• MRV Communications has appointed Guy Avidan CFO of the network equipment and services-provider company, to succeed Kevin Rubin. Rubin said he is resigning to become CFO of another company.
• Spartech CFO Randy Martin will serve as CEO of the thermoplastic- building-material maker while the company searches for a replacement to fill the shoes of former CEO and president George Abd, who resigned for personal reasons.
• The Hershey Company promoted current vice president of finance and planning, Bert Alfonso, to CFO of the largest North American chocolate and candy maker. An internal and external search concluded that Alfonso’s 25 years of financial leadership and international experience made him the sweetest selection in the company’s scheme to expand the Hershey name across the globe. Before coming to Hershey in 2006, Alfonso served as executive vice president of finance and CFO of Americas Beverages at Cadbury Schweppes.
• Dresser Rand CFO Leonard Anthony announced his plan to resign from the rotating-equipment-solutions supplier to pursue other interests. Anthony, who led the company’s IPO in August 2005, will be replaced by Mark Baldwin. Baldwin is a veteran finance executive who’s worked at three different companies, most recently Veritas DGC, the public energy- service company, which was recently acquired by the French geophysical firm Compagnie Generale de Geophysique. Baldwin served as the company’s executive vice president, CFO, and treasurer.
• Scholastic Corp., the children’s book publisher that holds the rights to distribute Harry Potter books in the United States, hired Robert J. Jackson as senior vice president and chief accounting officer. Shortly after the publisher begins distribution on the seventh and final Harry Potter novel on July 21, Jackson will take over for Maureen O’Connell who will still serve as executive vice president, chief administrative officer, and CFO at the publisher. Jackson was formerly CFO and vice president of finance at the napkin, tissue, and paper-towel maker, Marcal Paper Mills Inc.
• After serving just nine months as chief accounting officer at Salesforce.com, Bill Dewes announced his resignation. Dewes is the second executive at the on-demand business services provider to resign in the past week. The company’s director of treasury resigned a week ago as well. The company says the two departures show low company morale and highlights the “growing pains” high growth companies often face while in a hot labor market. Salesforce.com said it does not know where Dewes plans to go next.
• This August Richard Croarkin will become senior vice president and CFO of eye-care company Alcon. Croarkin was formerly senior vice president and CFO of Nestle, SA, a majority shareholder of Alcon. Croarkin has also held senior finance positions at Pepsico Inc., where he worked for 11 years.
• Saba Software Inc. has appointed CFO Pete Williams to become executive vice president for the company’s corporate development unit. Williams will be replaced by Mike Martini. Martini comes to the company from the online software company @Road, where he served as senior vice president and CFO.
• GAMCO Investors has appointed a pair of executives to head the company’s finance office while it searches for a permanent CFO. Kieran Caterina and Diane M. LaPointe will serve as acting co-CFOs for the company, replacing interim finance chief John Ferrara. Ferrara will consult with the finance department until December.
• The CFO and treasurer of savings and loans company Fremont General Corp., Patrick Lamb, has announced his resignation from the California-based company. Lamb said he accepted a job with another company, although Fremont did not say which one. The CFO of Fremont’s bank, Ronald Nicolas, will replace Lamb.
• Brent Lewis will replace Donald Prosser as CFO of VCG Holding Corp., a nightclub consolidator and operator. Prosser will become chief accounting officer for the company and serve as assistant finance chief to Lewis. Lewis most recently was CFO at Ingersoll Products Co. He has also served as CFO at a public health-care conglomerate and two high-tech firms. He also ran his own accounting and financial management firm that provided contracted CFO and controller services.
• Terry de Guzman, former CFO and chief operating officer of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City, was named associate dean for administration of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. De Guzman replaced Mark Reisler, who retired after 25 years. Prior to managing the two campuses at Fieldston, a private primary and secondary school, de Guzman worked at American Express, Kwasha Lipton, and Telcordia Technologies.
• Tamar Rapaport-Dagim will become the CFO of Amdocs Management Limited, replacing Ron Moskovitz. Moskovitz resigned to manage a private international business, the company said. He will assist Rapaport-Dagin with the transition and remain CFO until November. Rapaport-Dagin has held finance positions at a number of public companies and was formerly CFO of multimedia provider Emblaze.