People
Staff -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 11/1/2000
Art publisher and licensing company Wild Apple Graphics, Woodstock, VT, appointed James M. Giller chief operating officer. As part of the organizational change at the company, John and Laurie Chester, previously president and creative director, respectively, will become co-CEOs of the company. John Chester will concentrate on company strategy while Laurie Chester will focus on the creative and artistic direction of Wild Apple. Giller joined Wild Apple in 1999 as CFO. He will now be responsible for the company's day-to-day operations. Previously, Giller was president of Woodstock National Bank.
Waterford Wedgwood named P. Redmond O'Donoghue group president and chief operating officer. In this newly created position, O'Donoghue will oversee the company's worldwide operations for Waterford Crystal, Wedgwood, Rosenthal, and All-Clad, and spearhead the group's efforts to double in size over the next five years. O'Donoghue was previously the CEO of Waterford Crystal in Dublin, Ireland.
Giftware manufacturer Cast Art Inds., of Corona, CA, named Kenneth G. LeFevrepresident and CEO of the company. L. Richard Kugelman was named executive vice president. Founder and former president Scott Sherman will serve as chairman of the board of directors. Before coming to Cast Art, LeFevre was with Goebel of North America for 23 years and its president since 1989.
Roman Inc., a Roselle, IL-based producer and distributor of giftware items, promoted Jeanne Acheson to director of the Seraphim Classics brand. In this position, Acheson will oversee product development and marketing efforts for the collection. She has been with the company for five years. Mark Holmen was named regional sales director. He will be responsible for managing sales representatives and general sales management in Region V, an area that includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Holmen was director of sales at Roman from 1985 through 1995.
Oneida Ltd., the Oneida, NY-based manufacturer of stainless steel and silverplated flatware, realigned its management team. Gregg Denny was named chief financial officer and Shaun MacKenzie was named vice president of sales for the consumer products division. In addition, Oneida announced that James J. Joseph advanced to senior vice president and general manager of Oneida Foodservice, and Oliver B. Hasler became vice president and managing director of Oneida International. Joseph and Hasler have been with Oneida's since 1998 and 1990, respectively.
Display Technologies, the College Point, NY, manufacturer of retail merchandisers, appointed Michael Christescu vice president of project management. Christescu will direct the estimating, purchasing, and expediting of the manufacture and distribution of custom and TechStoc displays. He will also interface closely with the firm's international sales force, production, and design departments. Christescu was most recently vice president of project management for Gage Marketing Group.
The Warrell Corp., Camp Hill, PA, appointed Brian Speck national sales manager for the Pennsylvania Dutch Candies brand.
Lunt Silversmiths of Greenfield, MA, named Frances Reynolds Lidinsky vice president of sales. Most recently, Lidinsky was with Liz Claiborne.
Don Whitfield, divisional vice president for Shaw Rugs, retired in September. Whitfield worked for Shaw Industries for over 25 years. In 1995, he was assigned to develop the rug sector into a successful component of Shaw's overall business. Since then, Shaw Rugs has received many awards.Jeff Meadows, who has been with Shaw for 19 years, was named to succeed Whitfield as head of the division. Most recently, he was divisional vice president with the residential sales business unit.
The Boyds Collection Ltd, Gettysburg, PA designer, importer, and distributor of handcrafted collectibles, appointed Carla Peyton director of licensing. She will develop and manage a corporate licensing strategy designed to expand the Boyds brand worldwide. Prior to her appointment, Peyton was vice president of properties for the American Basketball League. She was also director of worldwide licensing for Elvis Presley Ents.
Obituaries
Robert Pliskin, former president of Seiko Time Corporation, died September 26, at the age of 77. Pliskin was hired in 1979 to serve as president of Seiko Time Corporation (now Seiko Corporation of America). Later, he was the first American to be named to the company's board of directors. Mr. Pliskin was also a member of the American Watch Association (AWA), which he chaired from 1989 to 1991. Mr. Pliskin is survived by his wife, Caroline, and daughters, Arlene Previti and Patricia Hillebrecht. Donations may be made in Pliskin's memory to Kadet Cancer Research Fdn., c/o Firstar, Park Forest Bank, 99 Indian Wood Blvd., Park Forest, IL 60466.
