People – March

We are a little behind in our updates of  people in the Yellow Pages industry.  This regular blog sponsored by Hawthorne Executive Search  is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Neal Polachek:

BIA/Kelsey has announced that Neal Polachek, president of for the past three years, has left the company. Rick Ducey has been is promoted to managing director supervising research, Continuous Advisory Services (CAS) programs and consulting services.  Matt Booth was named chief strategy officer. Matt will continue to run the Interactive Local Media (ILM) advisory service and provide leadership for consulting practices and conferences. Bobbi Loy-Luster has been given an expanded role as vp of client services, including overseeing CAS programs and the company’s new competitive benchmarking. Peter Krasilovsky, vice president and program director, will now serve an expanded role as conference chairman.

Peter Broadbent:

Peter Broadbent has been named vice president, investor relations & marketing, at Photronics Inc., a leader in supplying photomask-based imaging solutions for global electronics and display industries.  Broadbent had spent 25 years at Wahlstrom Group, where he was CEO. He served on the Local Search Association Board of Directors, as well as the National Marketing Division Advisory Council.

Matt Anderson:

Yellow Pages publisher Yell has appointed Matt Anderson to the new role of chief strategy and business development officer.  His task will be to spearhead the group’s strategy of providing digital services to small and medium-sized businesses, as its sales of paper directories decline.

Anderson had worked with Yell on this strategy, which was unveiled last July, while he was a senior adviser at US consultancy Booz & Company.

Yell chief executive Mike Pocock said Anderson had ‘played an instrumental role’ in developing the new strategy.

Linda Kennedy:

Yell also announced the appointment of Linda Kennedy to the new role of Group Human Resources Director. Kennedy will lead organizational change and support the integration of Yell’s global business in the UK, US, Spain and some countries in Latin America.

Kennedy joins Yell from UK mobile operator Everything Everywhere, the joint venture between Orange and T Mobile; she held the role of chief change officer, reporting to the CEO and delivered the integration of the two businesses.

Previously, she was group HRD at international service company Serco, where among her responsibilities were the development of a people strategy and the implementation of a leadership and talent management framework.

Based at Yell’s corporate headquarters in Reading, UK, Kennedy will report to Mike Pocock, Yell’s CEO. She will be responsible for building a group-wide HR capability to support the executive group and deliver organizational change.

Bruce Akhurst, Rick Ellis:

Bruce Akhurst who headed Telstra’s Yellow Pages directory business, Sensis will leave the company in May.  Telstra Chief Executive David Thodey said in a statement that, despite a challenging print environment, Sensis had managed to maintain strong print revenues compared with its global peers and had started its transition into a fully digital capable media business.

The company said Rick Ellis, group managing director of Telstra Digital Media, would be acting chief executive of Sensis while a replacement for Akhurst was sought.

“I have enjoyed my time as CEO of Sensis. It is time now for a change and I look forward to exploring new opportunities,” he said in a statement

Sebastien Provencher:

Sebastien Provencher, one of the most prolific bloggers in the industry, has announced he is leaving Needium, the company he co-founded. Provencher recently disclosed his future plans: “…As a next step in my career, I’m looking for international experience. I’d like to work in Europe or in the United States as a senior exec in a media/Internet company (large or small). I bring with me solid experience in product management, business development, Internet strategy, social media and management.”  You can reach him at sprovencher@gmail.com.

He would be a great addition to your team…

People – November

It has been a very, very active period for announcements about people in the Yellow Pages industry.  This regular blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search  is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Joe Walsh:

Yell Group announced that Joe Walsh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yellowbook, US, has agreed to step down to “pursue other interests”.  His interim successor is Bob Gregerson, the Group’s Chief Consumer Officer.  Gregerson has a substantial track record in managing and growing worldwide divisions for leading companies, with considerable experience in the launch, growth and transformation of direct sales and ecommerce initiatives. Gregerson will now “…extend his strong understanding and commitment to innovation to the direct benefit of Yell’s SME customers throughout the US….”

Mike Pocock, the company’s Group Chief Executive Officer, commented:  “I wish
to thank Joe for his significant contribution to Yell over the past 24 years.  He has played a key role in the transformation of the Group. Under his leadership, Yellowbook has grown from a small independent publisher in Long Island, New York, to a national leader in local search. Joe and I agree that the time is appropriate to make this transition, as the Group’s business model and marketplaces change. We are now starting to deliver our new strategic
initiatives, built on a successful foundation that Joe helped create. Our
succession process will be thorough and orderly, supported by the strong team
that Joe has built.”

For a recent article about Joe Walsh, click here.

Jenny Ashmore:

Yell also announced the appointment of Jenny Ashmore to the new role of group chief marketing officer.  Ashmore will take responsibility for Yell’s global marketing strategy and oversee its execution throughout the Group’s operations in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America.

Jenny’s appointment supports Yell’s strategy to transform from its established position in providing print and online advertising for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to become a leader in the emerging local eMarketplace.

John Fischer:

The Berry Company has picked John S. Fischer the company’s General Counsel and Secretary, as the Company’s Interim President and CEO upon the company’s
emergence from Chapter 11. At emergence, Mr. Fischer will replace current
Interim President and CEO Scott Brubaker, who is a Managing Director with
Alvarez & Marsal. Mr. Fischer will also serve as a member of the reorganized company’s Board of Directors.

“John’s tenure with Berry, his relationships inside and outside of the company, and his understanding of the evolving dynamics of the local search industry make him ideal for this role,” said Mr. Brubaker. “This appointment will provide the company with strong continuity of leadership at emergence, which we expect by the end of November.”

Fischer has served as Local Insight Media’s General Counsel and Secretary since June 2006. In addition to providing legal counsel for all the company’s transactions and major business dealings, he has provided business advice and decision-making as part of the company’s Executive Leadership team. Prior to joining the company, Fischer was Deputy General Counsel at Dex Media, where he focused on securities, commercial and transactional matters, including Dex Media’s $9.5 billion merger with R.H. Donnelley Corporation. His experience also includes serving as Managing Partner, Telecoms, of Logica Consulting, a European management consultancy. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University and holds JD and MBA degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Richard Halle:

The Berry Company also announced the appointment of Richard G.Halle as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Halle has more than 20 years of diverse financial management experience in the financial services sector and with other industries. Mr. Halle replaces Richard Jenkins, also from Alvarez & Marsal, who served as the company’s Interim Chief Financial Officer for the past two years.

