Irvine’s Centon Electronics Names Marketing Director
* Larry Tomon has joined Centon Electronics Inc., an Irvine manufacturer of computer products, as director of marketing. He previously held executive and management level positions in sales and marketing at Always Technology Corp., Andromeda Systems, Shugart Corp. and Hamilton/Avnet Computers. Robert Kanoff has been named director of channel marketing, and Gary Steinman, director of product marketing. Kanoff formerly held marketing management positions at Southland Micro, CMS Enhancements, Orange Micro and Tandy Corp. Steinman has more than 10 years of computer industry experience, most recently at Ingram Micro and MicroNet Technology.
* Yoshiyuki Takahashi, president of Asics Tiger Corp., a Fountain Valley manufacturer of athletic footwear, sports apparel and accessories, will assume the position of president for Asics Corp. Japan in April. He succeeds Seiji Mihara, who will remain on as director/senior advisor. Takahashi will continue his duties at Asics Tiger until a successor is named.
* Philip E. Pietrowski has been appointed senior vice president, North American operations for the Cerplex Group Inc. He was formerly vice president of logistics for the Tustin-based provider of electronics parts repair and logistics services. Before that, Pietrowski was at Digital Equipment Corp. for 24 years.
* Bev Zukow has been elected president of the Orange County chapter of the American Society of Travel Agents. She is president of First Travel of California in Villa Park.
* Nilesh Shah has been named a national director in the international services practice of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP in Orange County. His new position is in addition to his duties as partner in the practice.
* Robert N. McFarland has been appointed senior vice president, North American sales for the Cerplex Group Inc., a Tustin provider of electronic parts repair and logistics services. He was formerly vice president and general manager of Asian and Middle East operations for AST Research Inc.
* Renee Rutschke has been appointed vice president, group division, for Lagattuta and Duke Insurance Services Inc. in Huntington Beach. She has been with the company since 1989.
* J. Allen Belcher has joined Liberty National Bank as business development officer for the SBA lending division in Huntington Beach. He was previously a business development officer at Eldorado Bank.
* Computer executive John B. Carrington has been named chairman and chief executive of Somerset Automation, a provider of warehouse management software. Carrington most recently was chief executive for Digitalk Inc., a software programming company. He was a co-founder of State of the Art Inc., Irvine, and has held several other executive positions, including regional president of Harte-Hanks Communications, and president and chief executive of software company Del Mar Group Inc.
* Tom Asfor has joined General Automation Inc. in Irvine as vice president of customer service. Prior to joining General Automation, Asfor was director of operations for National Customer Engineering in the third-party customer support division. Before that, he was general manager for Century Computer Marketing’s Service division and national field service manager for Alpha Microsystems.
* Bret A. Berg has been appointed marketing manager for James Hardie Building Products Inc. in Mission Viejo. He was formerly director of marketing, consumer products for AST Research Inc. in Irvine. Berg has also held senior marketing positions at Western Digital and STB Systems. In addition, Rich Chapman has been named national sales manager. He had been Eastern region sales manager for the company.
* Mardel Castetter has joined the McAdams Group, a Newport Beach marketing, advertising and design agency, as associate creative director. He was most recently with Bozell/SMS where he was a senior art director on the Taco Bell account.
* Erik Glassen has been named account executive for InterCommunications Inc., a Newport Beach marketing communications firm. He is a member of the advertising management team for several real estate industry clients. Glassen has been with the firm since 1994.
* Anthony Taylor has joined Stoutenborough Inc. architects and planners in Irvine as a project architect. Formerly, he was with Tucker, Sadler & Associates and the Callison Partnership Ltd., both in San Diego, and HKS Architects Inc. and Craycroft Architects Inc., both in Dallas.
* Gary Szenderski and Roya Rohani have formed a new strategic planning and business and brand development support agency in Newport Beach called Szenderski/Rohani & Partners. Szenderski, a 20-year veteran of the advertising industry, was previously president of Morrison Lee & Stevens in Irvine. Rohani was previously chief financial officer of Pacific Snax Corp., a snack food manufacturer in Las Vegas.
