Newsmakers: KFWB’s Ad Chief Plays to Sports Strength

PEOPLE

Stephen Youlios grew up as a Yankee fan and lives in suburban New Jersey, but as new general sales manager for KFWB-AM (980), he’ll need to change his colors to Dodger Blue.

Youlios’ experience in ad sales for radio sports programming will come in handy as the all-news station prepares to broadcast Dodger games in 2003 as part of a five-year agreement with the ball club.

Youlios will oversee a 25-person sales staff focusing on the development of marketing partnerships between the team and advertisers. This could include events at the stadium, ticket giveaways, player appearances and free-standing displays at businesses.

“It’s a new (format) but not a new market,” said Youlios. “When you think of baseball, you think of a handful of teams. One of them is the Dodgers and their long history in New York and California.”

For the last five years, Youlios developed partnerships as co-founder of Netcom Sales Strategies Inc., a New York radio syndication company. He will divest himslef of shares in the firm when he assumes the new post.

His hiring marks a return to sports radio, including a stint from 1992-97 as general sales manager of the Georgia News Network, operator of WGST-AM and FM, which broadcasts the Atlanta Braves and Hawks.

Youlios also spent eight years as director of sales for the CBS Radio Network, which has had the broadcast rights to Major League Baseball and the National Football League.

He was transferred to the network operation after five years as a salesman, and later, national sales manager at CBS-owned WBBM-AM in Chicago, which broadcast the White Sox and Bears games.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in speech in 1976 from Northwestern University. Youlios is married with three children.

David Greenberg

Advertising and PR

Ruder Finn has hired Kathy Vincent as vice president of the healthcare and biotechnology practice, where she will be in charge of expanding the firm’s presence in that area in Southern California. Prior to joining the Los Angeles office of the independent public relations company, she was vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

Susan Turner-Lowe has been named associate vice president for communications at the Huntington Library, where she will oversee marketing and external public relations for the San Marino research and education institution. She was previously executive director of news and public information at the National Academies in Washington.

Aerospace

Aerospace Corp. of El Segundo has promoted Malina Hills to principal director of the research and program development office, Christine Stevens to principle director of the space lift range directorate and Charles Tang to principle engineer in the chief architect/engineer office. Hill was previously systems director in the international space technology department while Stevens was systems director for the space lift range directorate and Tang was senior project leader for the defense meteorological system program.

Architecture & Design

Helen Watts has been appointed vice president of marketing for Interior Space International, the L.A. interior design subsidiary of Chicago-based A. Epstein and Sons International Inc. She was previously vice president and director of corporate marketing at Nadel Architects Inc.

Banking

Robert Petersen has been promoted to senior vice president and regional manager with the commercial banking division of Union Bank of California, where he will be responsible for wholesale banking services to companies headquartered in Los Angeles with annual sales exceeding $30 million. He most recently held the position of regional vice president in the same department.

Consulting

Sherwood Partners Inc. has appointed James Ward its senior vice president, heading up the L.A. firm’s new corporate due diligence practice. Prior to joining the L.A. business advisory and consulting firm, he was a partner in the accounting firm of Parks Palmer Turner & Yemenidjian.

Allied Financial Services has appointed Robert Pagliarini as its director of wealth management services, overseeing business consulting and client support operations. Prior to joining the L.A. company, he was managing director at Intersect Capital.

Energy

Aura Systems Inc. has appointed Craig Lipus as vice president of sales and marketing. He comes to the El Segundo mobile power systems seller after holding senior sales positions at Polaroid Corp. and Interlink Electronics Inc.

Alan Krusi has been named chief executive of RealEnergy Inc., where he will oversee the Woodland Hills company’s goal of increasing its fleet of on-site power generation systems by the end of the year. Prior to that, he was president of construction services for URS Corp.

Entertainment

Marc Jansen has been named worldwide creative consultant at Gurin Co. Before joining the Studio City television production company, he was an independent producer and creative consultant.

The Music & Media Group of Vivendi Universal Net USA has hired Allison Mellon as vice president of western sales, a position that has her overseeing the advertising sales teams for a variety of music and media Web sites. She previously held the same position at ValueClick Inc.

Robert Guralnick has been hired for the newly created position of president of motion picture production at Mosaic Media Group. He was previously a consultant and former executive vice president of theatrical production at Warner Bros.

Preston Lee has joined Area 51 Films as executive producer, a position that has him help with the Santa Monica company’s recently launched feature film division. He was the founder and former executive producer at PLAY, a commercial, film and television production company.

Associated Production Music has appointed Rich Judice as its new music director. Before joining the Hollywood-based production music provider, he spent 20 years as music director for the Sound Patrol music house.

Fine Living has hired Stephanie Eno as director of programming and production for the L.A.-based lifestyle programming network. She previously served as on-air promotions producer for Nickelodeon’s TV Land.

Production firm A. Smith & Co. has hired Greg Hampson as vice president of production and David Green as director of development, positions that have them involved with the Santa Monica firm’s productions for cable, syndication and networks. Hampson has a variety of production credits, including more than 20 episodes of “America’s Most Wanted” while Green most recently worked as a production at Media Revolution, a boutique Internet production company.

Luis Alfaro has been promoted to associate producer of new play development at the Mark Taper Forum, where he will also serve as a liaison with the theater’s literary, marketing, management and production staff. He has been the co-director of the organization’s Latino Theatre Initiative since 1995.

Financial

Stephen Jenkins has joined Tatum CFO Partners as a partner in the firm’s L.A. office, where he will serve as chief financial officer for clients and a resource for special projects, such as mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, Initial Public Offerings and business planning. He has more than 30 years of financial experience, including 15 years as a CFO, for a variety of manufacturing, wholesaling and pharmaceutical companies.

Food Service

Sizzler International Inc. has promoted Forbes Collins to the post of director of West Coast operations. He was previously the Sherman Oaks-based chain’s market manager for 19 Sizzler restaurants in California and Nevada.

Healthcare

Glenn Irani, Richard Wulfsberg and Wayne Kleinman have been elected chief of staff, vice chief of staff and secretary/treasurer, respectively, at Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center. Irani is a Tarzana pediatrician Wulfsberg an Encino internist and Kleinman a Tarzana anesthesiologist.

Law

JAMS has hired retired Judge Ann Kough to its alternative dispute resolution panel. Prior to joining the Los Angeles firm, she sat on the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Marketing

Big Fish Marketing has appointed Megan Wilde as vice president and general manager, a position that has her helping companies build their brands from strategic development through promotional campaigns. She has 15 years of marketing experience with agencies such as Frankel and Equity Marketing.

Steve Spurgeon has joined Blaze Co. as vice president, providing strategic counsel and account management for the Venice agency’s clients. His marketing outreach experience includes work for clients ranging from Southwestern Airlines and Nestle USA to Nissan and Target.

Shirleen Watkins has been hired as sales manager for the Pasadena Conference Center, where she will market the facility’s 75,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space to corporations and associations throughout the L.A. area. She was previously the sales manager at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale.

Radio

KFWB-AM (980) has appointed Paul Sakrison chief engineer for its news programming. He most recently served as managing partner and chief engineer for Radio Services Group.

Real Estate

Macerich Co. has promoted Michael Guerin to manager of the property management office at the Stonewood Center, a 927,500-square-foot mall in Downey. He was previously the Santa Monica firm’s assistant manager in the same office overseeing the Santa Monica Place mall.