“Richard Halle is a highly talented and experienced leader, with a unique combination of financial and business experience,” said Mr. Brubaker. “He has an impressive track record working in all aspects of finance – including planning, forecasting, budgeting, accounting and reporting – and will play a pivotal role on our senior executive team as we emerge from bankruptcy protection.”

Halle is the former Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Board of DTN Holding Company in Omaha, Nebraska, a business he joined as it was going through bankruptcy. After that company’s emergence, he spearheaded a successful transformation targeted at increasing revenue and operating profits, and played a key leadership role in enhancing product lines, strengthening value positions, and developing internal mechanisms to respond quickly to market demands and trends.  Prior to joining DTN, Halle was a Managing Director at FTI Consulting, Inc. in Denver, Colorado, where he specialized in analyzing company liquidity, evaluating competition and industry trends, and developing restructuring and sale strategies and proposals. He holds BA and MBA degrees from the University of New Hampshire.

Mark Lane:

The Berry Company announced that Mark J. Lane has been appointed Interim Senior Vice President, Client Services, replacing Kevin Payne, who recently left the business to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Lane has 25 years of sales experience with Berry supporting its independent line of business.
Prior to this position, he served in a variety of leadership and management
positions within the company, including Regional Vice President, General
Manager, Senior Director of Telco Relations and Regional Director. Mr. Lane
holds a degree in Business Administration from Miami University of Ohio.

Kevin Payne:

LocalEdge named Kevin Payne chief operating officer and he will be based at LocalEdge headquarters in Buffalo, NY. Previously, Payne was senior vice president for Local Insight Media, Berry Network and Cincinnati Bell.

LocalEdge CEO Jeff Folckemer said, “Kevin is a pioneer in the digital space and is looking forward to help lead our organization to the next level of digital transformation.”

Rorie Devine:

Devine has left the post of UK chief technology officer at Yell to take on the role of group chief information officer at United Business Media (UBM).  UBM is a
business information services firm which serves the technology, media,
financial services, media, healthcare and automotive industries. The company
owns press release distribution engine PR Newswire, as well as a range of
titles including Information Week and Music Week.

According to Devine, the main attractions of the job are around the way in which his new employer is utilising digital technologies to operate, as well as IT
complexities related to a string of business acquisitions made over recent years.

Scott Moore:

Yell announced the appointment of Scott Moore to the new role of Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Scott will lead the creation and development of Yell’s new generation of products and services that will enable small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers and their consumers to capitalize on the digital opportunity.

Moore joins Yell from MSN where, as Partner and Executive Producer, he was responsible for transforming Microsoft’s online consumer service, turning it into a valuable property which now attracts more than 125 million American consumers every month and drives adoption of Bing, Microsoft’s search service. Previously, Scott was Senior Vice President and Head of Media at Yahoo!, where he led Yahoo! to market leadership in News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment and Lifestyle. Earlier he held senior management roles at Microsoft businesses including MSNBC.com and Expedia Travel. He was also Publisher of Slate, Microsoft’s online magazine. Moore will report to Mike Pocock, Group Chief Executive Officer, and will be based at a new Yell office to be opened in Seattle, WA. The Seattle office will act as a central hub to co-ordinate Yell’s worldwide digital development activities.

Mike Pocock said: “Scott is a highly regarded senior executive with vast experience in building and turning around digital and online properties. At Yell, he will develop and execute the new products and services that will enable our more than 1.3 million SME customers and their consumers to take full advantage of the digital opportunity. Scott’s proven commercial track record and intimate knowledge in this space will bring a new clarity and energy to our rapidly expanding digital portfolio.”

Gretchen Zech:

Arrow Electronics, Inc. announced that Gretchen Zech has been named senior
vice president of global human resources for the company.  Zech will be
responsible for Arrow Electronics’ global human resources (HR) strategy and
operations, and serve as a member of the company’s executive committee. She
will oversee talent and performance management, professional development, and compensation and benefits initiatives for the company.

“Gretchen’s wealth of HR knowledge and leadership experience spanning over 20 years make her the ideal person for this important role,” said Michael J. Long, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Arrow Electronics. “Our people are our momentum, and Gretchen will lead the continued evolution of our global HR and talent programs.”

Zech joins Arrow Electronics from Dex One where she was senior vice president and chief HR officer since 2006.

George Burnett:

George Burnett, chief executive of Alta Colleges Inc., the parent company of Westwood College and Redstone College, will resign at the end of the month, but he will remain on the board of the privately held company, a spokesman said.

Burnett has led Alta and Westwood for the past five years, serving at a time when for-profit schools came under fire for high student default rates and aggressive sales tactics. Westwood’s alleged problems preceded Burnett, but they came to the fore in lawsuits and even a U.S. Senate hearing during his tenure. Burnett didn’t give a reason for his decision to leave his post.

Dean Gouin will replace Burnett as CEO, effective Oct. 1. Gouin is a 15-year veteran at the company, having filled positions in human resources, financial aid, career development services, and student services before becoming chief operating officer of Westwood College.

Burnett was in charge of the phone directory business at telecommunications company, Qwest, now CenturyLink, under then-CEO Joe Nacchio. Qwest was the target of a fraud lawsuit by the Securities and Exchange Commission and an investigation by the Justice Department. Nacchio is serving a six-year prison sentence. Burnett was never targeted by these actions.

When Qwest sold its phone directory, and Burnett went on to become chief executive of Dex Media for a brief period where he led a leveraged buyout, an initial public offering and then a merger with rival R.H. Donnelley, which later went bankrupt.

People – September

It has been another active period for announcements about people
in the Yellow Pages industry.  This regular blog sponsored Hawthorne
Executive Search  is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about,
drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Gregory Freiberg:

Dex One has announced that Gregory Freiberg has joined the company on Monday, September 12th in the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer.

“Greg’s solid accomplishments as a public company CFO, coupled with his extensive technology background make him an excellent addition to our new leadership team,” said Alfred Mockett, chief executive officer of Dex One. “As we transform our operations to help local business leverage digital media, his proven track record of delivering shareholder value will be invaluable.”

