People – May

It has been a while since we updated our regular blog sponsored by Hawthorne Executive Search .   It 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.

Herb Gordon

The industry suffered a big loss when Herb Gordon, retired former president and CEO of the Association of Directory Marketing (ADM), passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack on Saturday, May 4, 2013.  Herb is survived by his wife, Annemarie, three sons, nine grandchildren, two sisters, and a large extended family.

Herb led ADM (which merger with what was then the Yellow Pages Association – YPA – more info) for eighteen years, retiring in June 2009, after the merger.  During his tenure, he served on the Boards of ADM, the YPA (now Local Search Association), and Association of Directory Publishers – the only person in the industry to have the unique honor of serving on all three boards.  He served at a time when the industry was just starting to experience unparalleled change.

For more go to our recent YP Talk article by clicking here.

 

Jeff Hoyer

Local Market Launch, the Santa Barbara-based startup that is driving new standards of quality and service in local presence solutions for national brands, multi-location businesses and SMBs, announced today that Jeff Hoyer has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. He will lead the company’s sales efforts, with a focus on channel partner development among local media companies, including directory publishers, newspaper publishers and broadcast companies, as well as digital media agencies and certified marketing representatives (CMRs).

“Jeff will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow our channel partner network,” said Brian Coryat, founder and CEO, Local Market Launch. “His deep expertise and proven track record in the directory publishing, business listings management and SMB digital marketing space make him a valuable addition to our leadership team.”

Hoyer is a local media solutions veteran with significant experience in executive management, sales strategy and execution, online marketing, SEM/SEO, advertising sales, customer and client relationship management and leadership development.

“Accurate business listings data is the foundation of today’s local digital economy, as consumers increasingly engage with local businesses through social networks and mobile devices,” said Hoyer. “Helping local businesses, national brands targeting locally and multi-location businesses manage their listings data efficiently and effectively has to be an essential element of any local media company’s digital marketing solution set. Local Market Launch has developed a solution that is truly ahead of anything currently on the market in terms of data quality, focus on the customer experience and ease of ongoing management. I am excited for the opportunity to bring it to the marketplace.”

Prior to joining Local Market Launch, Hoyer was SVP, Sales & Marketing at Name Dynamics/Universal Business Listing. He also served as VP, National Sales for R.H. Donnelley/Dex Media, where he managed a national team of 30, with P&L responsibility of $420 million in print, online and PPC products. Previously he was Group VP, TMP Worldwide, managing four VP/GMs and a portfolio of national clients.

 

Richard Wall

Dex Media’s Richard Wall, Vice president for Enterprise Application Engineering has been named “One to Watch” by CIO Magazine.

The CIO Executive Council’s annual Ones to Watch award identifies the rising stars in IT. To be honored, these future CIOs must have demonstrated leadership, driven innovation and delivered value to their business.

Wall has led organizations within IT at many companies and has experience across several disciplines including architecture, development, production support, and quality assurance. He is responsible for application development and maintenance activities at Dex Media, including all applications supporting Lead to Cash processes, mobile and online applications and websites representing Superpages.com, search platforms and traffic distribution integration to search partners, customer portal, and Business Intelligence Systems (BIS) applications

 

Bill Dinan:

Telmetrics’ President  and LSA Board Chairman Bill Dinan is scheduled to speak at SMX London on Mobile Search Best Practices.

With mobile advertising spend continuing to increase, leading call measurement provider Telmetrics announced that Bill Dinan, president of Telmetrics, was scheduled to speak at SMX London on the “Paid Search Advertising in a Multi-Device World” panel.   SMX London is a premiere U.K. event for search marketing and other online advertising professionals.

Dinan will address mobile search best practices including tailoring and localizing ads to incorporate mobile consumers’ category-specific usage patterns and preferences. The presentation will include insights from the recent xAd-Telmetrics U.K. Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study, which was based on an online survey of 1,500 U.K. smartphone and tablet users conducted by Nielsen.

 

 

Herb Gordon, Former ADM President/CEO Has Died

There are always people who you run across in your personal and business careers that make a lasting impact.  For me, Herb Gordon was one of them.  It saddens me deeply to tell you that Herb Gordon, retired former president and CEO of the Association of Directory Marketing (ADM), passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack on Saturday, May 4, 2013.  Herb is survived by his wife, Annemarie, three sons, nine grandchildren, two sisters, and a large extended family.

Herb led ADM (which merger with what was then the Yellow Pages Association – YPA – more info) for eighteen years, retiring in June 2009, after the merger.  During his tenure, he served on the Boards of ADM, the YPA (now Local Search Association), and Association of Directory Publishers – the only person in the industry to have the unique honor of serving on all three boards.  He served at a time when the industry was just starting to experience unparalleled change.

