- The End of the Edwardian Era: With the March retirement of St. Louis-based A.G. Edwards Inc. chairman and CEO Benjamin F. Edwards III come several management changes, including a new CFO. Robert L. Proost, who serves as corporate VP, CFO, director of administration, and chairman of A.G. Edwards Trust Co., is retiring. Secretary, corporate VP, and director of the law and compliance Douglas L. Kelly will take on the added responsibilities of CFO and director of administration. Kelly is also chairman of the company’s technology committee. SVP and assistant director of sales and marketing Richard F. Grabish will replace Proost as chairman of A.G. Edwards Trust Co.
- Phoenix Rising: Richardson, Tex.- based USDATA Corp. said CFO Robert L. Drury is resigning to pursue other endeavors. The maker of integrated manufacturing software enlisted the services of Chadds Ford, Pa.-based Phoenix Management Services to take on interim-CFO duties. Drury received compensation of $223,000 in 1999.
- It seems Canadian computer and software maker Geac Computer Corp. has a virus. Two months after CEO Douglas Bergeron resigned, and amid mounting losses, CFO John Lanaway resigned. The Toronto- based company said SVP of M&A Tom Pippy will replace Lanaway as CFO. Geac posted a second-quarter loss of 91 Canadian cents per share and said the third-quarter outlook was uncertain.
- Quintus’s Quandary: Dublin, Calif.- based customer relationship management firm Quintus Corp. said former PricewaterhouseCoopers executive James M. Coriston will join the company as interim CFO. On Coriston’s plate: work on the completion of Quintus’s review by Nasdaq and the restatement of the company’s financial reports. Quintus was recently the target of a class action lawsuit for stock fraud.