Freiberg will report directly to Mockett and be responsible for all aspects of Dex One’s finance operations as well as play a key role in executing the company’s business strategy.

Freiberg began his career in the United States National Guard and during his 9-year career he rose to the rank of Captain and Infantry Company Commander.
He comes to Dex One with a strong career of senior finance positions at
leading global technology companies, including Savvis, XO Holdings, Asia
Netcom, Level 3 Communications and MCI.

As chief financial officer of Savvis, a global outsourcing data center provider, he led the company through a transformation which resulted in double digit year-over-year revenue and EBITDA growth. He was also a principle architect of the company’s merger with CenturyLink, Inc., completed in July 2011.

While serving as CFO at XO Holdings, Freiberg successfully crafted a series of initiatives to strengthen the company’s balance sheet, drive growth in new revenue streams and decrease debt.

He is a graduate of The University of South Dakota where he earned a BS in business administration.

Christian Paupe & Ginette Maille:

Christian M. Paupe, Executive Vice President – Corporate Services and Chief
Financial Officer, has left Yellow Media to pursue other interests.

“We want to thank Christian for his significant contributions to Yellow Media and for his commitment and support throughout his many years of service” said Marc P. Tellier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Media.

“We are pleased to announce that Ms Ginette Maille will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer on an interim basis.”  Ms. Maille has been a senior financial executive at Yellow Media since 2003, most recently as Chief Accounting Officer. Over that period, she has led various critical financial initiatives across the organization.

“Ginette is well respected for her deep understanding and knowledge of
the Company. She is a seasoned financial executive and her skills will serve us
well as we continue our transformation of the Company. I look forward to
working with her in her new role.” added Mr. Tellier.

Charles Levien:

Yellow Page industry pioneer Charles Levien died at home on August 23rd at the age of 86.

In 1949, Charles took on a small independent directory, which he grew and built by expanding coverage through startups, acquisitions and business acumen what is today Yellow Book. He was a pioneer in the yellow page industry, building the oldest and largest independent publisher in the nation. He sold the company in 1986 but remained a consultant until his death. He considered this later period the “dessert of his career,” saying that, as boss, people had to come to him, but as an advisor, they did so because they wanted to.

His employees fondly remember how each morning Levien would walk through the building saying “good morning” to each person in every department, from mailroom to executives. Anyone — worker, advertiser or user offering a suggestion that made sense to Charles — would see their idea implemented promptly. Because of the vacations, benefits and atmosphere, it was
rare for any employee to leave, and those who did would often stay in touch
with Charles over the years.

Charles was on the board of South Nassau Community Hospital in Oceanside for many years. He also served on the board of Luther E. Woodward School for Emotionally Disturbed Children in Freeport. He was born in Rockville Centre on July 4, 1925, and eventually moved to Cutchogue, NY where he had summered on his boat for many years.

Rob Luskey & Steve Dong

Irvine-based Local.com has bolstered its executive ranks this naming Rob Luskey as Vice President of Business Development, and Steven Dong as Vice President of Finance.

Laskey was most recently Local.com’s Senior Director, Business Development.  Domg joins the firm from Rovion, the firm recently acquired by Local.com.

Luskey has previously served at United Yellow Pages and Go2 Systems; Dong has
previously served at DigitalPost Interactive, Taitron Components, and Coopers
& Lybrand, LLP. Local.com operates a network of local search sites.

Tom Higley:

Local Matter has named Tom Higley its new CEO.   Higley has a deep background in starting up technology companies.

His LinkedIn profile shows that Higley was most recently CEO of Pavlov games, which “creates and distributes event-based social games.”

People – April/May

It’s been another active month for announcements about people in
the Yellow Pages industry.  This regular monthly blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search  is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Ken Brock:

Ken Brock the founder and President of Names and Numbers has received, The Spirit of Pittsburg award from the Pittsburg, KS Area Chamber of Commerce during their annual meeting which was held Thursday, May 26^th.

The Spirit of Pittsburg award is the highest honor bestowed by the association and recognizes an outstanding community member, who through his or her
service, volunteerism and personal sacrifice has made Pittsburg a better place
to live, expecting nothing in return. This outstanding citizen reflects a steady, positive influence on others in daily life.

The award was presented to Mr. Brock by the evening’s special guest, Kansas Governor, Sam Brownback.  During his presentation of the award, Governor Brownback spoke of a local Pittsburg, Kansas doctor, who was assisting victims of the recent Joplin, Missouri tornado. According to Brownback, the doctor stated, God put me in Joplin because I had the skill set to help out. Using the statement as a segue, the governor said, “he believed God put Ken Brock in Pittsburg, not to receive an award as the 2011 Spirit of Pittsburg but because of his skill set and commitment to the city.”

Upon accepting the award Brock noted that “I have made a commitment to the Pittsburg community since moving Names and Numbers to Pittsburg years ago. My wife Debbie and I travel a lot in our work. We travel to a lot of cool places. As soon as we arrive at these nice facilities, at these nice towns, it’s about three or four days before I say, Debbie, I’m home sick. I’m ready to go home now. No matter where I’ve been, I always look forward to getting back to Pittsburg.”

Richard Hanna

Dex One Corporation announced the addition of Richard J. Hanna, as executive vice president of sales and marketing, effective immediately.  Hanna will be responsible for all sales and marketing functions, leading the company’s transition from a product-centric to a customer-centric organization. He will also be tasked with shifting the sales force from a solo-selling model to a team-based approach to increase customer contact frequency and support the delivery of a wider portfolio of digital solutions. Hanna will be based at Dex One headquarters in Cary and report to the company’s CEO Alfred Mockett.

Hanna has held a variety of senior leadership positions at several technology and telecommunications companies, including AT&T, Cidera, MCI, MFS-Intelenet, Motive and Teligent.

“To compete in today’s marketplace we must build a world-class, 21^st century sales force that is professionally trained and armed with the latest tools and technology. Rick has a wealth of experience assembling high-performance sales teams and he will ensure this gets done at Dex One,” said Mockett. “Rick has a solid track record of leading the sales and marketing functions in the hyper-competitive technology and telecom sectors; he understands what it takes to win in the marketplace and provide outstanding service and support to customers.”

As president of the small and medium business division at MCI, Hanna guided a $1.5 billion operation with 3,500 employees. He led the restructuring of the field and telemarketing sales efforts, resulting in a rapid double-digit improvement in sales and customer retention.

