• Three executives at WellCare Health Plans, including CFO Paul Behrens, resigned from their positions three months after federal and state agencies conducted a search of the company’s Tampa, Florida, headquarters. WellCare will consider Behrens a non-executive employee through the end of March while he helps the company transition to new management.
• Storage retailer The Container Store announced that Jodi Taylor will oversee the finances at the Coppell, Texas-based company. Taylor has prior retail finance experience as the former CFO and secretary of apparel retailer Harold’s and former CFO of The Baby Store.
• Australian beer and winemaker Foster’s Group Ltd. has appointed Angus McKay as the company’s CFO. McKay succeeds previous CFO Pete Scott, who is retiring. After serving in Foster’s Asia and Pacific division for four years, McKay will work out of the Melbourne office.
• Dennis Floam will serve as the chief financial officer and senior vice president of the U.S. subsidiary of alcohol producer Remy Cointreau. He will direct its finance and operational departments and lead the financial strategy of Remy Cointreau USA’s executive management team. Previously Floam worked as managing director for Carl Marks & Co.
• Michael Henry has secured the permanent position as finance chief of teen clothing retailer Pacific Sunware of California Inc., after serving as interim CFO for the past three months. Henry has been with the company since 2000 and was previously a manager at Deloitte & Touche’s audit practice.
• Susan Guerin has been named CFO and senior vice president of Sun Chemicals. Guerin will oversee operational and strategic support for the printing ink producer’s global leadership team. Previously Guerin served as CFO of Lerner New York and senior vice president and CFO at Cendant’s vehicle services division.
• Novatel Wireless has appointed Kenneth Leddon as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Leddon has served as interim CFO for the wireless broadband solutions provider since November. His experience comes from holding various executive roles, including president, CFO, COO, CAO, and vice president of finance at a number of public and private companies, including Berry Industries, where he was the CFO.
• Brooks Automation has appointed Martin Headley as CFO of the semiconductor equipment producer. Headley was previously CFO and executive vice president for Teleflex Inc. At Brooks, he will report to CEO Robert Lepofsky and be responsible for leading the company’s strategic plan and financial performance.
• Renewable fuels producer Amyris has hired Jeryl Hilleman as its first CFO. Hilleman was previously CFO at Symyx Technologies, where he worked for 10 years.
• Kristi Matus has been appointed CFO of the United States Automobile Association, following CFO Joe Robles’s move to CEO. Matus joined USAA in 2002 as vice president of USAA Life Insurance Co., where she later became CEO.
• James Hastings has been appointed CFO and executive vice president of Southern Community Financial Corp. Hastings replaces interim CFO James Monroe, who had served in the position since October. Hastings has worked at Arthur Andersen, Seafirst Community Banking, and Federal Savings Bank.
• Photon Dynamics’ CFO Michael Schradle has resigned from the San Jose, California-based company. The company said his resignation comes after the company restated its 2007 10-K. Schradle will remain a consultant to the company.
• TPSA, Poland’s largest telco, has appointed Roland Dubois as CFO following the resignation of former finance chief Benoit Merel. Merel stepped down along with two other senior executives to seek “new professional challenges.” Dubois was formerly an executive with France Telecom, TPSA’s controlling shareholder.
• SCi Entertainment, the UK company behind video game “Tomb Raider,” has promoted group CFO Phil Rogers to CEO. Rogers’ appointment follows the departure of three senior executives—the CEO and managing directors of the publishing and studios divisions. Malcolm Dunne, CFO of SCi’s US publishing business, has been appointed interim group CFO.
• Andrew Ballsdon has been appointed finance director of John Laing Projects and Developments, a division of UK construction company John Laing. Ballsdon was previously finance director of John Laing Investments.
• Karim Naffah, finance director of Mitchells & Butlers—the UK’s biggest pubs operator, has resigned after a hedge against rising interest rates ended up costing the company £274m (E369m). Naffah, who won’t be picking up his 2007 bonus, is to be replaced by Jeremy Townsend, the company’s deputy finance director.
• Elsewhere in the UK drinks sector, AG Barr has said finance director Iain Greenock is to retire in July after more than 30 years with the firm. Greenock will be replaced by Alex Short, the group finance director of distiller UK distiller William Grant and Sons.
• Roland Andersen has been appointed CFO of Torm, the Danish shipping firm. Andersen, who takes up his role in spring 2008, is currently CFO of Sonofon/Cybercity, the Danish mobile and broadband operator.
• Cargotec, the Finnish cargo handling company, has appointed Eeva Mäkelä as its new CFO. Mäkelä, who takes over the finance brief from deputy CEO Kari Heinistö, will retain her former responsibilities as senior vice president of investor relations and communications.