It was during the time that he was on the YPA board that I got to work directly with Herb.  Simply put, he was a gentleman no matter how passionate a discussion got, he was a masterful politician keeping the peace between publishers and CMRs who were always at each other’s throats, and he was a passionate supporter of the national channel.  I can say I didn’t always agree with him, but I did have a great deal of respect for him no matter his views.

Previously, Herb held senior management positions at Ketchum Communications, including president, Ketchum Yellow Pages, and executive vice president, Ketchum Specialized Services, and was a member of the company’s executive committee and board of directors.

Herb was a well-educated man.  He was a graduate of Tufts University and the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.  And he was a patriot, having served as a U.S. Air Force missile officer from 1960 to 1965, working on the country’s first inter-continental ballistic missile unit.

Following his retirement from ADM, Herb continued to write the NMD Flash newsletter.  He enjoyed finding articles of interest for readers and kept up to date with the industry.  In his spare time, Herb played tennis (a lot of tennis as he wasn’t a big fan of golf), cheered on Pittsburgh sports teams, traveled, played bridge, researched WWII history and enjoyed gardening.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013, 11:00 a.m., at St. Andrew’s United Presbyterian Church, 801 Beaver Street, Sewickley, PA 15143.  Contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, 700 North Bell Avenue, Carnegie, PA 15106; or the American Cancer Society, 320 Bilmar Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.  Remembrances may be sent to the family at 310 Maple Lane, Sewickley, PA 15143.

Herb was a unique man in with a great enthusiasm and passion for life, and equally as enthusiastic and passionate about the industry.  People like Herb aren’t replaceable.  So he will unquestionably be missed.

People – March

It has been a while since we updated our regular blog sponsored by Hawthorne Executive Search .   It 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.

Cindi Aldrich

The Association of Directory Publishers (ADP) Board has announced that Cindi Aldrich, has been named President-elect of the 115 year-old trade association, effective immediately.

Aldrich will succeed Larry Angove, who has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association since 1997. Angove will officially retire on June 30 of this year.

Angove will continue in his current position through the conclusion of the 2013 – ADP Annual Convention and Partners Trade Show in St. Augustine, Florida on May 2.  The following day, Aldrich will assume full executive responsibility for the operations of the Association. Angove will continue to assist the leadership transition as President Emeritus until he retires.

President-elect Aldrich may be contacted at cindi.aldrich@adp.org or 248.705 4770.

Jim McCusker & Mark Cairns:

Hibu has announced that Jim McCusker,US president, and Mark Cairns, chief publishing officer, had been “dismissed” after “a thorough investigation into conduct by them that the company considered to be disloyal and against the interests of its employees and other stakeholders”.

Hibu has declined all public comment on reports that McCusker and Cairns were trying to buy out the US business from the struggling publisher.

Tyler Best:

YP.com has recently named Tyler Best as its first Chief Information Officer.

Best was  recently was chief technology officer at Ally Financial. Prior, he was CIO at Vanguard Car Rental.

“Tyler’s leadership is important to ensure we have the infrastructure to support YP’s rapidly growing digital and mobile advertising business that relies on technology as a key enabler of the company,” said YP CEO David Krantz, said in a company issued statement. “As we accelerate our effort in helping local businesses and communities grow, it is critical that we, as a new company, build a solid technology foundation to support our team and everything they do.”

David Hawthorne:

It is with great sadness that SuperMedia reported the passing of David E. Hawthorne, a member of the company’s Board of Directors since 2009, on Friday, January 18, at the age of 62.

Board Chairman Doug Wheat commented that “David was a colleague and friend to many of us.  He was a valued member of the Board of Directors, and we will miss his spirit and insights.”

Hawthorne had served on several committees of the SuperMedia board, including the Compensation Committee and Audit Committee. He had led Hawthorne Management LLC since 2005, a firm that develops, owns, and operates commercial real estate in central Florida. He previously served as a consultant to Friedman’s Inc., assisting the jewelry retailer in investigating operating and financial issues. From 2001 to 2003, Hawthorne was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lodgian, Inc., an independent hotel owner and operator.

Hawthorne was a consultant for FTI Consulting, Inc. from 2000 to 2001, during which time he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Restructuring Officer of Tower Records, Inc. Hawthorne also served as the acting Chief Executive Officer of Premier Cruise Lines, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Alliance Entertainment Corporation, and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Servico Hotels and Resorts, Inc.

