AST Research Appoints Tandy Executive as Vice President

Computer manufacturer AST Research Inc. on Monday appointed a veteran Tandy Corp. executive, Howard D. Elias, as vice president of marketing.

Elias, 36, fills a position that had been vacant at AST since Mike Morand left the company at the beginning of the year. Elias will help guide marketing at AST as well as at the personal computer manufacturing operations being acquired from Tandy Corp. AST is in the process of buying Tandy’s computer manufacturing operations for as much as $175 million.

Elias will be in charge of functions such as product concept development, marketing, advertising and public relations. He will also serve as a member of AST’s corporate management committee.

Elias was vice president of sales and marketing for Tandy’s PC manufacturing division, TE Electronics. He has served 17 years at Tandy, starting at a Radio Shack store.