As president and CEO at MFS-Intelenet, he launched the nation’s first competitive local exchange carrier, growing the company at an annual rate in excess of 40 percent. The company had operations in 45 major markets, with more than 2,000 employees.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the sales transformation at Dex One. This is something I have successfully tackled several times throughout my career and understand the energy and effort required to reach the desired outcome,” said Hanna. “Dex One is at a pivotal time in its history and transformation is essential in order to return to growth.”

Early in his career, Hanna held a variety of management positions in sales and marketing in the telecom industry.  Hanna is a 1977 graduate of the University of
Central Connecticut.

Jim Hail:

The Association of Directory Publishers bestowed its highest distinction on Jim Hail, president and co-owner of Hagadone Directories, Inc. at the group’s recent annual conference.

Presentation of The Wil Lewis Award to Hail took place at the Gold Book Dinner and Awards Ceremony concluding ADP’s annual convention. The award recognizes outstanding lifetime contributions to the directory publishing industry and to the effectiveness of the Association. The Wil Lewis Award is named in honor of the late Wilbur Lewis, founder of White Directory Publishers and a three-time past ADP chairman.

“I am honored and humbled to be only the 11th recipient of The Wil Lewis Award,” Hail said. “It is, I believe, imperative for small directory companies like HDI to have a voice and influence in national industry issues.”

Hail founded HDI in 1987 and is twice past chairman of the board of the Association of Directory Publishers.

“What makes The Wil Lewis Award so prestigious is that it is bestowed not annually, but rather only when a nominee exceeds the lofty threshold set by Wil Lewis himself in the judgment of a minimum of 75 percent of the sitting Directors of the Association,” said Larry Angove, ADP president and chief executive officer.

In presenting the award to Hail together with Rick Lewis, former president and CEO of White Directory Publishers and son of Wilbur Lewis, Angove shared comments of longtime ADP leaders who nominated Hail for consideration.

One stated, “I don’t know where to start when it comes to Jim. He has put his heart and soul into ADP. As chairman of the board, publisher, mentor and teacher, I honestly cannot think of a better choice to receive The Wil Lewis Award.”

Hail is a former newspaper editor and publisher and was publisher of the Coeur d’Alene Press and president of the Hagadone North Idaho Newspaper Group prior to founding HDI. Today HDI publishes regional telephone directories in Idaho, Washington, Montana, Oregon and California.

Steve Blondy

Dex One Corporation has also  announced it has commenced a nationwide search for a new chief financial officer to fill the vacancy created by the pending
departure of current CFO Steven Blondy, 51, who will step down on or before
July 31, 2011.

“We thank Steve for his valuable service to Dex One and its predecessor company R.H. Donnelley. Since joining the company in 2002, Steve has played an important role in expanding operations and improving the company’s cost structure,” said Dex One Chief Executive Officer Alfred Mockett. “His contributions are wide-ranging and we wish him well going forward.”

The separation was mutually agreed upon by the company and Blondy, who will help ensure an orderly transition and receive benefits as outlined in his employment agreement.   A prominent search firm is engaged and is in the process of identifying and evaluating candidates.

Stéphane Marceau

Yellow Page Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, Stéphane Marceau, has left the company to pursue other career Interests. His resignation is effective immediately.

“Stéphane came to Yellow Media to lead the digital transformation including overseeing the development and overall marketing of digital and mobile products for the Company’s various brands.  Now, with this digital transformation well under way, we are grateful for his contribution and respect his decision,” said Marc P. Tellier, President and Chief Executive Officer, Yellow Media Inc.

Yellow Media has invested significantly over the last few years to expand the knowledge and capability of its marketing function. The current strong marketing executive team will continue to build on the momentum established and ensure continuity. Mr. Marceau will be a special advisor to the organization for a transition period.

Kathy Perez:

Announced that the Directory Assistance and Information Services Conference – Thriving on the Frontier has been scheduled for November 15th – 16th, 2011 at the Landmark Hyatt Regency, Dallas TX.

“Following on the success of last year’s inaugural event we have created a compelling agenda to provide you with the strategies you need and exceptional networking opportunities.   We are pleased to be teaming up with The Paisley
Group to host THE industry event this year.  We have created one single
event that will bring together everyone in the industry for an outstanding
conference. “

Early bird discounts are available at the Paisley Group Conference site. 

People – February & March

It’s been a busy, busy month for announcements about people in the Yellow Pages industry.  This regular monthly blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

*****************************************************

Scott Pomeroy, Scott Brubaker, & Berry Company changes:

President and CEO Scott Pomeroy, in collaboration with the Board of Directors, has stepped down, effective immediately.

• Also stepping down immediately are Chief Strategy Officer Kathy Geiger-Schwab and Chief Talent Officer Rick Shaum.
• With Pomeroy’s resignation, Scott Brubaker, of Alvarez & Marsal, will serve as ther  Interim CEO and President.  Prior to this change Brubaker was the chief Restructuring Officer since last Octobers.
• Marilyn O’Neal will continue to serve as the company’s Acting Chief Operating Officer, and will report to Scott Brubaker. Also reporting to Scott will be Richard Jenkins, Interim CFO, Doug Myers, VP, Business Development, and John Fischer, General Counsel.
• Human Resources will now report to Kathryn Tecosky, currently Vice President of Learning and Organizational Development.

Scott Pomeroy & Bruce Cotterill:

At the Yellow Pages Group (New Zealand), Bruce Cotterill has stepped down as chief executive having completed a massive restructure and following the directory business’s bankers seizing control last month.  Cotterill was originally brought in two years ago as Yellow’s debt became a huge drain, and it was unable to meet its repayments.

Following that announcement, the Yellow Pages Group then named Scott Pomeroy as acting chief executive of the directories company.  Pomeroy indicated he might be in the role for one or two years.  Pomeroy is expected to divide his time between Auckland and his home in Colorado. He was appointed to a new three-person board on January 27.  The other two directors are chairman Andrew Day and former MediaWorks chief executive Brent Impey.

Mat Stover:

SuperMedia has announced that Mat Stover will join SuperMedia as its chief marketing officer, effective on March 7. Stover will report to SuperMedia CEO Peter McDonald.

