VALLEY PEOPLE
* Digital Insight Corp, Calabasas, announced it has expanded its product development group, naming Meheriar Hasan as vice president of product management. Hasan had been senior vice president of strategic marketing for Transamerica Insurance & Investment Co. Siavash Farrokhtakin was named director of target marketing, Tej Mariyappa becomes director of e-commerce and Adrian Newby is the new director of online lending. Digital Insight product managers Souheil Badran and Ramon Kurkchabasche will join the group as directors of cash management and consumer products, respectively.
Digital Insight provides Internet banking services to community financial institutions.
* Martin Dresser has been appointed by National Technical Systems, Calabasas, to lead marketing for the company’s software/hardware testing group, particularly Internet system compliance testing. Dresser had been an analyst with American Management Systems.
National Technical Systems provides testing, certification, consulting and staffing services.
* Ron B. Lam has joined GameWorks, Universal City, as chief financial officer and senior vice president, the company announced. He will be responsible for finance and strategic planning for the entertainment company. Lam had been senior vice president and chief financial officer for Universal Studios Hollywood theme park and CityWalk.
GameWorks is a joint venture between Sega Enterprises, DreamWorks SKG and Universal Studios.
* Anil Sharma has joined Matthews Studio Equipment Group as president/chief operating officer and chief financial officer, the Burbank-based company said. He will be responsible for finance and operations of Matthews’ core businesses as well as the new Internet division ShowbizMart.com.
During the transition, Sharma will continue to work with Raleigh Enterprises, where he had been executive vice president and chief financial officer. Matthews provides equipment and services to the entertainment industry.
* Christine M. McCarthy has been named senior vice president and treasurer of Walt Disney Co. She succeeds Paul Saleh who took the job of senior vice president and chief financial officer of Walt Disney International, the company said. She will be responsible for all treasury functions as well as risk management. McCarthy had been with Imperial Bancorp, Los Angeles, as executive vice president and chief financial officer.
* Michael Daruty has been appointed senior vice president of technical operations, Universal Studios Operations Group, Universal City, the company said. He will oversee technical services, special projects, global inventory and purchasing, as well as the high tech centers Universal operates through an agreement with Matsushita Electric. Daruty has been with Universal since 1986.
