REGIONAL PEOPLE
* Vertel Corp., Woodland Hills, announced changes in its management structure.
Cyrus Irani has been appointed president and chief executive, replacing Bruce Brown, who will remain executive chairman. Irani will oversee all financial and administrative functions.
Toni Graham has been appointed vice president, research and development. She will oversee all research and development for the company and will oversee the professional services team. Graham assumes the post vacated by Irani.
Vertel provides mediation software for telecommunications networks.
* Gregory J. Miller has been named managing director of Universal Studios Port Aventura theme park near Barcelona, Spain.
Miller replaces B.J. Fair, who has left to pursue other interests. Miller will be responsible for new construction, hotel and resort development and overall management of the park.
Universal Studios Recreation Group, Universal City, is a division of Universal Studios, the entertainment unit of the Seagram Co.
* Abby Sturgeon has been hired as an account executive by Cooper Communications Inc., Woodland Hills.
Cooper Communications is a full-service public relations and marketing firm.
* Philip Shaw has been hired as senior vice president of marketing by Disney Consumer Products Worldwide, Burbank.
He will be responsible for planning and implementing marketing efforts for the business units within company.
* R. Jeffrey Taylor has been named chief operating officer of IPC-The Hospitalist Co., North Hollywood. He will be responsible for operations, marketing and development.
IPC manages more than $1 billion in health care expenditures.
* Julia Webb has been appointed vice president of sales and marketing for Biometric Identification Inc., the Sherman Oaks company said.
Biometric Identification provides identification technology, such as software that authorizes product use by reading fingerprints.
* Digital Insight Corp. of Calabasas has announced two appointments to its management staff.
Paul Witman has been named vice president of engineering. Lois Peck has been named vice president of customer service. Digital Insight provides Internet banking services to community financial institutions.
* Paul Pressler has been named chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
Pressler had served as president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts since 1998 and was responsible for the company’s theme parks and resorts, the Disney Cruise Line, Disney Regional Entertainment.
