Ingram Micro Picks Eckstein, Gifford
Catherine W. Eckstein has been named to the newly created position of corporate vice president of worldwide marketing for Ingram Micro Inc. in Santa Ana, and Randall T. Gifford was appointed senior vice president of product management in the U.S. region. Eckstein was most recently a visiting lecturer at UC Irvine and a marketing consultant. She was previously vice president of marketing at Kellogg Co., and spent 10 years at the Clorox Co., leaving as international marketing manager. Gifford joined Ingram Micro U.S. from GE Capital IT Solutions, where he was vice president of U.S. operations. Before that, he was director of support services for Compucom Systems and vice president of operations at CFC Computers.
* Michael C. Kilroy has joined Maples Communications Inc. in Irvine as senior account executive. His prior experience includes account manager with Les Goldberg Public Relations, reporter with the La Habra Daily Star-Progress and associate editor for Performance Racing Industry magazine.
* Bill D’Agostino Jr. has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Mericom Holdings Corp. in Lake Forest. Before joining the company, he was vice president of Sprint PCS in charge of Sprint Sites USA. D’Agostino was also with PrimeCo Personal Communications, where he held a number of positions, including executive director of network operations.
* Michael A. Piraino has been appointed president and chief operating officer of Enfrastructure Inc., an Aliso Viejo business-campus development firm formed by Scott Blum, the founder of online superstore Buy.com. Piraino, who was also named to the board of directors, had been president and chief executive of Emergent Information Technologies Inc. and before that, was executive vice president and head of corporate development at Data Processing Resources Corp.
* William E. Rulon and Daniel E. Maltby have been added to the board of directors of Prandium Inc., Irvine-based operator of Koo Koo Roo, Hamburger Hamlet and Chi-Chi’s. Rulon retired in 1997 from Foodmaker Inc., now Jack-in-the-Box Inc., where he served as senior vice president and general counsel for 12 years. Maltby is director of the Biola Leadership Project, a think tank and resource development group based in La Mirada, and is an associate professor of management and director of the master’s degree program in Organizational Leadership at Biola University. Before that, he was a management consultant.
* Mark Weisenberg has been named vice president of market development for Sonance in San Clemente. He had been vice president of global marketing and communications. Before joining the company three years ago, Weisenberg had been sales manager for Infinity Systems, vice president, sales and marketing for California Audio Labs and director of sales and marketing for Luxman Home Audio.
* Michael Bennett has been promoted to managing director of property services in Orange and San Diego counties for Insignia/ESG’s Property Services Group in Irvine. Before joining the company in 1995, Bennett was director of property management for the Irvine Co.’s industrial portfolio.
* Kelly L. Holland has been named manager of media relations, passenger systems for Rockwell Collins in Irvine. She was formerly manager, media relations for Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
* Duncan Thomas has joined Exult Inc. in Irvine as executive vice president of corporate development and strategy. He was formerly a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., one of the founders of the Los Angeles office of Bain & Co. and managing partner of Acacia Capital Partners.
* Aiko Nakakihara has been named traffic coordinator at the Newport Beach advertising agency of Lawrence, Mayo & Ponder. She was previously a marketing assistant with TimeSaver Software in Tustin and the UCI bookstore.
* James C. Burton has joined Psomas in Costa Mesa as senior project manager for water and natural resources. He was formerly with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and with Willdan Associates.
* Dan Bon is the new chief executive of Nirve Sports, a Fountain Valley bicycle, parts and accessories company. He was previously head of sales of GT Bicycles. Founder Bill Duehring is stepping down as chief executive and co-chairman, but will continue to assist in design and product development.