Stover was the CEO of Local Matters, Inc., which provides online search and advertising products and solutions for leading directory publishers and real estate portals. He joined the Local Matters Board of Directors in December 2005, and became CEO in January 2009. From 2005 to 2008, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ypOne Publishing, LP, a closely held company providing print and online yellow pages directories in the United States and Canada prior to its sales to Yellow Book. Stover served from 1994 through 1999 as group president of Bell Atlantic Directory Group and president and CEO of its predecessor companies, Bell Atlantic Information Services Group and NYNEX Information Resources Company, where he oversaw the $2.4 billion domestic print white and yellow pages publishing business, created the United States’ first national yellow pages on the Internet, BigYellow^sm, as well as the successful web@once suite of website creation, copywriting and hosting products; established BellAtlantic.net as a major Internet Service Provider; and created Global Directory Services, Inc., which provided print and online shopping directory services in China, Greece, Poland and the Czech and Slovak Republics. He is a past director and chairman of the board of the Yellow Pages Association.

Earlier in his career, Stover was chairman, president and CEO of AGS Computers, Inc., a provider of software solutions and consulting services; and was vice president – Public Affairs & Corporate Communications for NYNEX Corporation and senior vice president – Communications for American Express Company. He also was a director of Infoseek Corporation (SEEK), Ace Communications (ACEC) and i3 Mobile, Inc. (IIIM).

Stover is a graduate of Yale University and the Executive Program of the Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia

Rock Clum:

Valley Yellow Pages announced that Rock Clum has joining their team as a Regional Vice President for the Sacramento region.  Clum has extensive experience in the Northern California marketplace, including more than 30 years in the yellow pages industry and 20 years in sales management.   Clum previously served as the Executive Sales Director for Ziplocal, where he was responsible for managing sales of 24 directories with $20 million in revenue covering California, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah.   Prior to that, he was the Regional Sales Director for Trans Western Publishing Corporation/YellowBook Company, where he was responsible for 106 sales consultants in 10 offices and was instrumental in more than doubling the size of the region in five years.

“I’m excited to be able to coach and lead a team of sales consultants that will work with small business owners and help them grow and sustain their business in these challenging economic times,” said Rock Clum, regional vice president for Valley Yellow Pages.  “It’s very important to understand the reality of strong yellow pages print usage versus the perception that everyone now uses the Internet exclusively.”

Valley Yellow Pages’ Sacramento region includes offices in Sacramento, Auburn, Marysville, and Chico and yellow pages directories for Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Placerville, Auburn, Grass Valley, Yolo, Yuba, Lassen, Butte, Shasta, and Glenn-Tehama.

People – January

It’s been a busy, busy month for announcements about people in the Yellow Pages industry.  This regular monthly blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Donna Towles:

Dex One Corporation announced the promotion of Donna Towles to senior vice president of operations, effective immediately. Towles, a seasoned executive with a proven track record for driving operational change, most recently served as vice president of publishing and client care.

In this newly created position, which will report to Dex One Chief Executive Officer Alfred Mockett, Towles will direct the modernization of the company’s operational systems to better support the delivery of integrated service bundles to local business customers.

“As we drive transformational change across the Dex One enterprise, having knowledgeable, experienced leaders who understand our operations and underlying systems is critically important to our success,” said Mr. Mockett. “Donna is an invaluable leader at Dex One with a strong understanding of what it takes to drive transformational change across the enterprise. We welcome Donna to the Dex One leadership team.”

During Towles’ tenure with Dex One, she has directed a number of enterprise-wide efforts to drive greater operational effectiveness and efficiencies, improve the accuracy and reliability of the company’s information systems, and develop strategies to migrate legacy processes to a more integrated operating environment.

“The opportunity to add responsibilities and help transform who we are today is very compelling,” said Ms. Towles. “I am very passionate about this business and providing industry-leading service and support to our customers. We have made significant progress modernizing many of our operational systems and look forward to continuing this work in 2011 and beyond.”

Sharon Sweeney:

Effective December 31, 2010, Sharon has left Nationwide Media.  With 29 years in the business and 20 of those years with Nationwide, she indicated that the time is right to move to the next stage begin her new company.

Fairway Group is an advertising agency with its roots in the print medium with growth into the current and future technologies from internet applications and advertising to mobile, social networking, and cable.  The #1 goal of Fairway is to plan, promote, and place advertising with the media that best fits the advertiser’s current and future goals.

Contact information for the new company is:  Fairway Group, 461-1/2 Cochran Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, Telephone: (323)243-6444

Kathleen DeCaire-Aden:

Effective January 5^th, Kathleen DeCaire-Aden has returned to lead SMG’s Directory Marketing unit.  During her eight prior years with SMG Directory Marketing, she was integral to growth of this unit, evolving it to an integrated local directory marketing offering that spanned digital and mobile—harnessing its potential far beyond its print roots.

For this effort, Kathleen is expected to focus on helping clients from MediaVest, Starcom and Spark better leverage the company’s next-generation directory marketing capability across all these areas, as well as mastering the emerging social opportunities in this space.

Atish Banerjea:

Dex One Corporation announced that Atish Banerjea, has joined the company as senior vice president and chief technology officer, effective Jan. 10, 2011.

Mr. Banerjea will be responsible for all information technology, engineering and interactive product development. He will be based at the company headquarters in Cary and report to Dex One CEO Alfred Mockett as part of the company’s senior leadership team.

Mr. Banerjea spent the last 10 years with Pearson PLC, a $9 billion international media group.  While at Pearson, Mr. Banerjea was credited with helping direct that company’s transformation from a print-dominated business to a digital leader. Responsible for the global oversight and management of Pearson’s technology initiatives and systems, as well as infrastructure for Pearson worldwide, he managed a team of more than 1,800, including contractors, with additional oversight of product development groups totaling 2,500.

“Attracting an individual with the talent and experience of Atish demonstrates our ability to execute on a key part of our strategy,” said Mr. Mockett. “We intend to assemble an industry-leading management team to build next-generation technology platforms for our customers and implement the operational changes and growth initiatives that will drive sales and position Dex One on a path to growth.

“With his proven team building skills I fully expect Atish to quickly assemble the world-class technology team we desire for Dex One.”

