Marla Gottschalk Named CEO of The Pampered Chef

ADDISON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2006--Marla Gottschalk, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Pampered Chef, will be named Chief Executive Officer on May 1, 2006. Gottschalk will continue to work in close partnership with Founder and Chairman Doris K. Christopher. Both Gottschalk and Christopher will report directly to Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The Pampered Chef, a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of businesses, is the premier direct-seller of kitchen tools located in Addison, Illinois.

Gottschalk, aged 45, joined The Pampered Chef as President and COO in December of 2003. Founder and Chairman Doris K. Christopher said, "I value Marla's judgment and decision making without hesitation. From the beginning she demonstrated respect for our corporate history and values as she introduced changes to keep the brand vital for years to come. With Marla at the helm, I see great things for our future. Our sales leaders have warmly welcomed her leadership, and I feel it's a privilege to work with her."

Since 2003 Gottschalk has lead the team that has implemented numerous strategic initiatives to take the successful company to the next level. Her philosophy of simplifying the business for the sales field and focusing on the fundamentals of the business has made a noticeable positive impact.

Gottschalk came to The Pampered Chef from Kraft Foods, Inc., where she worked for 14 years and advanced through increasingly responsible positions including senior vice president, financial planning and investor relations and executive vice president and general manager of Post Cereals. She graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. degree in accounting and earned an M.B.A. from Northwestern University.

Founded in 1980 in River Forest, Illinois, The Pampered Chef became a Berkshire Hathaway company in 2002. For more information about The Pampered Chef, visit www.pamperedchef.com.

About The Pampered Chef

The Pampered Chef, founded in 1980 by Doris K. Christopher and now part of the Berkshire Hathaway family of businesses, is the premier direct seller of high quality kitchen tools. At in-home cooking demonstrations, called Cooking Shows, guests see products and recipes in action, learn quick and easy food preparation techniques and receive tips on how to entertain with style and ease - transforming the simple to the spectacular. For more information call 1-800-266-5562 or visit www.pamperedchef.com.