Entertainment Jim Wuthrich has been promoted to president of the International Home Video and Digital Distribution division of Warner Brothers. Warner Bros. created the Home Entertainment Group in 2005 to bring together the complementary home entertainment businesses under one unified strategy. In his newly created post, Wuthrich will work closely with the international territories to identify strategic opportunities for the Home Entertainment Group abroad while implementing the company’s current growth priorities. Throughout his career with Warner Brothers, Wuthrich has helped to develop the home entertainment business. Prior to his most recent role as senior vice president (SVP), Digital Distribution, Wuthrich served as SVP of Electronic Sell-Through and Interactive Marketing, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. He joined Warner Home Video in 1998 as director of marketing and was promoted to vice president of Marketing, Theatrical New Release, Warner Home Video in 2003. Finance Ari Hovnanyan has been appointed vice president and manager of Rabobank N.A.’s Westlake Village Branch. As branch manager, Hovnanyan oversees the daily operations and personal and business lending activities at the bank’s branch at 2663 Townsgate Road. Before starting his new position, Hovnanyan served as manager of the Westlake branch of Telesis Community Credit Union for four years. A banker for 12 years, he also served as assistant manager for Washington Mutual and as a personal banker for Bank of America. Hovnanyan has a Bachelor of Science in business management from California State University, Northridge, and a Master of Science in aviation management from California State University, Los Angeles. He is a certified notary public and an FAA certified flight instructor. LuAnn Smith has been named Vice President of Risk Management for Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union. In her new role, Smith will be responsible for enterprise-wide risk assessment, fraud prevention, insurance coverage, regulatory compliance and internal audit for the Credit Union. Smith has been with LAPFCU for nearly 20 years, first working as an internal auditor and then as audit manager. She has been a Member of the Credit Union Internal Auditors’ Association since 1989 and served on its board from 2000 to 2002 as secretary and vice chairman. Smith was awarded the Certified Internal Auditor designation by the Institute of Internal Auditors in 2007. Prior to her work at LAPFCU, Smith was employed for two years at Great Western Savings in Construction Loans and worked for two years at aerospace company Marquardt in Accounting. Legal NBC Universal Televsion Group promoted three of its lawyers and made an addition to its senior legal team. Shelly Tremain was promoted to senior vice president, legal affairs; Michelle Vesecky and Jeff Evans were both promoted to vice president, legal affairs; and Laura Black joined as senior vice president, legal affairs. Black Dawson moved moves from General Electric Legal into a newly created senior position overseeing legal work on entertainment contracts for the NBC network, NBC cable entertainment networks, and Universal Media Studios. Vesecky and Evans will serve as members of Black Dawson’s team. Tremain will continue to head up the production legal team for reality television. Manufacturing Danny Hartigan has been named as director of create at the Thinkwell Group in Burbank. In that role Hartigan will oversee creative and content development and serve as creative director on a wide variety of projects. Prior to joining Thinkwell, Hartigan served as a principal of Hartigan Wade, specialists in writing, directing and development for the theme park market. He most recently worked in conjunction with BRC Imagination Arts as the creative director for the new Heineken Experience in Amsterdam. Real Estate Real estate investment firm Asset Management Consultants Inc. has hired Ryan Smith as director of Capital Markets and Ken O’Brien as director of Investor Relations. In their new roles, Smith and O’Brien will aid in the expansion of the AMC’s growing portfolio. Smith joins AMC after working with Buchanan Street Partners, a Newport Beach real estate investment management firm. There, Smith established the Investment Sales Group, overseeing the execution of more than $630 million in investment sales and asset capitalization assignments. Prior to Buchanan Street Partners, Smith spent nearly two years with Secured Capital and 10 years with Cushman & Wakefield as an investment sales broker. A 12-year industry veteran, O’Brien specializes in real estate development, 1031 exchange services and client investment relations. He is a founding partner of Capital Exchange Services, a nationally qualified 1031 exchange intermediary. Scott Lamontagne has been named regional manager of the Encino office of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services as well as Western Director of the firm’s Special Assets Services division. Harvey E. Green, the company’s president and CEO said that Lamontagne was chosen because he continues to excel as a manager and real estate investment market expert. “In only seven years, he has risen from the post of associate in the Dallas office to regional manager of the firm’s Encino office, where our corporate headquarters is based,” Green remarked. Bernard J. Haddigan, Marcus & Millichap’s senior vice president and managing director, cited Lamontagne’s investment expertise, ability to execute transactions and relationships with investor and lender clients as reasons for his promotion. Technology Matthew S. Collier was appointed executive vice president of worldwide field operations for Symark International. In that role Coller oversees sales, marketing, technical support and product management for the company. Prior to joining Symark, Collier was president and CEO of Electronic Sensor Technology in Thousand Oaks, president and principal of SAFER Systems Software, and mayor of Flint, Mich. Tourism Xiomara Wiley has been appointed as senior vice president, marketing and sales at Universal Studios Hollywood. In that position she will manage the overall brand direction of the theme park and CityWalk shopping and entertainment complex. Wiley previously worked for The Walt Disney Co. where she was Vice President, Marketing for the Disneyland resort and Interim Vice President, Marketing for the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.
