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Print Edition StoriesWednesday, December 2, 2009
Changing Places
Who's coming? Who's going? Who's changing places?
Companies born in the recession
MHT's Galen Moore: Hiring trends and opportunities
MHT's Doug Banks: 10 Women to Watch in tech
CleanTech
Stan Haftka has been named director of business development, Europe, for Telles, the joint venture between Cambridge-based Metabolix Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co. that is commercializing Mirel bioplastics. Haftka joins Telles from the engineering polymers business of Celanese Corp., where he served as global segment manager, GUR New Technologies.
Services
Andover-based BirdDog Solutions Inc. has named Richard Piontek president of wholly owned subsidiary BirdDog Logistics LLC. Piontek brings to BirdDog more than 25 years of experience in the logistics and supply chain services industry, with a background in North American and international logistics operations, sales, strategy and general management for companies such as TNT Logistics, Schneider National, DHL Worldwide Express, and Danzas Corp. Most recently, he held executive and general management roles at Livingston International Inc., a Canadian public company and North American customs brokerage, regulatory consulting and logistics services firm.
Waltham-based IMN, an Internet communications company, has added Eric Shealy as vice president of corporate and business development. Prior to joining IMN, Shealy was managing director for Boston–based Innovation Advisors, a technology-focused investment banking firm. Before Innovation Advisors, Shealy was managing director for Covington Associates, another Boston-based specialty investment firm. For more than six years, Shealy managed the firm’s technology practice and completed 15 M&A transactions within the software, hardware and service sectors.
Life Sciences
Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Cambridge pharmaceutical company developing orally delivered protein therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases, has named Lee R. Brettman to the newly created position of chief medical officer. Most recently, Brettman was the founder, president and CEO of Dynogen Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on gastrointestinal and genitourinary disorders. Prior to Dynogen, he was the first entrepreneur in residence at Oxford Bioscience Partners and served as chief medical officer and senior vice president, medical and regulatory affairs at Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Aileron Therapeutics Inc. has named Steven Kafka as its chief financial officer and vice president of finance and operations. Kafka reports to Aileron CEO Joseph Yanchik III, and will be responsible for directing the company’s corporate communications, strategic and operational finances, and human resources. Kafka joins Aileron having previously worked for Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. as vice president, finance. While there, he helped Infinity land a deal, worth up to $500 million, with Purdue Pharma and Mundipharma. Other prior positions that Kafka held include senior director, finance, at Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., and senior engagement manager at Strategic Decisions Group.
RXi Pharmaceuticals Corp., a Worcester-based biopharma-ceutical company, has named Noah D. Beerman its new president and chief executive officer, succeeding RXi’s co-founder, Tod Woolf, who will continue as a member of RXi’s scientific advisory board. Beerman most recently served as executive vice president, chief business officer for Indevus Pharmaceuticals Inc., which was acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals in March 2009 for $370 million plus future milestone payments. Prior to joining Indevus in 1997, Beerman was vice president responsible for health care at venture firm Technology Management and Funding. Earlier in his career, he served in a variety of business and scientific capacities at Creative BioMolecules, Sandoz AG, and Repligen.
Ximedica LLC of Providence, R.I., has hired Stephen Perez as director of quality services and John Torrey and Rob Connor, both as quality engineers. Prior to joining Ximedica, Perez held senior leadership positions with Organogenesis Inc., Boston Scientific Corp., and Aspect Medical Systems. At Aspect, Connor helped to design, develop and manufacture brain monitoring equipment. He has also worked for such companies as Raytheon Co. and General Electric/Aerospace Electronics. Torrey has spent the last 20 years in research and development engineering, helping to develop, test and manufacture various products in the medical device industry. He spent the last ten years with Smiths Medical.
Alternative energy
Northern Power Systems Inc. has named Taylor Robinson as vice president of global supply chain. Robinson was formerly executive vice president of supply chain at Watts Water Technologies, a global manufacturer of water quality, conservation and safety products. He also served as a senior consultant to LM Glasfiber, a manufacturer of wind turbine blades. Robinson served previously as chief procurement officer at HJ Heinz; global supply chain director at AlliedSignal/Honeywell International; and a key leader in the strategic sourcing organization at Honda of America for 10 years.
Defense
Textron Inc. of Providence, R.I., has promoted Fred Strader as president and CEO of its Textron Systems segment, effective Jan. 1, 2010. He succeeds Frank Tempesta who is retiring after 46 years of service to Textron. Strader has been serving as chief operating officer of Textron Systems since April 2008, overseeing the operations of its five operating units. Strader joined Textron Systems in 2007 through Textron’s acquisition of United Industrial Corp. and its subsidiary, AAI. Prior to the acquisition, Strader was president and chief executive officer of the publicly traded UIC and led AAI’s Defense System segment. Before joining AAI, Strader had a 21-year career with United Defense LP and its predecessor company, FMC.
Software
Burlington-based storage and recovery software maker Acronis Inc. has hired Steve Mann as chief marketing officer and Ed Filippine as general manager of the Americas. Mann is the first CMO for Acronis. Most recently, he led SAP AG’s social media strategy efforts. Prior to joining SAP, Mann was a principal with the BRM Group, a Jerusalem and New York-based venture capital firm, and was the vice president of product strategy for CA Inc. Prior to Acronis, Filippine was vice president, Americas Inside Sales Division at EMC Corp. He also served as a regional manager at WorldCom and the national director/sales & operations for Boston Telecommunications Co.
Hardware
TranSwitch Corp. has named M. Ali Khatibzadeh as president and chief executive officer, succeeding Santanu Das, who founded the Shelton, Conn.-based company and is retiring. Khatibzadeh’s appointment is effective on Dec.1. He was most recently an executive at Anadigics Inc. and has more than 22 years of experience in the communications semiconductor industry. At Anadigics, he was senior vice president and general manager responsible for the wireless and RF products business units. Prior to Anadigics, Khatibzadeh was director of technology for Ericsson in its American business unit and Worldwide RF IC Design manager at Texas Instruments wireless communications business unit.
Internet
Search marketing tools company WordStream Inc. has appointed Ralph J. Folz to the Boston-based company’s board of directors. Folz is the global chief operating officer of Isobar, a digital marketing agency that is part of London-based Aegis Media. Folz was cofounder of Molecular Inc., a digital marketing consulting firm that designs and builds Internet-based products. Molecular was acquired in 2005 by Isobar. In 2004, Folz was recognized as a Mass High Tech All-Star in the Internet category, and also was named to the Boston Business Journal’s list of “40 Under 40.” He has served as President of MITX, the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, and sits on the executive council of TechNet New England.
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