PEOPLE
Compiled by Samantha Lee
AEROSPACE
Bonnie Soodik at Boeing Co. in Seal Beach was named president of shared services, as well senior vice president and a member of the executive council at the Chicago-based company. Soodik will lead an 18,000-person, $7.9 billion business unit that provides companywide services.
ADVERTISING
Thomas Whitchurch has joined Tustin-based The Rankin Group Ltd. as Internet specialist. Whitchurch has more than 19 years of experience in sales, marketing, Internet and management in computer technologies.
AUTOMOTIVE
Irvine-based Auto-bytel Inc. has appointed John Honiotes vice president of automotive operations. He will be responsible for managing the development of the company’s dealer network.
BUSINESS SERVICES
Drew Cree has rejoined New York-based human resources consulting firm Buck Consultants as associate principal in health and welfare. Cree was vice president of administration and human resources for First American Corp. He will work from Buck’s Anaheim office.
CONSTRUCTION
Newport Beach-based McCarthy Building Cos. hired Randy Meier as preconstruction director, parking structures. Meier will be responsible for estimating preconstruction, design and build management and procurement of parking structure projects.
Additionally, the company has named Bruce Joustra estimator,parking structures. Joustra will oversee parking structure and subcontractor bid analysis.
LAW
San Diego-based Klinedinst, Fliehman & McKillop PC has added Hartford O. Brown to the firm’s Santa Ana office. Brown concentrates on construction defect litigation, intellectual property litigation and corporate work.
Mark Itri has joined McDermott, Will & Emery as partner in the firm’s Irvine office. Itri specializes in patent and trademark prosecution and litigation. He has experience in client counseling and opinion work.
Robert Saman has been hired by Preston Gates & Ellis LLP as associate in its Irvine office. Previously, Saman was a corporate associate at Cooley Godward in its Palo Alto and Reston, Va., offices, serving as lead attorney on venture financings and private placements.
William J. Wall has joined Winthrop Couchot PC of Newport Beach as an associate attorney. Wall recently was named chair elect of the Orange County Bar Association’s young lawyers division.
PUBLISHING
Carrie Fitzmaurice has been promoted to vice president and publisher of Irvine-based Entrepreneur magazine. She has been with Entrepreneur since 1996 when she started as an account executive.
Also Michael R. Drew has been appointed director of marketing for Entrepreneur Media Inc.’s Entrepreneur Press. Previously, Drew was director of marketing, publicity, events and sales at Bard Press.
REAL ESTATE
Bryan Ohira has been elected to the board of directors and named vice president of Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services. Ohira currently specializes in leasing and sales of low- to mid-rise office projects in South County. Additionally, Craig Fitterer has been appointed to the group’s board of directors and named vice president of the company’s commercial real estate services. Fitterer works with leasing, sales, and investments of industrial, R & D.; Both will work out of the company’s Irvine Spectrum location.
Newport Beach-based Burnett Cos. has appointed Peter J. Laird vice president, commercial properties. Laird will be responsible for the marketing, sales and leasing of commercial properties and will assist in the projects’ development and construction aspects.
TECHNOLOGY
Newport Beach-based software company IPNet Solutions Inc. has named Michael J. Simmons chief executive and a board member. Previously, Simmons held positions at Platinum Software and Tampa, Fla.-based PowerCerv Corp.
Balakrishnan S. Iyer, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Conexant Systems Inc., Newport Beach, has been elected to the company’s board of directors. Iyer has served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for the company since 1998.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Houston-based CCC GlobalCom Corp. has opened an office in Irvine. Stephen A. Garcia has been appointed chief financial officer, and will oversee raising capital to fund business objectives and strategic planning. Also, Andrew Kalinowski has been appointed senior vice president, marketing and will head the company’s marketing initiatives. Additionally, Ed Ward has been named senior vice president, sales, and will lead the company’s sales efforts.
TRAVEL SERVICES
The Automobile Club of Southern California, Costa Mesa, promoted Diana Meinhold to vice president of travel products and services. Prior to joining the Auto Club of Southern California in 1997, Meinhold was director of sales and marketing for AAA Vacations.