 

Mike Fordyce

Mike Fordyce joined JiWire, San Francisco, as chief executive, assuming duties from David Staas, who had served as interim president and chief executive since March; Mr. Staas, who had been senior vice president for marketing, has now been promoted to president. Mr. Fordyce had most recently been senior vice president for business development, publisher products and strategic partnership management at YP.com.

Craig Swanson

We are also sorry to report that Craig Swanson passed away unexpectedly on November 7th at the age of 47.  Craig was senior vice president at KDA Group.  Prior to KDA, he held senior-level positions at Wahlstrom.

People – October

It has been a while since we updated our regular blog sponsored by Hawthorne Executive Search.   It 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.

Amy Healy & Wesley Young:

Amy Healy has left the Local Search Association to join YP Holdings, LLC as its Vice President, Public Policy & External Affairs.

The Association then announced that Wesley Young has been appointed their new Vice President of Public Policy. From 2007-2012, Young was General Counsel for two financial services companies and served on the Executive Board of AFCC (The American Fair Credit Council) as its Legislative Director, managing all federal and state government affairs for six years. Prior to that, Wesley was with the law firm Baron & Budd, P.C. for 10 years. Wesley received the 2008 Outstanding Minority Attorney Award from the Dallas Bar Association and was named by D Magazine in its list of Best Lawyers Under 40 in 2006. He served as the 2010 Secretary-Treasurer for the Dallas Bar Association and as a Director on the Board from 2007-2008. Wesley was recognized with the TASC President’s Award in 2009 and 2010 and served as President of the Dallas Asian American Bar Association in 2008. Wesley was a member of Panel B2 of the District 6A Grievance Committee of the State Bar of Texas from 2001-2007 and became chair during his last two years of service. He is a past-Chair of the Asian Pacific Interest Section of the State Bar of Texas. He is admitted to practice law by the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the Dallas Bar Association and a fellow of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers. Wesley received his B.B.A., cum laude, from Baylor University in 1992 and his J.D. from Baylor Law School in 1995.

Michael Dunn 

SuperMedia’s CIO, Michael Dunn received the Top 10 Breakaway Leaders award from the CIO Leadership Network.   This year’s awards focused on the theme of Business Acceleration and Leadership in the Evolving Global Economy – Predict. Transform. Deliver.

“Michael’s vision, leadership and overall business acumen led the transformation of our architecture from a print centric company to a digital-focused one. His passion has earned the respect of his colleagues, peers and staff,” said Frank Gatto, EVP Operations at SuperMedia. “Michael and his team are always delivering excellence and exceeding expectations in a fast-paced, results-driven environment.”

Each year, a panel of elite CIOs chooses a list of 10 Breakaway Leaders who exemplify leadership, dedication and influence as a CIO. This is the only CIO awards program where winners are determined by the CIO peer community alongside an elite judging panel. Dunn was selected to join elite CIOs from companies such as Alcoa, Lockheed Martin, PepsiCo, and Sysco Corporation.

Jonathan Miller

YP recently announced the appointment of Jonathan Miller to the company’s Board of Directors.  Mr. Miller most recently served as Chief Digital Officer of News Corporation as well as Chairman and CEO of the company’s Digital Media Group. He continues to serve as an advisor to News Corporation.  In those roles, Mr. Miller successfully transformed News Corporation’s digital strategy by integrating the company’s content onto emerging, third-party internet platforms. In addition to leading News Corporation’s overall online strategy, Mr. Miller also oversaw the company’s standalone digital businesses globally and represented the company on Hulu’s Board of Directors.

Dorab Patel & Alex Dionysian

MatchCraft, a leading global provider of local search marketing solutions, announced the promotions of two key members of its leadership team. Cofounder Dorab Patel, PhD, has been appointed Chief Science Officer and Alex Dionysian has been promoted to the role of Chief Technology Officer.

Patel, who cofounded MatchCraft in 1998, has more than 20 years of technology and management experience in the software industry. Dionysian, who joined MatchCraft in 2008 as VP of Engineering, is also a 20-year veteran of the software industry, and is responsible for technology, product design and client deployments at MatchCraft.

“MatchCraft has a staff of highly skilled and dedicated people with a terrific track record of client success,” said Sean Greene, CEO. “We are fortunate to be able to leverage the unmatched experience and technological expertise of Dorab and Alex. Under their direction, we are well positioned to continue to deliver unparalleled products and services to our clients, while advancing our mission in key regions around the world.”

The management moves round out the company’s leadership team, which is led by Greene, who was appointed in September 2011. Since becoming CEO, Greene has been driving the company’s growth strategy and has been instrumental in expanding its presence in the U.S., Europe and Australia.