“There could be no more exciting time to join a company like Dex One,” said Mr. Banerjea. “Dex One’s commitment to become a leader in the digital marketing revolution as it plays out on the front lines — in local communities across the nation — is clear and unwavering. As the opportunity to develop new products and applications with a clear sense of urgency fits my ambition and skills, Dex One best offers me great opportunity and clear potential to make significant contributions to the company’s transformation.”

Prior to his promotion to executive vice president at Pearson in 2005, Mr. Banerjea held positions as senior vice president, technology strategy and architecture and chief technology officer and vice president, systems infrastructure, at Pearson Education.   Early in his career Mr. Banerjea held a full-time tenure track faculty position at the University of Wisconsin as assistant professor, computer information systems (CIS) responsible for teaching all the advanced CIS courses for the undergraduate computer information systems program, as well as conducting research in support of teaching assignments.

Mr. Banerjea is a 1988 graduate of the University of Delhi and also has a master’s degree with a major in computer information systems from Temple University. He is married with two children and will be relocating with his family to the Cary area.

Lois Antelo:

ASEC International has announced that Lois Antelo has joined the company as Director of Business Development.

Lois has been a prominent participant in the Yellow Pages industry for the past twenty seven years, and joins ASEC from United Yellow Pages where she was director of business operations.  Her career at United spans twenty two years where she held positions in national sales, sales management, training, and operations management.

In addition to her responsibilities at United Yellow Pages, Lois has served on the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP) board for the past seven years with her most recent position as the Vice Chairman.  She has been involved with several committees including the program committee and the membership committee.

Lois is a graduate of the University of California.  She brings to ASEC an in-depth knowledge of the Yellow Pages industry, strong strategic, business development, and management skills, and an unyielding enthusiasm for this industry.  She can be reached at lois.antelo@asecusa.com.

Jim Smith:

Jim Smith has joined Valley Yellow Pages as the Central Coast regional vice president, working out of the Aptos office. His region includes Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, San Jose, Campbell, Los Altos, Palo Alto, San Mateo and San Francisco. He has more than 25 years of Yellow Page experience and relocated to Santa Cruz County.

Five Reasons Hiring Top Talent May Be More Difficult Than You Realize in 2011

Publisher:  We’ve all been hearing of signs that the economy is starting to turn the corner a little, and that more people are finding jobs. With the start of the New Year, we thought we’d get a sense for what the industry faces in its staffing issues going into 2011.  Who better to turn to then the leading recruiting group for the industry – Hawthorne Executive Search, and it’s President – Robert Hawthorne. Because Hawthorne Search works with such a wide variety of clients both internal to the industry and externally across the greater local search spectrum, Hawthorne gets a unique picture from both the macro level, as well as deep in the trenches during their daily conversations with clients and candidates.  Here is Robert’s view of what 2011 holds for hiring.

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Five Reasons Hiring Top Talent May Be More Difficult Than You Realize in 2011

Your business has survived one of the largest economic downturns of the past seventy five years.  You did all the right things, which included reducing staff size and doubling up employee workloads instead of adding to staff when things started to pick up.

Now that you believe the clouds are parting and there may be some growth on the horizon you are ready to hire a few key individuals on your team.  You open up your internet browser and are bombarded with articles trumpeting the 9.8% unemployment rate.

Armed with this information you believe that you can get a Porsche on a Buick budget.  Candidates will be begging to come to work for you and can interview dozens until that magical candidate finally grabs the golden ring.

Unfortunately the reality is far different from this employer driven ideal.  Yes, unemployment remains mired near 10% but you need to think about who you want to hire and keep these five things in mind when looking to hire:

Reason #1 hiring is going to be challenging in 2011:  The unemployment rate for those with a four year degree or higher is under 6%. If you are looking to hire a high school graduate for a line manufacturing job the odds are pretty high you can pick and choose, but if you are looking for a white collar professional with a four year degree or higher in most industries, the true unemployment rate is quite low.  “Full employment” is considered by most economists around 5% and  the current rate is under 6% for those you are pursuing, you can do the math.

Reason #2:  Moving for a job is nearly impossible.  We live in a fairly transient society where many individuals are willing to leave their city for a good job in another market.  During the boom days of the real estate market, it was fairly easy to list your house, sell it, and start a new job in a month or two.  Today, with many individuals underwater on their mortgages and a limited number of qualified buyers available, many professionals are landlocked by their mortgage.  If you are trying to recruit a product manager from your competitor who is based in Dallas to move to your Denver office,  be prepared to either wait for months for that person to sell their house, or be prepared to pay their rent until they can sell the house back home.

Reason #3: The candidates you are pursuing are reading the same articles detailing an uptick in hiring that you read.  They have weathered the storm at their jobs and now realize it might be a good time to explore the market.  Count on these individuals having multiple suitors and not jumping at an initial offer.  Hiring tends to come in “waves” and 2011 may be a wave year.

Reason #4: Individualism now thriving.  Countless articles have been written about professionals who have used their downsizing as an opportunity to start their own business.  I personally know of a dozen or more candidates of ours who have hung out their own shingle in order to make a living.  Yes, some of these folks will jump at the chance to re-enter corporate America, but many will want to maintain their newfound freedom and flexibility.  Getting these folks to jump back into structured hours at a physical office with multiple staff meetings and bosses may not be as easy as you would imagine.

Reason #5: Same as before the employment crash, you are lacking one or more of the 3 C’s.  You aren’t cool, you don’t offer enough compensation, or you can’t help the career climb.  Today’s employee is looking for a growing company in a “hot” market that can help them keep their skills on the leading edge.  In addition they want a salary increase if they are going to leave the perceived stability of their current employer.  Finally, most individuals will want to know where this position can take them in your organization.  If you aren’t paying market rate, have advancement opportunities, or on the leading wave of your industry, you are going to have a difficult time landing an “A” player.

When you and your staff set out to hire this quarter realize that while you may have a great opportunity for someone, you will need to recruit the talent you want, not just select.

Coming Soon: Five Ways You Can Stand Out When Trying To Hire

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Robert Hawthorne has been leading a national recruiting practice for the past fifteen years, working primarily with interactive and online media companies, as well as with consumer driven internet organizations.  He can be reached at Robert@hawthornesearch.com or (910) 798-1800 x101

 

People – December

This regular monthly blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

David Gilbert:

Ziplocal’s VP-Sales, Eastern Division – Dave Gilbert will be leaving the company effective December 3^rd to return to college for another degree (he is considering teaching at university level) and to work with various charitable organizations.

