A quick look around the just opened Flatbush, Brooklyn location of
Osaka, Japan – Panasonic trimmed its board of executive officers Wednesday and named the first female member in the company’s 95-year history, according to reports out of Japan.
Panasonic named Hiroko Ota, a former economic and fiscal policy minister now teaching at Tokyo’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, to its board, Bloomberg reported.
Winston-Salem, N.C. – Former Electrolux exec Patrick Maloney has joined the Nationwide Marketing Group as appliance merchandising VP.
He fills a position left vacant by organizational changes following the departure of Adam Thomas, and expands a white-goods team that includes senior appliances VP and fellow Electrolux alumnus Jeff Knock, and marketing senior VP Rick Weinberg.
Los Angeles - George Aratani, who helped found Kenwood along with Bill Kasuga, has died at the age of 95.
Click here for an obituary posted in the Los Angeles Times about his life and career.
Fort Worth, Texas — Glenn Rogers will formally step down as business manager of the Progressive Retailers Organization (PRO Group) on Feb. 28 after more than six years with the buying group.
His retirement was announced last month at PRO Group’s annual International CES reception.
Chicago — Opalum, the Scandinavian supplier of thin on-wall active speakers, appointed a sales director and a marketing director to “bring a tighter focus on customer relations and quality to our sales efforts,” president Ulrik Sindberg announced.
Industry veteran Aldo Filippelli was tapped as sales director to lead the development and execution of the company’s U.S. sales efforts, and Crystal McKinney was named marketing director to oversee the company’s marketing strategy.
Lexington, KY – Thiel Audio appointed industry veteran Stephen DeFuria as national sales manager following the appointment of Bob Brown, another industry veteran, as board member and interim COO.
With DeFuria’s hiring, the national sales manager position becomes full time.
Port Washington, N.Y. — David Sprosty will step down as chief executive of Systemax’s North American retail business, effective March 1.
Sprosty, who succeeded the ousted Gilbert Fiorentino in October 2011, will assist in the transition and return to his consulting career, which will include special projects for Systemax.
Secaucus, N.J. – Panasonic North America has promoted Mike Riccio, formerly controller and VP, to chief financial officer.
Riccio has worked for Panasonic for 26 years, holding key accounting and financial management positions and leading many of the company’s strategic initiatives in the U.S. and Canada.
Fort Worth, Texas — RadioShack has appointed drugstore chain executive Joseph Magnacca as CEO, ending a five-month search for a chief executive.
Magnacca, who was promoted to executive VP of Walgreens on Feb. 1, will become RadioShack’s sixth CEO in eight years. He officially assumes his new post, and takes a seat on RadioShack’s board, on Feb. 11.
Park City, Utah — Headphones manufacturer Skullcandy announced that Jeremy Andrus is stepping down as president and CEO.
Company founder Rick Alden has returned as interim CEO. Alden was CEO until he resigned in 2011. He has since remained on the board of directors.
Andrus is stepping down to join a private investment firm. He will serve as a consultant to the company for the next 12 months.