Newsmakers

E-commerce Sherman Oaks-based B3 Corp., a leading e-business solutions provider appointed Alex Godelman as Executive Director of Information Technology-Infrastructure. Godelman will manage the company’s e-commerce transaction processing and Web store hosting systems, communication networks and corporate MIS activities. Prior, he was the Senior Director of Technology Infrastructure and Change Management at WHN.com and Director of the Information Technology Division of the Otis organization. Sherman Oaks-based B3 Corp., a leading e-business solutions provider appointed Susanne Stover as Executive Director of Finance and Controller. She will direct financial planning and accounting functions for the company. Prior, Stover was the Director of Finance and Controller at BizBuyer.com and Controller of the Licensing Division at The Walt Disney Company. Stover began her career at Ernst & Young, LLP and served as a Supervising Senior Auditor at KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP. Entertainment Tom Fitzgerald was promoted to executive vice president and senior creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. He will take a role in the daily creative leadership of Walt Disney Imagineering and Theme Park Productions. Some of his work includes films produced for Disney’s California Adventure. Among them are “Golden Dreams,” “Seasons of the Vine,” “Soarin’ Over California” and Star Tours at Disneyland. Gary Sproule was appointed vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Disney Interactive. In his new role, he will oversee the worldwide finance functions for Disney Interactive, including strategic planning, controllership, operations, administration and information technology. Immediately before joining Disney Interactive, he was chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Whatshotnow.com. Before that, Sproule was chief financial officer for both Magnet Interactive Communications and Electek Group. Sproule has also spent a number of years at UNOCAL as chief operating officer where he managed worldwide daily operations and had full P & L; responsibility on annual sales of $2.8 billion. ABC Cable Networks Group’s Disney Channel has created a new management team for the network. Rich Ross, general manager of Disney Channel, has identified the following team members: Gary Marsh, executive vice president, original programming and production; Andrea Taylor, senior vice president, marketing; and Jill Casagrande, senior vice president, programming. Marsh will oversee the development and production of Disney’s slate of original programming including Disney Channel Original Movies, Playhouse Disney and Zoog Disney. Previously, Marsh was an executive director, programming for Columbia Pictures Television. Marsh has named Susette Hsiung as senior vice president of production, Nancy Kanter as vice president of original programming for Playhouse Disney and Adam Bonnett as vice president of original programming for the Zoog Disney series. Michael Healy will continue to serve as vice president, original movies. Taylor will articulate Disney Channel’s brand vision and develop the overall marketing strategy for the company. Previously, Taylor was senior vice president for TNT. Casagrande is responsible for scheduling and strategic planning of all programming for Disney Channel, Toon Disney and Soapnet. Finance Nancy Wheeler was appointed first vice chairwoman of the 27,000-member California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA). Wheeler has been a member of the CalCPA board of directors since 1993 and past president of the CalCPA Los Angeles chapter. In the past, she has been selected as Woman Businessperson of the Year by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Women’s Society of CPAs. Technology Augustus Abruzzese was appointed controller for Pacific Coast Cabling. In this newly created position, Abruzzese will direct and oversee all financial activities including contracts, forecasting, budgeting, auditing and asset management. Most recently, he served as vice president of corporate finance at College Enterprises Inc./iCollege.com. Ross Mayfield was appointed chief information officer and vice president of information systems for Luminent Inc. Recently, Mayfield served as a justice information specialist for SEARCH, an organization funded by the U.S. Department of Justice where he trained workers and developed government information systems, including two State Supreme Courts and the Federal Reserve Bank. Previously, Mayfield has served as CIO for Enterprise Systems and taught management information systems and technology management at Pepperdine University. Real Estate John Grossman was appointed manager of business development at Millie and Severson Inc., a general contractor located in Los Alamitos. He will manage all aspects of new business development. Grossman is a graduate of UCLA with 24 years experience in the real estate, finance and construction industries. Westlake Village-based NAI Capital Commercial recently appointed Howe Foster as the new vice president of the company. Foster will focus on office and investment sales and leasing in the Conejo Valley. Previously, he held senior managerial positions with both Grubb & Ellis and DAUM Commercial Real Estate in Ventura County and Los Angeles.