Drawing on his experience in entertainment, David Forbes is aiming to put Global Animation Holdings on the cutting edge.
A veteran entertainment consultant, Forbes, 55, recently became chief executive of Global Animation, which owns Spectrum Studios in Marina del Rey and two animation facilities in the Philippines.
“After starting doing consulting with them, what I realized was they had set up a framework for a digital animation company that would ultimately lead into all the areas that animation is headed,” Forbes said. “With the right kind of program, they had an opportunity to be a leader in that area. The challenge just looked very exciting.”
Forbes gave up his consulting business, the David Forbes Co., to join the digital animation firm, which has worked with such entertainment powerhouses as DreamWorks SKG, IMAX and Warner Bros.
He brings to Global Animation knowledge gained from working with several entertainment firms. Forbes had formerly served as executive vice president of the now-defunct Orion Pictures Corp. and as president of MGM/UA Distribution Co.
After years of running his own company, Forbes said he wanted to work with other people.
“As much as you enjoy a more leisurely lifestyle when you’re on your own, every now and then, there’s an urge to take on a challenge that’s different and exciting,” he said. “There’s also a satisfaction that comes with being part of a bigger team.”
Claudia Peschiutta
Accounting & Consulting
Judy A. Turner has been appointed manager in the multi-state tax services group at the Los Angeles office of Deloitte & Touche. She will be assisting clients with the development and administration of California Employment Training Panel funding applications. Previously, Turner worked on the staff of the ETP and was appointed by former Gov. Pete Wilson to serve as director of the Los Angeles office of the California Trade and Commerce Agency.
Architecture
Todd P. Bennitt has joined Melendrez Design Partners, a landscape architecture firm in Los Angeles, as principal and director of design. He specializes in the design of resorts, mixed-use and entertainment retail projects and will focus on expanding the firm’s geographic market. Bennitt was a principal at Sasaki Associates prior to joining the firm.
Patrick McKelvey has been promoted to principal at RNL Design in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for directing the day-to-day operations of the firm’s office, as well as leading RNL’s transportation studio. McKelvey has been with the firm since 1987.
Banking & Finance
Gary H. Arakawa has been promoted to managing director of the Los Angeles office of U.S. Trust Co. NA. Arakawa is a senior manager and manages client investment accounts in addition to developing U.S. Trust’s wealth management business throughout Southern California.
Terry Zink has been named market president at Wells Fargo & Co. in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for the company’s banking operations in the San Gabriel Valley, which has 64 banking stores with $3.4 billion in deposits and 850 employees. Zink was most recently senior vice president and manager in Wells Fargo’s distribution strategies group.
Entertainment
Nick Meyer and Sergei Yershov have been named co-presidents of Lions Gate Films International as part of a divisional restructuring. In their new positions, Meyer and Yershov will share responsibility for the overseas sales, distribution, marketing, finance and co-productions of Lions Gate feature film product. Meyer had been vice president sales and distribution, responsible for the financing, sales, distribution and marketing of films on a worldwide basis. Yershov had been executive vice president.
Health Care
Scott Cebula has been promoted to vice president, information services for Long Beach-based Memorial Health Services. He will oversee information technology projects for the five-hospital health care system serving Los Angeles and Orange counties. Most recently, Cebula was executive director, information services.
John V. Schleif has been named vice president, professional services at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. His responsibilities include administrative oversight of the laboratory, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, physical medicine, maintenance and engineering, property management and facilities planning and construction. Schleif was previously the administrator at St. Francis Medical Center-West in Hawaii.
Insurance
Sandra Chappell Brown, Bruce Clark, Joel Seigle, Ata Azarshahi and George Chuang have all been promoted in the Los Angeles office of Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Co. Brown has been elected senior vice president of TOLIC. She is currently president and chief operating officer of Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc., the broker-dealer affiliate of TOLIC and Transamerica Insurance and Investment Group, a unit of AEGON USA/Transamerica. Clark has been promoted to senior vice president of TOLIC and TIIG. He is chief financial officer and is responsible for managing the financial and actuarial functions of TIIG. Seigle has been named senior vice president of TOLIC and oversees the life and annuity products units of TOLIC and TIIG. Azarshahi has been named vice president of annuity product management, responsible for the design, development and management of annuity products. Chuang, who has been promoted to vice president of registered product finance, manages all financial operations for Transamerica Financial Advisors.
Susan Heeran Chung has been appointed assistant managing director of the Los Angeles office of the MONY Group, a New York based insurance company. She will be responsible for recruiting, training and supervising financial professionals for MONY Life Insurance Co. and MONY Securities Corp. in Los Angeles.
Paul N. Hopkins has been named senior vice president and officer in charge of strategic alliances and initiatives at Farmers Insurance Group in Los Angeles. In this newly created position, he will manage Farmers’ new strategic business unit and guide the implementation of new business alliances. Hopkins most recently served as senior vice president of state operations.
Law
Richard M. Albert has been appointed managing partner of the Los Angeles and Denver offices of Foley & Lardner. In his new position, he will manage operations for the Los Angeles and Denver offices as well as work closely with the firm’s department chairs and management committee to help define and advance the firm’s national goals. Albert is a member of Foley & Lardner’s labor and employment practice.
New Media
Terry Shough has joined Sameday, a provider of supply chain management software in Los Angeles, as senior vice president of sales. He will be responsible for leading the company’s global sales strategies and expanding Sameday’s presence within markets including high tech, telecommunications, aerospace, health care, automotive and consumer goods. Shough has held similar positions at InterVoice Inc., Evolutionary Technologies International and Edify.
Non-Profits
Sara Feldman has joined the California State Parks Foundation, a non-profit membership organization in Los Angeles, as Southern California director. She will be responsible for development, membership, public relations and community outreach in the region. Feldman was most recently executive director of the National Council of Jewish Women in Los Angeles.
Personnel
Justin T. Driscoll has been promoted to area vice president for Natural Data Inc., a technical recruiting firm based in Phoenix. He is based in Los Angeles and is responsible for all business operations for the company’s California, Arizona and Oregon offices. Driscoll was most recently western region manager.
Real Estate
Brigham Black has been named director of leasing and sales for the Shidler Group, a real estate investment firm in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for overseeing the leasing of Shidler’s 5 million-square-foot portfolio of office, R & D;, retail and biotech properties in California, Arizona and Texas. Prior to joining the company, Black served as portfolio manager with Investment Management LP.
H. Rooney Daschbach has joined Overton Moore Properties in Los Angeles as senior vice president of marketing. In his new post, he will be responsible for the marketing of more than 10 million square feet of managed properties and 3 million square feet of space at four projects which OMP has under development. Daschbach was formerly senior vice president of marketing at Trammell Crow Co.
Retail
Scott Limbacher has been promoted to vice president of construction and maintenance at Stater Bros. Markets in Colton. In this capacity, he has overall responsibility for the company’s construction, drafting, refrigeration, maintenance and equipment-buying departments. Limbacher is a 27-year veteran of the company, most recently serving as director of construction and maintenance.
Tourism
Stacy Glazer has been promoted to director of sales and marketing at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier. In her new position, Glazer will be responsible for directing, planning and coordinating all sales, promotions and marketing efforts for the park. She previously held the position of senior sales manager.