People in the News
Compiled by Samantha Lee
ADVERTISING
The Y & R; Cos. promoted four officers in its Irvine office. Bruce McDermott of Y & R;’s Wunderman division has been promoted to senior vice president. McDermott is account director for events and promotions and has been with the Wunderman group more than 16 years. Brian Rogers has been named senior vice president. Rogers is the regional account director for the Western region of Lincoln Mercury Dealers Association and is responsible for advertising and promotions. Steve Patterson has been appointed senior vice president. Patterson is the account director on the Mercury account. Tony Hobley of Wunderman has been named vice president. Hobley is a customer relationship management planner.
Bill Ruksiri has been named media assistant by Newport Beach-based Lawrence & Ponder IdeaWorks. Ruk-siri will be involved with the agency’s work for the California Department of Health Services’ Office of Education.
Costa Mesa-based L & M; Marketing Inc. hired Christopher Selecky as senior account executive. Previously, Selecky was director of sales and marketing and studio manager for Studio 4A/Spectrum Entertainment Group, Irvine.
AUTOMOTIVE
Brian Hafer and Tom Hernandez have been chosen to head Irvine-based Autobytel Inc.’s new media sales division. Hafer was named vice president of advertising sales and business development. Hernandez was appointed director of advertising. He previously served as vice president, Western media sales for EngageMedia, an online advertising service.
BANKING
Tustin-based Sunwest Bank has appointed Alex Arjonilla vice president and relationship manager for commercial lending. Arjonilla works out of the bank’s Anaheim office and is responsible for developing new business and servicing existing clients.
BUSINESS SERVICES
Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., Irvine, appointed James R. Quandt senior partner, North America, west. Quandt served as president of Standard & Poor’s Financial Group and chairman of the board of Bridge Financial Information. He will be responsible for expanding existing client relationships and directing new business development.
Newport Beach-based Creative Focus, a staffing company, has promoted Suzy Williams to talent director. Williams will be responsible for matching creative and production professionals to clients with open positions, including those for art directors, graphic designers, production artists and copywriters.
ENTERTAINMENT
Cypress-based Bandai America Inc. appointed Michael Riley vice president of marketing. Riley will oversee the company’s new property acquisition efforts including licensing agreements and research as well as develop relationships with entertainment companies.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Chicago-based Cohen Financial has announ-ced the relocation of senior mortgage banking professional Bruce Krall to its Newport Beach office from San Francisco. Previously Krall served as loan portfolio disposition consultant at Secured Capital Corp. in Los Angeles.
GOVERNMENT
Bill Goodrich, president and chief executive of United Agribusiness League, Irvine, has been elected to the board of directors of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. United Agribusiness is a global, multi-commodity trade association that actively promotes U.S.-Mexico agricultural trade.
HEALTHCARE
Dirk Zirbel has been named director of clinical operations and community outreach programs for the Institute for Healthcare Advance-ment. Dr. Zirbel will oversee the nonprofit health care organization’s medical and dental operations, and ensure grant guidelines as they relate to educational and community outreach. He will oversee the operations of the Friends of Children Health Center in La Habra.
INSURANCE
Edward Jette has been hired as senior vice president for Irvine-based Sullivan Curtis Monroe Insurance Brokerage. Jette specializes in workers’ compensation and property and casualty insurance in the transportation field. He is active in the California Trucking Association.
PUBLISHING
Raymond J. McCutcheon has been promoted to senior vice president of advertising at the Los Angeles Times. McCutcheon will be responsible for all retail, national and classified advertising. He has been vice president of advertising at the Times since 1999.
TECHNOLOGY
Newport Beach-based StrataCare Inc. has appointed Arnold Silvestri vice president of business development. Silvestri will participate in the development of business strategy. His focus will be to direct the sales organization and develop new business for the group.
URBAN PLANNING
Costa Mesa-based The Planning Center has hired two graphic designers, Loreli Cappel and Jody Vegnone. Cappel previously worked as an urban designer at RBF Consulting, Irvine. She earned a bachelor’s in city and regional planning from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Vegnone worked as a technician in facilities maintenance at Worcester, Mass.-based Moran Construction Co. He earned a bachelor’s in illustration from the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla.
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