General Electric, the $182 billion Fairfield, Conn.-based technology, media and financial services company, promoted Kathryn Cassidy, 54, to senior vice president and treasurer of GE and GE Capital. She had been vice president and treasurer of GE since 2001. Known for pioneering early securitization efforts in asset-backed and commercial products, the 28-year GE veteran was named to Treasury & Risk's Top Women in Finance in 2005. Cassidy also was executive vice president and managing director for GE Capital Real Estate.
Motorola, the $36.6 billion Schaumberg, Ill.-based provider of mobile phone technology, products and services, added the title of acting CFO to Edward Fitzpatrick's positions as senior vice president and corporate controller. Motorola is launching a search for a CFO to replace Paul J. Liska, who left the company. Fitzpatrick, 42, has been a financial executive in several Motorola businesses, including home and networks mobility, networks and enterprise, and government and enterprise mobility solutions. He was previously with Price Waterhouse.
First American Corp., the $8.2 billion Santa Ana., Calif.-based supplier of business information, named Anthony "Buddy" Piszel as CFO and treasurer. Piszel, 54, will oversee First American's financial reporting group, capital markets activities and investor relations. Piszel has more than 20 years experience, including his most recent role as president and CFO of Freddie Mac. He has also served as CFO of Health Net Inc., and spent more than a decade in senior financial positions at Prudential Financial Inc.
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Campbell Soup Co., the $8 billion Camden, N.J.-based food and beverage manufacturer and marketer, promoted Ashok Madhavan, 47, to vice president and treasurer, reporting to Craig Owens, senior vice president-CFO and chief administration officer. Madhavan, who joined Campbell as assistant treasurer in 2004, succeeds William O'Shea, who moves to vice president of finance and strategy, North America soup, sauces and beverages division. Madhavan will leading all treasury activities and manage relationships with rating agencies.
Polyone Corp., the $2.6 billion Avon Lake, Ohio-based provider of polymer materials and services, named Arif Ahmed, 39, vice president and treasurer. Ahmed has extensive corporate and investment banking experience, serving most recently as the managing director of mergers and acquisitions at TTK Partners. Previously, Ahmed was principal and vice president of corporate and investment banking, global industries group for Banc of America Securities and worked in the investment banking global chemical group of Deutsche Bank.
Hawaiian Electric Industries, the $2.5 billion Honolulu-based electric utility and banking company, appointed James J. Ajello, 55, senior financial vice president and CFO. Ajello joined HEI after eight years at Reliant Energy, where he led efforts to expand and grow competitive electricity markets throughout the country. Ajello joined Reliant following deregulation of Texas' electric markets, and served as senior vice president of Reliant energy solutions and senior vice president and general manager of commercial and industrial marketing.
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers), the Sacramento, Calif., pension fund with $181 billion under management, named Anne Simpson, 50, corporate governance chief, replacing Dennis Johnson, 48, who left in June to become managing director of Shamrock Capital Advisors. Simpson was executive director of the International Corporate Governance Network, which represents investors responsible for $15 trillion in assets. Under her tenure, it doubled in size and stepped up its role in policy advocacy.
RBC Royal Bank, the Toronto-based banking company with 2008 revenues of $17.3 billion, has added the title of chief administrative officer to Janice Fukakusa's current role as CFO. Fukakusa, CFO since 2004, is now responsible for enterprise oversight of technology and operations, while continuing to lead the enterprise finance function. Also, the company appointed chief risk officer Morten Friis to RBC's group executive senior management committee as senior executives play a greater role in risk management decisions.
US Airways Group, the Tempe, Ariz., airline company with 2007 revenues of $11.7 billion, promoted CFO Derek J. Kerr, 45, to executive vice president from senior vice president. He oversees all corporate financial functions, including treasury, risk management and financial planning and analysis. Kerr was CFO of America West Airlines, which he joined in 1996, when it merged with US Airways. He previously was a manager of capital and long-term planning at Northwest Airlines and, earlier, a Northrop test pilot.
ConAgra Foods Inc., the Omaha, Neb., company with estimated 2008 revenues of $11.6 billion, promoted John F. Gehring, 47, to executive vice president and CFO from senior vice president and controller. Gehring replaces Andr? J. Hawaux, 48, who moves over to the $7.5 billion consumer foods business as president. Gehring, who has been with the company since 2002, was ConAgra interim CFO before Hawaux signed on in 2006. Doug Linehan, formerly finance vice president, becomes senior vice president and controller.
Calpine Corp., the $8 billion independent power producer with joint headquarters in Houston and San Jose, Calif., named Jim D. Deidiker senior vice president and chief accounting officer. He fills a position vacated last May when Charles B. Clark Jr. left the company. Deidiker, 53, previously was vice president and controller at Texas Genco and managing director and vice president of administration at AEP Energy. He held various jobs at Basis Petroleum, Enron and UPG Falco, One month earlier, Zamir Rauf became CFO.
Quad/Graphics Inc., the Sussex, Wis., printing company with 2007 sales of $2.1 billion, has promoted treasurer Kelly Vanderboom to vice president. Vanderboom, who joined Quad/Graphics' corporate training program in 1996, has held a variety of positions, including controller, at the Parcel Direct subsidiary, which was sold to FedEx in 2004. He is now responsible for a variety of finance-related functions including lender relationships, managing risk, planning capital spend and making investments to offset FX and energy fluctuations.
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