• Anthony Noto, who previously led Goldman Sachs’ communications, media, and entertainment research group, is joining the NFL as its new finance chief. Noto was an academic all-American linebacker at the U.S. Military Academy and later an Army Ranger. He will report to the league’s commissioner Roger Goodell.
• Footwear designer and retailer Crocs Inc. has named its CFO Peter Case to the newly created position of senior vice president of retail. To replace Case, Crocs has hired former CFO of Motorola Russ Hammer, who will serve as CFO, senior vice president of finance, and treasurer, effective immediately.
• California-based software company Openwave Systems announced its finance chief, Jean-Yves Dexmier, has left the company after taking on the position this past August. Openwave gave no reason for Dexmier’s departure, which is effective immediately. He will be replaced in the interim by vice president of finance Ann Brennan, who has been with the company for six years.
• After almost 32 years with Fresh Del Monte Produce, CFO and senior vice president John Inserra will retire. Inserra oversaw the finances at the fruit and vegetable producer and marketer for 13 years. He’ll stay with the company until a successor is found.
• Purple Beverage Co. announced that Timothy Hennessey will be its new finance chief. Before joining the antioxidant juice maker, he was CFO for Wellness Discoveries Inc. and a managing director in the investment banking group of Deloitte & Touche.
• Robert Hamilton, the CFO of eDiets.com, is resigning from the privately held online diet, fitness, and healthy living company. Hamilton has served at the company since 1999 and will assist with transition duties until a replacement is found.
• Columbia Commercial Bancorp and its subsidiary Columbia Community Bank announced that Bob Ekblad will be the Hillsbro, Oregon-based company’s new finance chief. Ekblad’s previous position as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Town Center Bank deemed him the 2007 CFO of the Year by the Portland Business Journal.
• James Gelly will be the new CFO for Ingersoll-Rand Co. Gelly has previously served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Rockwell Automation, and vice president and treasurer of Honeywell International Inc. He will report directly to president and CEO Herbert Henkel and will also be member of Ingersoll Rand’s enterprise leadership team.
• Midway Games Inc.’s finance chief Thomas Powell resigned from his position to take a job at another company. The video game publisher behind “Mortal Kombat” appointed its current vice president of finance, controller, and assistant treasurer, Ryan O’Desky, as interim CFO.
• Consolidated Graphics Inc. has hired John Biro as its finance chief, executive vice president, and chief accounting officer. He was previously the CFO at ICO Inc., where he served since 1994.
• The automotive retail and service chain The Pep Boys announced its CFO Harry Yanowitz will leave the company to pursue other interests. Yanowitz didn’t disclose where he would head next. He will stay with the company through the end of the 2007 fiscal year.
• La Jolla, Calif.-based Synthetic Genomics Inc. has announced Chuck McBride as its new executive vice president and CFO. McBride will take over the finances at the company that develops genomic-driven solutions on February 12. He previously held finance chief positions at Capstone Turbine Corp., First Consulting Group, and Emulex.
• Jerry Elliott has been appointed CFO of digital information services provider Cengage Learning. Elliott was most recently president and CEO of Global Signal.