Accounting
Moffett & Grigorian LLP, a public accounting firm in Los Angeles, hired John Nagle as director.
Advertising
Wongdoody, an advertising and public relations agency in Los Angeles, hired Greg Falcione as account director, Amanda Gould and Jackie Spenchian as account executives and Connie Sung as account executive of public relations. Previously, Falcione was management representative at McCann-Erickson in Los Angeles, Gould was account executive at Grey Worldwide in New York, Spenchian was account coordinator at McCann-Erickson and Sung was account executive at Creative Media Marketing in Los Angeles.
Apparel
Forplay, a Los Angeles-based women’s lifestyle apparel company specializing in lingerie and club wear, hired Lulu Ganzer as a designer. Ganzer was previously a designer at Hollywood-based Trashy Lingerie.
Architecture
CO Architects, based in Los Angeles, promoted Eyal Perchick and James Simeo to associate principal from senior associate; Dean Hamanaka, Frank Mihelcic, Frances Moore and Hugh Nathanson to senior associate from associate; and Jonathan Kanda and Christine Krueger to associate.
Banking & Finance
Bank of the West in Los Angeles promoted James Steinkirchner to senior vice president in its capital markets division. Previously, Steinkirchner was vice president, derivatives manager of the capital markets division.
Financial Partners Credit Union based in Downey has promoted Astrid Rives to marketing director. Rives was previously marketing manager.
U.S. Trust in Los Angeles hired Michael E.S. McCarthy as managing director and regional senior fiduciary manager. McCarthy was most recently managing director, chief fiduciary officer and director of the western region wealth analytics group of Deutsche Bank in Los Angeles.
Entertainment
Univision 34 and TeleFutura 46 promoted Pio Rongavilla to national sales manager. Rongavilla was previously an account executive.
Creative Domain, an entertainment marketing, advertising and branding agency based in Hollywood, promoted Rich Flier to vice president of marketing in the interactive entertainment division and hired Greg Carson as creative director of the DVD added value division. Flier was previously executive director, marketing, interactive entertainment division and Carson was previously executive director of Worldwide DVD production for MGM in Santa Monica.
BRC Imagination Arts, a Burbank-based creator of exhibits for museums and attractions, promoted Carmel Owens to director of project development, Matt Solari to design studio coordinator. Erik Neergaard was hired as creative design lead. Owens was previously manager of the creative group, Solari was webmaster and Neergaard was a consultant in Los Angeles.
Health Care
Amgen, a Thousand Oaks biotechnology company, hired Phyllis Piano as vice president, corporate communications and philanthropy. Prior to Amgen, Piano served as vice president, corporate affairs and communications at Raytheon Co. in Walthrop, Mass.
The California Association of Physician Groups based in Los Angeles appointed William Barcellona to vice president, governmental affairs. Barcellona was most recently a deputy director at the Department of Managed Health Care in Sacramento.
Law
LegalZoom.com, an online self-help legal document service based in Hollywood, promoted Frank Monestere to president. He retains his role as acting chief operating officer.
Non-Profit
AbilityFirst, a Pasadena-based nonprofit serving people with disabilities, has named David King to its board. King is chief financial officer of Tetra Tech Inc., a consulting, engineering and technical services provider in Pasadena.
Real Estate
Held Properties Inc., a commercial and medical office real estate company based in Los Angeles, has hired Jon Borg as director of asset management for its office and medical properties. Borg was previously general manager at Cushman & Wakefield in Los Angeles.
The Century City Chamber of Commerce selected Susan Bursk as president and CEO. Bursk was most recently chief field deputy/district director for Councilmember Jack Weiss’ Westside District office.
Retail
Panda Restaurant Group in Rosemead hired Larry Behm as vice president of operations, support and innovation. Behm was previously a consultant with Laguna Niguel-based Behm Systems LLC, of which he was president and founder.
Technology
Simulations Plus Inc., based in Palmdale, promoted John DiBella to senior sales representative in marketing and sales. DiBella was previously a life sciences product manager.
