CLEVELAND, OH.... Eaton Corporation's Board of Directors has elected Adrian T. Dillon to the position of Executive Vice President--Chief Financial and Planning Officer, effective April 23, 1997.

Dillon, 43, has responsibility for the accounting, controller, corporate development, information systems, strategic planning, tax and treasury functions for the $7 billion Cleveland-based company.

In commenting on today's announcement, Eaton Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stephen R. Hardis, said, "Adrian's promotion recognizes the ongoing quality of his performance on the job. Clearly, he is a major contributor to the success of the company." Dillon is a member of Eaton's Senior Management Council, and Worldwide Business Team, the two senior governing bodies managing the daily operations of the company.

A graduate of Amherst College, Dillon joined Eaton in 1979 as Senior Economist, and in 1982 was named Chief Economist. In 1984 the duties of Manager of Corporate Strategy were added to his responsibilities, and in 1986 he became Director of Financial Strategy and Chief Economist, with responsibility for Eaton's capital markets activities and the company's pension funds.

In 1988, Dillon was elected Assistant Treasurer, and in 1991 was elected Vice President Planning, with responsibility for Strategic Planning, Corporate Development and the company's venture capital activities. He assumed his most recent position as Vice President--Chief Financial and Planning Officer on September 1, 1995.

A recently-elected member of the Conference Board's Council of Financial Executives, Dillon is also a member of the American Economic Association and of the Conference of Business Economists.

He was chairman of Eaton's United Way campaigns in 1993 and 1994, and is an Executive Board member of the Boy Scouts of Greater Cleveland Council. He also serves as an Executive Committee member of the Board of Beech Brook, a leading provider of mental health services for emotionally disturbed children and families.

Eaton Corporation is a global manufacturer of highly engineered products which serve industrial, vehicle, construction, commercial and aerospace markets. Principal products include electrical power distribution and control equipment, truck transmissions and axles, engine components, hydraulic products, ion implanters and a wide variety of controls. The company has 54,000 employees and 155 manufacturing sites in 26 countries around the world.