Automotive
Japan-based tire manufacturer Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. named a new head for its U.S. operations in Orange County. Tomoshige Mizutani will take the president’s post at Cypress-based Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. starting July 1, replacing Tatsuo Mitsuhata, who’s held the job for about 2 ½ years. Mitsuhata was named president of Toyo Tire’s newly created German subsidiary, Toyo Tire Deutschland GmbH, and will also serve as president of Toyo Tire Europe GmbH.
Education
The University of California-Irvine landed on a list of U.S. schools that produce the most money managers. Atlanta-based data company eVestment ranked graduates from 75 public and private schools now working as portfolio managers, analysts, risk managers, economists and investor relations representatives. UCI ranked No. 59 for the number of money manager alumni and No. 38 for MBA graduates.
Chapman University added a math and physics magnet program to a research lab in Maryland. The school will offer 12 slots to high school students for $250 per month. The Sunday class sessions begin in the fall.
Cal State Fullerton’s school of nursing is partnering with Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center for five years to enable students to conduct research with the hospital’s registered nurses. The program includes $200,000 from the hospital to help pay for CSUF faculty to oversee the project. Separately, Vanguard University in Costa Mesa said its bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nursing received the maximum accreditation terms possible—10 years and five years, respectively—from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Finance
Pacific Investment Management Co. rehired Paul McCulley to take the firm’s newly created position of chief economist. He’ll be based in Pimco’s Newport Beach headquarters and will also serve on its investment committee and work with Pimco’s other offices around the world. He won’t manage client portfolios. It’s McCulley’s third stint at Pimco, where he was a money manager for two years in the early 1990s before leaving to work for UBS. He rejoined in 1999 and left in 2010. He has spent the past three years as chair of the Global Society of Fellows at Philadelphia-based Global Interdependence Center.
Consumer Portfolio Services in Irvine agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over accusations of borrower harassment and collection of money not owed by customers. The auto-financing company will pay $5.5 million, which includes fines and customer refunds and adjustments.
Newport Beach investment bank Digital Offering named Chad Cooper chief executive. He comes from Ascendiant Capital Markets LLC in Irvine.
Healthcare
Proteo Biotech AG is getting $4.8 million from Biotech Development Corp. in Utah for development of the orphan drug Elafin, which is used to treat esophageal cancer surgery complications. Biotech will share in future Elafin revenues. Proteo Biotech is a German subsidiary of Irvine-based Proteo Inc. Biotech Development finances clinical trials of drugs used to treat rare diseases.
Media
Source Interlink Media LLC in Irvine changed its name to TEN: The Enthusiast Network LLC. The company owns San Clemente-based GrindMedia and more than 60 publications, such as Motor Trend, Hot Rod, Surfer, and several Transworld titles, along with GrindTV.com and 100 other websites.
Restaurants
Cypress-based Real Mex Restaurants promoted Rio Gueli to chief operating officer. He had been executive vice president of operations with oversight of the company’s El Torito, Las Brisas and Who Song & Larry’s nameplates. He now has authority over all eight Real Mex brands, including El Torito Grill. Real Mex emerged from bankruptcy and was acquired by private equity firms Z Capital Partners LLC and and Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC in 2012.
Services
Evidence Based Inc., a private Irvine-based company that provides risk-assessment services to courts, police agencies and municipalities, hired the former Santa Ana police chief as its executive vice president. Paul Walters retired last year after serving in the role of police chief since 1988. He was recognized by President Bill Clinton for “community policing innovations,” as well as by President Barack Obama and other federal and California state officials.
EventMover Inc. more than doubled its office space with a recent move to a 2,500-square-foot headquarters in Laguna Beach. The company moves concept vehicles and trade show and museum exhibits. It previously occupied a 1,000-square-foot office in Laguna Beach.