Scott Pomeroy & Chris Armistead:

Yellow’s (NZ) CEO Scott Pomeroy, who led a restructuring of the company around a reseller partnership with Google, was recently replaced by Chris Armistead, who comes to Yellow from AT&T.

James Tanner:

Earlier this summer James was promoted from Research Specialist to Senior Research Director at Ver-A-Fast Corporation.

 

 

People – July

It has been a while since we updated our regular blog sponsored by Hawthorne Executive Search .   It 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.

Larry Angove:

The Association of Directory Publishers (ADP) has announced that Larry Angove, their President and Chief Executive Officer since 1997, is planning to retire on or after June 30, 2013.

As a result, a Presidential Search Committee consisting of independent publisher leaders — Danny Bills, Wally Downey, Jim Hail, Steve Skinner, and Vernon Smith has been formed to coordinate the search for Larry’s successor.

Recommendations/expressions of interest are being directed to Danny Bills at dang452@aol.com. All recommendations and applications will be kept confidential by the Committee.

David Krantz:

David Krantz, former CEO and president of AT&T Interactive, has been named CEO of YP Holdings. Krantz will lead YP’s overall strategy and operations. The new leadership team includes executives from AT&T Advertising Solutions, AT&T Interactive and Cerberus Operations, as well as executives recruited from outside of AT&T. The company will be headquartered in Tucker, Georgia. AT&T still has a 47% equity interest in YP Holdings.

“We have a great future in front us,” said Krantz. “We also have an extensive customer base, the largest local sales organization, an unmatched product portfolio, industry-leading platforms across the web, mobile and print ecosystems, and a great brand. We are ready to invest in this business, innovate and provide excellent service to our customers.”

ZipLocal:

The online local search business Ziplocal has made several Board and management appointments:  Owen B. Menzel, Elaine Kunda and Timothy M. Gould have resigned as directors.  John Albright, Perry N. Dellelce, and Sheldon Inwentash were appointed as directors; Kevin Dane as president; and Paul Van Damme as chief financial officer.

Albright is co-founder and managing partner of Relay Ventures, an early stage venture fund exclusively focused on mobile software. He also founded JLA Ventures in 1996. Dellelce is a founder and managing partner of Wildeboer Dellelce, a Canadian law firm.  Inwentash is chairman and CEO of Canadian investment firm Pinetree Capital.

Alan Schultz

Schultz has been names thenew chairman of the board of directors for yellow pages publisher Dex One.  Schultz replaces Eugene Davis, who resigned from the board.

Schultz has been a member of the Dex One board since 2005. He also is non-executive chairman of the board at Valassis Communications. He retired as CEO of that firm in December, 2011.

Davis had served as non-executive chair of the board since August 2011. He has been a member of the board since January 2010.

Scott Klein:

As reported in The Goddard Report, Scott Klein who led Idearc/SuperMedia out of bankruptcy and resigned in 2010, has been named president and CEO of Language Line Services. Language Line is a language solutions provider specializing in more than 170 languages focusing on clients in government, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services and other industries worldwide.

“I know the Language Line team is going to enjoy working with Scott Klein as their new leader,” said Language Line board chairman Dennis Dracup in a prepared statement. “His diverse background, leadership experience, and emphasis on customer coupled with his high energy approach will drive the growth of our business.”

Klein joined Idearc from Symphony Technology Group (Palo Alto, CA) where he was an operating partner. He was previously president and CEO of Information Resources (Chicago), a global provider of information solutions, analytics and performance technology.

 

Dane Madsen

LocalBlox, has announced that Dane Madsen has joined the firm as an advisor.

Madsen and two partners purchased the YellowPages.com domain in 1996 and began with a small hosting package which evolved in to YellowPages.com.  In November 2004, SBC and BellSouth purchased the domain name and company YellowPages.com for a reported  $100 million.

The addition of Madsen as an advisor is expected to “…provide the firm with the experience, expertise and knowledge of a world-class entrepreneur who understands the unique business environment of today’s market and the special challenges facing small business owners in the new economy…”

LocalBlox features two distinct facets. One is a community-based platform that provides the means for community members to share information, plan special events and keep each other advised of news to promote neighborhood safety. The other aspect of LocalBlox supports businesses and entrepreneurs in their endeavors through business tools, apps, software and a comprehensive array of business services.

LocalBlox serves over 60,000 neighborhoods across the U.S and is dedicated to providing businesses with sound solutions and cost effective ways of conducting commerce to build financially strong neighborhoods.

Julie Winbun

Has accepted a new position as Vice President of Business Development Offline & Print with Ring 2 Media.  Voted by Inc 500 in 2011 as one of the fasted growing privately held companies, it helps drive live calls to top call centers.

 

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.