NEWSMAKERS
New President Mindful of Retailer’s Torrid Growth Pace
In a marketing class at the University of Minnesota, Patricia Van Cleave got hooked on trends.
“Retail is like anthropology to me. I like to look back at the magic ingredients that explain why a customer wants something. Those ingredients are psychological and emotional, and deal with lifestyle,” she said.
As the new president of Industry-based Hot Topic Inc.’s Torrid division, Van Cleave has a chance to analyze the ingredients feeding its customer base of plus-sized teens and 20-somethings.
“We were getting thousands of requests at Hot Topic from girls who couldn’t find their sizes in our stores and didn’t want to shop where their mothers shop,” said Van Cleave, formerly chief merchandising officer at Hot Topic.
A former general merchandising manager for Federated Department Stores Inc. in charge of plus-sizes and petites, Van Cleave had been president of Cherokee Group, the marketing and licensing firm, from 1995 to 1998. She was president and chief executive of Robert Redford’s Sundance Catalog before joining Hot Topic two years ago.
“Growing ethnicities are much curvier than the stereotypical image,” she said.
Hot Topic has been aggressively rolling out Torrid’s mall-based chain of clothing boutiques. In less than two years, 44 stores were launched, with plans for eight more by year’s end.
Though the rollout has been successful, Van Cleave remains cautious.
“If we tried to move too fast, without really continuing to listen and learn the nuances of this customer segment, we might not be as on the mark as we should be,” she said.
Van Cleave, who is divorced, lives in Sierra Madre and has a son who is a TV reporter in Colorado. She enjoys skiing, hiking and being outside.
Rachel Rosmarin
Aerospace
David Eagan, director of production quality for Northrop Grumman Corp.’s integrated systems sector, has been elected chairman of the Americas Aerospace Quality Group, an organization that sets international quality standards.
Architecture
Meyer Architecture hired Donald Hotz as project architect. Alexander Sharkov was promoted to associate. He will continue to serve as senior designer and project architect.
Construction
Scott Cordes joined Pacific Properties’ Los Angeles office as vice president of construction. Previously, he was construction manager for Camden Development.
Entertainment
Ginger Zumaeta has been named vice president of creative services for KNBC, where she will be responsible for planning, directing and coordinating advertising and promotion. She had been vice president of advertising and promotion for NBC’s WMAQ (Channel 5) and WSNS (Telemundo) in Chicago.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. has hired David Bloom as vice president of corporate communications. Bloom had been a staff reporter at Variety.
Cristina Mancini has been promoted to executive director of marketing, promotion and publicity at Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution, a new position. She had been director of marketing, publicity and promotion.
Dana Kasha was appointed senior director of creative affairs, West Coast, for Universal Music Publishing Group. Kasha was previously senior director at Q Records and Q Video, both QVC subsidiaries.
Finance
Brokerage firm Keenan & Associates has appointed Henry Loubet senior vice president of strategic planning. Most recently, Loubet was vice chairman and chief operating officer of DrugEmporium.com.
Seong-Hoon Hong, formerly chief executive of Asiana Bank, has been named president and chief executive of Nara Bancorp Inc. and its subsidiary Nara Bank N.A.
James M. Lyon, managing principal, senior vice president and director of equity investments for Oakwood Capital Management in Los Angeles, has been elected to the board of governors of the Association for Investment Management and Research.
Nathan Mays was named senior vice president of the portfolio communications group at Countrywide Financial Corp. Mays had been manager of account teams at ChoicePoint Direct.
Health
Cliff Numark was named director of donor recruitment for the American Red Cross Southern California blood region. Previously, he was managing director at O’Melveny Consulting.
Medsn Inc. area vice president Constance Matzenbacher has been elected to the board of the International Association for Continuing Education and Training.
Hospitality
Enterprise Rent-A-Car promoted Sahag Topalian to regional vice president, heading its Los Angeles County operations. The company also promoted Mike Brewer to regional rental manager overseeing Westside operations.
Insurance
Christie Mattull joined Marsh Risk and Insurance Services’ entertainment practice as vice president. She was previously manager at Near North Insurance Brokerage.
Law
Eric Klein has joined Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman as a partner practicing corporate law. Klein was previously a partner with Shaw Pittman.
Allen Matkins Leck Gamble & Mallory LLP has added three associates, Benjamin Applestein, Jennifer R. Jackson and Paul V. Obico, to its Los Angeles practice.
Patrick Del Duca, a partner at Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP, has been elected president of Fondazione Italia, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of Italian language and culture.
Manufacturing
Advanced Materials Group Inc., a fabricator of specialty foams, foils, films and adhesives, has named Robert E. Delk president and chief executive.
Media
Erik Braverman was promoted to operations director of KABC-AM (790). Braverman previously was program director.
Ray Kalusa was named program director of KSPN-AM (710). He was previously program director at Citadel-owned stations in Oklahoma City.
Pharmaceutical
CytRx Corp. has named Ed Umali director of operations, David Haen director of business development and Carolyn French director of communications. Umali, Haen and French all previously worked at the Kriegsman Group.
Publishing
URB, an urban music and lifestyle magazine, has named Joe Pomparelli associate publisher and advertising director, Jolie Lash assistant editor, Albert Agbayani director of promotions and Lindsay Lohden photo and style editor. Before joining URB, Pomparelli managed his own publishing consulting firm, Impact Media & Marketing, Lash wrote for Britain’s New Musical Express, Agbayani worked with Universal Amphitheater & Concerts and Lohden worked with photographers, art directors, magazine editors, creative directors, publicists, local designers and celebrities.
Real Estate
Macerich Co., a real estate investment trust, has promoted Dave Short to vice president, asset management. Previously, Short was vice president, property management.
First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. a publicly held industrial real estate firm, has named Peter Pistone senior vice president of integrated industrial solutions. He was most recently vice president of the industrial services group at Grubb & Ellis Co. in Los Angeles.
Merit Property Management Inc. hired Gregg D. Lotane as executive director for Playa Vista Parks and Landscape Corp.
Coldwell Banker Commercial-South Bay, a division of Almar Real Estate Group in Carlsbad, has named Jorge Stambuk senior vice president and principal and Marc Bonando, Brian M. Intlekofer and Alex R. Stambuk associates. Stambuk was previously a partner at Matlow-Kennedy Corp., Bonando was a member service liaison for the Brookstreet Securities Corp. and Intlekofer worked in leasing at Don Wilson Builders.
Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co. has named Justin White sales manager in its Long Beach office. White was previously a senior associate.
AvalonBay Communities Inc. named Deborah A. Coombs vice president of property operations for the West Coast. She was previously area vice president for Equity Residential Property Management.
Retail
Hot Topic Inc., a publicly held music accessories retailer, has promoted Jerry Cook to president. He was previously chief operating officer.
Technology
En Pointe Technologies Inc., a provider of business-to-business information technology, has elected Edward O. Hunter to its board. Hunter, an attorney of counsel at Robinson & Robinson LLP, will serve on the audit and compensation committees.
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