NOBLE INVESTMENT GROUP
Noble Investment Group named Rodney S. Williams chief acquisition officer, responsible for the company’s new strategic investment fund that will focus on hospitality acquisitions and value-added redevelopments.
A 25-year hospitality veteran, Williams was most recently executive vice president and a founding principal of Hardin Capital. He also serves as president of the board of directors of Hilton Managers Acceptance Corp., which provides financing assistance in the form of construction loans for all Hilton brands, and is a founding member of the Hilton Garden Inn Owner’s Advisory Council.
S1 CORP.
S1 Corp. elected John W. Spiegel, recently retired vice chairman and CFO of SunTrust Banks Inc., as a director. Spiegel announced plans to retire from SunTrust, the nation’s ninth-largest bank, in August.
Spiegel also serves on the board of directors and is a past chairman of the Bank Administration Institute, a financial services industry professional organization. He serves on the board of directors for organizations including the Rock-Tenn Co., Bentley Pharmaceuticals, Colonial Properties, the High Museum of Art, the Woodruff Arts Center and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Spiegel is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
AVADO BRANDS
Raymond P. Barbrick was named CEO of Avado Brands, the parent company of Don Pablo’s Mexican Kitchen, Hops Grillhouse & Brewery and the new Hops City Grille.
Since 1992, Barbrick has been with Bertucci’s Corp. and N.E. Restaurant Co. of Northborough, Mass. Since December 2001, he has served as president and COO for Bertucci’s Corp. and also held the positions of executive vice president and COO and division president at the company. He spearheaded the chain’s transformation from pizzeria to a full-service casual dining concept.
Prior to his career with Bertucci’s, Barbrick was part of the Back Bay Restaurant Group in Boston and held posts with MSM Management/CEV Corp., also of Boston.
STILLPOINT ADVISORS INC.
StillPoint Advisors Inc. appointed Jeffrey S. Hall, formerly with KRC of Chatham, N.J., president of StillPoint Family Office.
Hall was most recently president and director of KRC, spending 20 years managing the assets, trust and estate affairs for a multigenerational high-net-worth family. Prior to joining KRC, Hall was vice president of the energy and minerals division of Chemical Bank in New York City.
PROXYMED INC.
ProxyMed Inc. promoted David E. Oles to senior vice president and general counsel. Oles has served as ProxyMed vice president, senior corporate counsel and secretary since April.
Prior to joining the company, he was vice president and associate general counsel at NDCHealth Corp. Prior to NDCHealth, Oles engaged in the private practice of law in the health care group of law firm Alston & Bird LLP and in the health care corporate group of Reed Smith Shaw and McClay LLP in Princeton, N.J.
SYSCO CORP.
SYSCO Corp. named Kirk Halpern president at Buckhead Beef Co. of Atlanta, a SYSCO subsidiary. Halpern will continue in his role as COO. He has served two three-year terms on the board of directors of the North American Meat Processors Association.
ACUITY BRANDS INC.
Acuity Brands Inc. named Vernon J. Nagel chairman and CEO, succeeding James S. Balloun, who retired as part of a previously announced succession plan. Nagel joined Acuity Brands in December 2001 as executive vice president and CFO.
The company also announced the continuation of its search for a CFO to succeed Nagel. Karen J. Holcom, vice president and controller, will serve as interim CFO. She previously served as vice president, financial services.
CONCURRENT COMPUTER CORP.
Concurrent Computer Corp. appointed Gary Brust vice president of sales for North America for the company’s Video-On-Demand division.
Most recently, he was vice president of North American Sales and group director for US East for Terayon Communications Systems. Prior to Terayon, he held key executive management and sales positions with ADC Telecommunications and Scientific-Atlanta.
Mercer Delta’s Millward takes lead role
In the latest phase of its expansion in the United States and abroad, New York-based Mercer Delta Consulting, advisers to CEOs and senior leaders, named Mindy Millward, a partner who most recently co-lead the firm’s Canadian practice in Toronto, to lead partner in its newly established Atlanta operations.
The new office will help Mercer Delta, which specializes in executive leadership and organizational change, better serve CEOs, senior executives and boards of directors in the Southeast region. Mercer Delta consults to senior leaders in the areas of CEO effectiveness, executive development, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, organization design, culture change, and strategic communications.
“We chose Mindy as the lead partner for our effort in the Southeast because of her successful efforts building and leading Mercer Delta Canada,” said David A. Nadler, chairman and CEO of Mercer Delta. “Mindy understands the challenges today’s CEOs confront in leading their organizations through major change. Her stellar track record as their trusted adviser, combined with her roots in the state of Georgia, make her the perfect choice to lead our Atlanta expansion.”
“Atlanta is home to some of the best companies in corporate America,” said Millward. “Today’s leaders are facing increasingly complex business challenges, and I’m excited that Mercer Delta now has a presence on the ground in Atlanta to help the region’s CEOs and senior leaders address those challenges.”
