When Bradley W. Wells steps into his new position as vice president of finance for the J. Paul Getty Trust on May 1, he knows he’ll have $250 million to spend.
As a private foundation, the Getty is required by law to spend 4.25 percent of its $5 billion-plus endowment annually, and Wells will be responsible for overseeing all financial activities for the Trust, including the budget, accounting, risk management, purchasing and contracts.
“We’re responsible for making sure that the institution is in a position to implement the operating plan that the trustees and the president have put in place,” he said.
Wells comes from the California State University system, where he is assistant vice chancellor, financial services.
He said a part of the budget would be spent on efforts to heighten community involvement through various programs over the next few years. The Trust has “been trying to broaden the level of support and involvement from the community, not only in the museum but also in the research and conservation institutes.
“The board and president will be exploring a variety of means to enhance community involvement,” said Wells. “Free admission is certainly one way. Taking that (community involvement) to the next level, getting folks to take advantage of educational opportunities such as the art library, lectures, concerts, readings, etc. is an area the Getty would like to build on.”
As far as challenges are concerned, Wells seems to share the concerns of many in the business community. “Probably the most challenging element over the next few years will be accommodating what appears to be changing economic conditions and their inevitable effect on the trust,” he said.
Conor Dougherty
Advertising & P.R.
Mel Harrison has been appointed to the new post of vice president, business development at Pittard Sullivan, a marketing communications firm in Culver City. In his new post, Harrison will be responsible for developing new business opportunities within all areas of the broadcast media entertainment industry. He was most recently a partner/co-president of Images Digital Post LLC.
Eric Wentworth has been named to the newly created post of chief creative officer at BGM-FMJ, a healthcare marketing communications firm. He will be specializing in strategic marketing and creative development of the company’s marketing campaigns. Wentworth most recently served in senior executive positions with two Internet companies.
Banking & Finance
Nancy Katayama and Mary Yablonsky have joined the Los Angeles office of U.S. Trust Co. as vice president/senior financial planner and vice president/senior sales officer, respectively. Katayama will provide financial and retirement planning services to corporate executives and other high net-worth clientele. She joins U.S. Trust from Ernst & Young LLP. Yablonsky is responsible for marketing investment products to institutional clients including municipalities, endowments and foundations. She comes to the Los Angeles office from the company’s New York headquarters, where she was vice president and senior sales officer in institutional sales.
Johannes Worsoe has been named senior vice president and manager of global markets trading and sales for Union Bank of California in Los Angeles. In his new post, Worsoe will manage the bank’s foreign exchange, derivatives and securities business activities. Prior to joining UBOC, Worsoe spent six years with Imperial Bank where he managed the international financial services division.
Entertainment
Liz Brooks has been named a vice president at BMG Songs in Los Angeles. In her new post, Brooks will oversee the Los Angeles and New York creative offices of BMG Songs, the U.S. division of BMG Music Publishing Worldwide. Brooks was most recently vice president, marketing at Napster Inc.
Brett Dicker has been promoted to the newly created position of executive vice president, marketing for Buena Vista Pictures Marketing in Burbank. In his new role, Dicker will be involved in all aspects of developing and implementing marketing campaigns and strategies for motion pictures released under the Walt Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures banners. For the past 14 years, Dicker has been a member of Disney’s motion picture marketing team.
Joseph M. Fitzgerald has been appointed executive vice president, investor relations and corporate communications at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in Santa Monica. In his new position, Fitzgerald will be MGM’s principal contact with the investment community and will also be responsible for coordinating all of the company’s external and internal corporate communications activities. He most recently served as vice president, investor relations at the Seagram Co. Ltd.
Don Granger has joined Mutual Film Co. in Los Angeles, as a partner. He will be responsible for overseeing the production and finance for all of Mutual Film’s motion pictures. Granger was most recently executive vice president of motion picture production at Paramount Pictures.
Ilana Porat Koch has been named senior vice president and general manager for Universal CityWalk in Universal City. In her new position, Koch will have full responsibility for all aspects of the CityWalk entertainment and retail complex, including operations, leasing, marketing, sales and finance. Koch was most recently vice president, CityWalk business development.
Health Care
Sue Mote has been promoted to vice president at Healthcare Practice Enhancement Network Inc., a Los Angeles-based firm that serves as management consultants to the healthcare industry. She will oversee the growth of HPEN’s practice in the areas of physician billing, coding and operations. Mote was formerly director of operations and reimbursement consulting at the firm.
New Media
Howard Kolodny, James Conerly and Cathy Finley have all joined the executive team at Guidance, an e-business solutions provider in Marina del Rey. In his new position, Kolodny will provide leadership to Guidance’s technical staff, ensure the technical quality of systems developed for clients and maintain and enhance the company’s internal systems. Before joining Guidance, he served as vice president of technology for Cambridge Technology Partners. Conerly, whose new capacity is senior vice president of business operations, will oversee the company’s entire business development and marketing team, interact with existing clients and introduce Guidance’s technological and business development resources to prospective clients. Conerly was general manager of the Los Angeles offices of IXL Inc. before joining the company. As Guidance’s new director of marketing, Finley will help market the company’s ebusiness services to potential clients in such industries as entertainment, consumer brands, retail, health and transportation. She was most recently director of marketing at BizBuyer.com in Los Angeles.
Greg Rorke has been named executive chairman at Quisic, a developer of e-learning solutions in Los Angeles. He will lead the company’s strategic client outreach and competitive focus, oversee financial and operational activities and play a pivotal role in forging global industry partnerships. Rorke is also a professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business.
Real Estate
J. Jay Feinberg, Jason W. Cox and Jeff Kellogg have all joined Newmark of California, a commercial real estate services firm in Los Angeles. As director of development, Feinberg specializes in acquisition, entitlement and marketing of development opportunities, especially urban infill sites. Cox, who is an agent, specializes in representing developers and difficult rehabilitation projects. Kellogg, who is also an agent, focuses on corporate real estate. All three previously worked for NAI Matlow-Kennedy.
Kelly Justiniano has been promoted to administrator of human resources and operations at Watson Land Co., a developer of master planned industrial centers in Carson. She will oversee all aspects of personnel management for the company’s employees as well as the operation of Watson’s regional offices in Carson. Justiniano was most recently human resources coordinator, a position she’s held since March 1996.
Angela Suita has joined Charles Dunn Co. as regional vice president of property management, overseeing the Los Angeles commercial real estate portfolio. In this new position, Suita will be responsible for leading the team of real estate professionals in Los Angeles and managing various portfolios of commercial properties, including office, industrial, retail and multi-family housing facilities. She was most recently at Grubb & Ellis.
Michael Weiner has joined the office brokerage group at Los Angeles-based Colliers Seeley International Inc. Weiner specializes in office leasing and investment transactions, as well as consulting advisory services for major domestic and international companies, banks, engineering firms, insurance companies and entertainment firms. Prior to joining the firm, Weiner served for two years as director of corporate development, western U.S. for Cypress Communications.
Retail
Henning Luessmann has been named director of marketing, North America for Europcar, a car rental company. Based in Los Angeles, he is responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s advertising and marketing strategy. Luessmann previously served as vice president of sales and marketing for EuroDollar International; a European franchise of U.S.-based Dollar Rent A Car Systems.
Tourism
Anne Howaniec has been appointed director, regional sales at the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau. In this capacity, she will manage corporate and association sales activities in the Midwest territory including downtown Chicago and the states of Illinois, Minnesota, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. Previously, Howaniec worked for Interstate Hotels Corp.
