JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 17, 2011 — Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon company, announced today that it is the first financial services firm in the U.S. to be awarded certification to the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS).  The certification was granted by the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA), and is the result of an extensive review of Pershing's customer service operations and quality management processes.

Pershing earned its ICSS certification as a first-time applicant for the designation – an accomplishment achieved by only 40 percent of ICSS candidates.  Organizations receiving certification are measured by the effectiveness of their processes and culture, and must complete a rigorous self-assessment and on-site review.

Brian Shea, Pershing's chief executive officer said, "This certification validates BNY Mellon's client focus value in action for Pershing's customers.  Customer service is our top priority and receiving this certification demonstrates our commitment to providing our broker-dealer and registered investment advisor customers with the service they need to better serve their clients."

According to Christine Churchill, executive director of the CSIA, "Pershing is committed to improving the client experience," and added that the company "constantly seeks new ways to improve offerings and streamline processes and procedures for its clients.  In essence, the culture at Pershing is very much a 'client-centric' approach with a focus on efficiency, knowledge and client experience."

With its ICSS certification, Pershing becomes one of the leading organizations that have attained excellence by aligning both passion and process in areas such as service, finance, operations, and learning and growth.

"ICSS certification confirms that our quality management and continuous improvement initiatives are aligned with internationally recognized customer service best practices," said Ed Piscina, Pershing's chief quality officer and leader of the firm's customer service programs.  "By working with organizations such as CSIA, we can benchmark ourselves against other businesses and look for opportunities to drive customer satisfaction even higher."

Pershing LLC (member FINRA/NYSE/SIPC) is a leading global provider of financial business solutions to more than 1,500 institutional and retail financial organizations and independent registered investment advisors who collectively represent approximately five million active investors.  Located in 21 offices worldwide, Pershing and its affiliates are committed to delivering dependable operational support, robust trading services, flexible technology, an expansive array of investment solutions, practice management support and service excellence.  Pershing is a member of every major U.S. securities exchange and its international affiliates are members of the Deutsche Borse, the Irish Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.  Pershing LLC is a BNY Mellon company.  Additional information is available at www.pershing.com.

BNY Mellon is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets.  BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, offering superior investment management and investment services through a worldwide client-focused team.  It has $25.0 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.17 trillion in assets under management, services $12.0 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.6 trillion per day.  BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK).  Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com.