search for our
permanent CFO and look forward to filling this role in the near future," said
President and CEO, Kimberly McWaters.
About Universal Technical Institute
Universal Technical Institute is a provider of technical education
training for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel,
collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. The company offers
undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs at 10 campuses across
the United States, and manufacturer-sponsored advanced programs at 18
dedicated training centers. Through its campus-based school system, Universal
Technical Institute offers specialized technical education programs under
several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI),
Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR
Technical Institute (NTI).
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release concerning the future business, operating
results and financial condition of the company are "forward-looking"
statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and are
subject to a number of uncertainties that could cause actual performance and
results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking
statements. Factors that could affect the company's actual results include
changes to federal and state educational funding, construction delays for new
or expanding campuses, possible failure or inability to obtain regulatory
consents and certifications for new or expanding campuses, potential increased
competition, changes in demand for the programs offered by the company,
increased investment in management and capital resources, the effectiveness of
the company's recruiting, advertising and promotional efforts, changes to
interest rates and low unemployment. Further information on these and other
potential factors that could affect the company's financial results or
condition may be found in the company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The
company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Universal Technical Institute Inc.

Kimberly McWaters, Chief Executive Officer, President, +1-623-445-9500, or
Valerie Monaco, Public Relations Manager, +1-623-445-0841, both of Universal
Technical Institute, Inc.