VALLEY INSIDER

 Mary Akpovi had an eventful year in 2021. She retired in April from Martini Akpovi Partners in Encino, the accounting firm she co-founded 30 years earlier; started another accounting firm; made two trips to Africa, where she does charity work, and in September scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – at age 70. “It took six days,” she said of her hike to the summit at 19,341 feet. “It was insanely difficult, but I refused to quit. I did not know that part of the path was rocky and full of sand mixed with small pebbles, which makes it difficult to have a good grip and thus prone to slip. Thank God for hiking poles.” Looking back, more than three months later, she said: “I still don’t believe I did it.” … Geoff Morrell has taken the newly created position of chief corporate affairs officer at Walt Disney Co. in Burbank. He will oversee the media giant’s corporate communications, public policy, government relations, corporate social responsibility and environmental, social and governance teams. Morrell comes to Disney from oil giant BP. From 2007 to 2011, he served as Pentagon press secretary, originally appointed by President George W. Bush and continuing to serve under President Barack Obama. Previously, he worked at ABC News, a unit of Disney. … PennyMac Financial Services Inc. has appointed Jenny Rhodes as chief human resources officer. She joins the Westlake Village mortgage lender from PNC Bank in Pittsburgh, where she was most recently responsible for leading HR for branch banking, call center, small business banking, mortgage origination, investments and operations, with an employee base of 23,000 people. “Her expertise will be essential to our organization as we continue to evolve and advance our comprehensive human resource strategy,” David Spector, PennyMac’s chief executive, said in a statement. … Marcus & Millichap Inc., the real estate brokerage in Calabasas, has hired Mira Wolff as chief human resources officer. She has 25 years of experience in HR and has managed workforces in more than 80 acquisitions. “MMI’s long-term growth plan relies heavily on innovations related to training, employee and sales force productivity, engagement and diversity,” Chief Executive Hessam Nadji said in a statement. “Mira’s experience in these areas within the insurance industry, which has many similarities to real estate services, in addition to her background in the mortgage and technology industries, is invaluable.”