Dave has had a long and successful career in the Yellow Pages industry have started in 1984 with BellSouth Advertising & Publishing.  He left in 1993 to start his own company, the Neighborhood Yellow Pages, which was later to sold to Volt (DataNational) in 1998.  Following the sale, he served as Chief Operating Officer for DataNational until 2008 when the company was acquired by Yellow Pages Group (YPG).  Following the sale, he served as the company’s VP of US Sales. When YPG sold the company to Ziplocal in April, 2010, Dave was appointed the VP-Sales, Eastern Division.

We wish Dave the best in his future endeavors.  Whatever he chooses to work on, there is no doubt he will be successful at it.

Charles Ruppman:

Charles Ruppman recently died at the age of 95 in Tualatin, Ore., where he lived for the past four years.  Ruppman parlayed his experience with the Yellow Pages directory into a thriving company while setting up one of the first call centers in the country.  After working for R. H. Donnelly, Ruppman moved to Peoria in 1962.

“He originally worked with Thompson Advertising and developed the Yellow Pages division here. Later, Bob Thompson died and he set up Ruppman Advertising,” said son Charles T. Ruppman.  “He went on to grow the business and be very successful. He developed three separate companies. There was Ruppman Advertising, Ruppman Yellow Pages and Today’s Merchandising,” he said.  Ruppman later went to New York to negotiate with Time-Life for the purchase of a telephone call center in Peoria, one of the first in the country.

The business kept growing after Ruppman retired in the 1970s as his son developed Ruppman Marketing Services, which expanded the call-center functions out to three buildings in Peoria. In the 1980s, Ruppman’s firm fielded most of the 800-number calls that customers made across the country from the Peoria offices.  The Ruppman company was sold in 2004 and renamed Affina.

“Without him and his drive and foresight, none of it would have happened. Our products and services were known all over the United States,” said Charles T. Ruppman of the Ruppman companies, which at their peak employed about 2,400 people nationwide – more than 600 in Peoria.  “He was a big part of the Peoria community,” his son said, adding that he “engaged in a number of community service campaigns.”

Michael Pawlowski, David Bethea, Del Humenik, and Steven Nord

SuperMedia has announced several changes to their Executive Vice President Sales.  East EVP Sales – Michael Pawlowski, has retired after more than 25 years of service and West EVP Sales – West David Bethea, has announced his intent to pursue other opportunities.

Two new Executive Vice Presidents (EVPs) will oversee the sales operations in the East and West.  Effective immediately, long time industry veteran Del Humenik will lead the East Sales operation as EVP Sales – East.  Humenik rejoins SuperMedia after his departure in 2003.  Prior to his departure, he was employed by the SuperMedia predecessor companies for more than 19 years, holding positions of increasing responsibility in the Sales organization. Most recently, Humenik worked for Paychex Inc. as Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing.  He also held senior sales positions with Sprint, Dex and R.H. Donnelley.

Steven Nord who initially started with SuperMedia as a sales consultant, and will now serve as interim EVP Sales – West.  Nord, who has worked for Dex, SBC and Ameritech, is very familiar with the SuperMedia business.  He began his work in the Yellow Pages industry at L.M. Berry, and his career spans more than three decades.

Michael Pocock:

Yell is appointing a new CEO January 1st – Michael Pocock, a former SVP and GM from Cisco’s Linksys home networking division. The announcement ended a six-month search for a successor to John Condron, who has led Yell for 16 years.

From 2006 to 2009, Pocock was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Linksys, the home and SME networking division of Cisco Systems. Prior to Linksys, he was President and Chief Executive of Polaroid Corporation, which he joined in 2003, leading the recovery of the company to profitability and being instrumental in its sale to Peters Group Worldwide. From 1996 to 2002, Michael worked with Compaq Computer Corporation, in roles including Senior Vice President of its Commercial PC business and Senior Vice President for Worldwide Strategy. Prior to that, from 1993 to 1996, he was Vice President and General Manager of the Personal Computing Business of Digital Equipment Corporation.

Pocock started his career with General Electric Company and has also held senior positions in Epson America, Murata Business Systems and Xerox Corporation. From 2003 to 2007, he was on the Board of Stratus Technologies and, from 2005 to 2007, he was on the Board of Wyse Computer.

Pocock has A BA in Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky and has MBA studies at the University of Dallas.

Bob Wigley, Chairman of Yell, said: “We very much welcome Mike. He brings impressive leadership skills and experience from his considerable success in a range of businesses, which made him stand out from a strong candidate list and suit him ideally to the challenges and opportunities of Yell. With the arrival of our new CFO designate and the appointment of Mike, we have the right team in place to manage a seamless succession and to take Yell forward in the next stages of its development.”

UPDATE:  12/9/2010:

Peter McDonald was made the permanent CEO at SuperMedia:  http://bit.ly/fgp9nk

 

People – October/November

This regular monthly blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Linda A. Martin:

Local Insight Regatta Holdings/Berry announced that, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, will take an unpaid personal leave of absence starting on November 1, 2010. Ms. Martin’s leave of absence is expected to last three or four months. During Ms. Martin’s absence, Marilyn B. Neal, Chairman of the Board of the Company and Executive Chairman of Local Insight Media Holdings, Inc. (“LIMH”), the Company’s indirect parent, will temporarily assume Ms. Martin’s operational responsibilities.

Peter J. McDonald:

SuperMedia has appointed s Peter J. McDonald as Interim CEO; Douglas Wheat to Serve as Executive Chairman The Company also announced that Scott W. Klein resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective immediately.

McDonald has over 35 years’ experience in the yellow pages industry, most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer of RH Donnelley Corporation (Dex One) from 2004 to 2008. He has previously held several other senior roles in the industry, including Senior Vice President and President of Donnelley Media, President and Chief Executive Officer of SBC Directory Operations (now AT&T Directory Operations), President and Chief Executive Officer of Ameritech Publishing, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dontech Publishing, and General Manager of Donnelley Information Publishing. McDonald began his career at National Telephone Directories (one of the predecessor companies that later became SuperMedia) where he was Vice President and General Manager.

