Synovus Makes FORTUNE “100 Best Companies To Work For”

Columbus, Ga., Jan. 21, 2002 — Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: “SNV”) has been named No. 5 on FORTUNE magazine’s fifth annual listing of “The 100 Best Companies To Work For.” This year’s survey will appear in FORTUNE magazine’s February 4th issue. Synovus was No. 11 on the “Best Companies” list in 1998, No. 1 in 1999, No. 5 in 2000 and ranked No. 8 in 2001. 

“It’s a tremendous honor to be considered among this great group of America’s leading companies,” said James H. Blanchard, chairman and CEO of Synovus Financial Corp. “At a time when Americans are facing so much uncertainty in the world around us, we are encouraged to see so many companies focused on creating work environments that value the individual. We have learned some humbling and inspiring lessons from our peers in this group, and every year we work harder to assure that the Synovus experience continues to be fulfilling and enriching for our team members, customers and the communities we serve.”

Synovus Financial Corp. (NYSE: “SNV”) is a multi-financial services company with more than $16.7 billion in assets based in Columbus, Ga. Synovus is composed of 39 banks in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida; an 81.1-percent stake in TSYS (NYSE: “TSS”) (www.tsys.com), one of the world’s leading payment services providers; Synovus Wealth Management, a marketing unit for securities, trust, insurance and private banking services; Synovus Mortgage Corp.; and Synovus Leasing Services. See Synovus on the Web at www.synovus.com.