McDonald has served on a number of boards, including those of RH Donnelly Corporation, CMGI Inc., and the Yellow Pages Publishers Association, where he served as Vice Chairman.

Bradley Carson:

The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) announced it has appointed Bradley Carson as vice president of operations. In this role, Carson will be responsible for maintaining and developing all of YPA’s systems, products and standards.  Kathy Roush, long time member of the YPA staff and current vice president, will be retiring at the end of the year.

“Brad brings to YPA two decades of industry experience that will help us serve the needs of our members and the industry well,” said Neg Norton, president, YPA.  “We are fortunate to have attracted such high-caliber talent to our team and we all look forward to working with him as we position our industry for success during a time of great opportunity and change.”

Carson’s credentials include more than 20 years of Yellow Pages industry experience, most recently as director and executive account manager of Amdocs from 2003 to 2010. He previously served as executive director at SBC / AT&T Communications, Inc. (2001-2003), where he was responsible for the leadership and direction of AT&T’s IT organization; and as vice president of CIO information technology at Business Trends, Inc. from 1997-1999, where he then served as president from 1999-2001. Carson began his career at Ameritech Advertising Services in 1985 and rose within the company to the role of manager of information delivery and data warehouse.

“I have a strong belief in the work that our industry does to help connect local businesses with consumers,” said Carson.  “I look forward to working with my colleagues at YPA to provide valuable services for our members while promoting industry growth.”

For more information about the Yellow Pages Association, you can go to http://www.ypassociation.org or http://www.insideyp.org.

Michael Ray:

A bright light in the Yellow Page industry has dimmed.  Michael Joe Ray, 57, of Pittsburg, KS passed away recently.  He was one of those people who had a great passion for life and an undying love and devotion to his family. Michael had a true sense of humor and a passion for life.  He never met a stranger. He also was an accomplished drummer and started at age 14 with Conny and the Bellhops, then with Smoot Mahuti and other local bands throughout his lifetime.

Michael was born in 1953, in Pittsburg, KS, and graduated from St. Mary’s-Colgan with the Great Class of 1971. He then attended Pittsburg State University and was a member of Sigma Tau Gamma.  Michael married the love of his life, Jolene Carol Clark in 1989 in Joplin, MO, and they have two great kids, Mason Michael, 18, and Sydney Jo.

Michael was employed by Names and Numbers as District Sales Manager of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Oklahoma.

He will be missed, but definitely not forgotten.

People – September, 2010

This regular monthly blog sponsored Hawthorne Executive Search is all about people in the Yellow Pages industry. If you have news you want to share about someone that is involved in the Yellow Pages industry (including retirees) that we should all know about, drop us a line and tell us how they are doing. Send your submissions to ken@yptalk.com.

Alfred Mockett:

Effective Sept. 13, Dex One (formerly R.H. Donnelley) appointed Alfred T. Mockett as the new company president and CEO.

Mockett had previously served as president of Memorex Telex, CEO of American Management Systems and CEO of Motive Inc. (Nasdaq: MOTV), and he held several senior management positions during his 10-year stint at BT Group (NYSE: BT), formerly British Telecom.

Mockett stated, “I am very excited to be joining Dex One and see an outstanding opportunity for future growth. Local search is rapidly expanding and local businesses need a partner they can trust to help them select the right mix of solutions, from online business profiles and video ads to mobile search and print advertising.”

Mockett will be charged with leading the company to re-establish itself with a new business model. The company previously specialized in traditional Yellow Page advertising, but is now looking to use a variety of products, such as online and mobile searches, to help connect companies with customers.

Jonathan B. Bulkeley

Dex One Corporation also announced today that Jonathan B. Bulkeley, a member of the company’s Board of Directors, will succeed Alan F. Schultz as non-executive chairman of the Board of Directors. Schultz will remain on the Board.

Bulkeley, a member of the Board since January, served on the company’s executive oversight committee during the CEO search process. He is the founder and chief investment officer of Blue Square Capital Management LLC, which operates a hedge fund that invests in global small and micro cap equities. He also most recently served as CEO of Scanbuy Inc., a global leader in visual navigation for the wireless industry, as well as CEO of barnesandnoble.com and chairman and CEO of Lifeminders.

Kevin F. Bostick

Local Insight Media Holdings announced the appointment of Kevin F. Bostick as its chief financial officer, effective November 10, 2008. Bostick, who has more than 20 years of experience in finance and management, will oversee financial strategy, capital markets, financial operations, treasury, tax, budgeting/reporting and investor relations for Local Insight Media and its operating subsidiaries.

Most recently, Bostick served as chief financial officer of New Global Telecom, Inc., a Denver-based provider of Voice Over IP services. He also served as CFO of My Publisher, Inc., a digital photography book publishing venture. From 2000 to 2005, Bostick held senior management positions with Level 3 Communications, Inc. From 1993 to 2000, he was a vice president in the Media and Telecommunication Investment Banking group at JPMorgan Chase & Co. He began his career as a senior accountant for KPMG.

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About Hawthorne Executive Search

Hawthorne Executive Search, is a full service search and consultancy focused on the advertising, publishing and media industries. With decades of experience, Hawthorne Executive Search is an executive search and management firm that has assisted companies of all sizes in the recruitment and selection of top talent across North America and beyond. Every assignment managed by our firm includes the involvement of a principal, experienced in helping clients build high performance management teams.

With contacts on all levels of the organizational chart, from the senior management or “C” level, to field sales representatives and account executives, we have a database of over 35,000 professionals.

By focusing strictly on one industry, there isn’t a search outside of our comfort zone. We are able to execute most projects within 2-3 weeks from inception. Some examples of successfully completed searches include:

• Media/Account Executives both print and online
• Regional Sales Manager
• Senior Vice President of Client Services
• Production Manager
• National Account Manager
• Vice President of Sales
• Vice President of Business Development
• Account Supervisor
• Media Planner
• Managing Director

Our clients include publishers, both independent and incumbent, CMRs, Internet Yellow Pages and Search Engine Optimization firms, and suppliers to the directory industry.

With a commitment to the Yellow Page industry, our specialization enables us to maintain a 95% completion rate for all engaged projects we undertake.

Please feel free to contact us at:

• Jenny Ciappa – 973-220-7272

Robert Hawthorne – 910-798-1800