ProQuest Co. appointed Randy Best, co-founder of Voyager Learning, to its board of directors.
“Randy Best co-founded Voyager Learning, one of our most recent and most important acquisitions,” says Alan Aldworth, chairman and CEO of ProQuest Co. “Under his leadership, Voyager grew from a startup to a successful education company, with annual revenue approaching $100 million. As we continue building ProQuest’s K-12 business incorporating the platform of Voyager Learning, having Randy Best as a member of our board of directors will be invaluable. I look forward to his contributions to ProQuest Co.’s continued success, and I welcome him to our board.”
Best was a founding partner in the merchant banking firm Mason Best. During his 35 years in merchant banking, he gained extensive experience as a private investor and senior executive in a broad range of business entities.
“I am proud to join ProQuest’s board of directors. We share a vision for the growth of ProQuest and a strong commitment to education,” said Best. “I look forward to continuing my association with Voyager and ProQuest as a member of the board.”
Best is an advisory board member for the Education Commission of the States and a member of the National Education Association Foundation Board, the College of Education Foundation Advisory Council for the University of Texas at Austin and the National Urban Alliance Board for Columbia University. Previously, he served on the White House Millennium Committee and The Foundation Leadership Network.
ARVINMERITOR INC.
ArvinMeritor Inc. named James Donlon senior vice president and chief financial officer. Donlon drives ArvinMeritor’s financial performance and provides comprehensive financial direction and guidance to the corporation.
Rakesh Sachdev, vice president and controller who was responsible for these duties during the search for a new CFO, assumes a new role as senior vice president of corporate strategy.
Donlon comes to ArvinMeritor from his position as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Kmart Corp. Prior to that, he was senior vice president and controller for the Chrysler Group at DaimlerChrysler Corp.
Donlon joined DaimlerChrysler in 1979 and held financial management and leadership positions of increasing responsibility during his 25 years there, including director of international planning and new venture development. He began his career in 1969 with Ford Motor Co.
FORD MOTOR CO.
Ford Motor Co. named Steve Lyons group vice president, North America Marketing, Sales & Service. He was previously vice president and president, Ford Division.
Lyons began his career with Ford in 1972 as a truck design engineer and progressed through a series of product-related assignments before joining Ford Division in 1982. He held positions in marketing and sales, including advertising manager and general marketing manager, for Lincoln Mercury and general marketing manager and general sales manager for Ford Division.
Succeeding Lyons as vice president and president, Ford Division, is Darryl Hazel, previously vice president and president, Lincoln Mercury. Hazel, who was instrumental in the revitalization of Lincoln Mercury, reports to Lyons.
Also reporting to Lyons is Al Giombetti, newly named president, Lincoln Mercury. Giombetti joined Ford in 1981 and has held positions within Lincoln Mercury, Ford Division and Ford Customer Service Division. His most recent role was general sales manager, Lincoln Mercury.
COVANSYS CORP.
Covansys Corp. appointed James E. Barlett and Hugh R. Harris to its board of directors.
Barlett is vice chairman of TeleTech Holdings, a leading full-service provider of customer care outsourcing services. He has more than 30 years of senior management experience at public companies in the financial services, technology, travel and transportation, business consulting and outsourcing sectors, including at Galileo International, Mastercard International and NBD Bancorp. He replaces Frank D. Stella, who retired from active board service to become director emeritus.
Harris is president of the Financial Services Technology division of Fidelity Information Services, a division of Fidelity National Financial. Prior to joining Fidelity, he was CEO of HomeSide Lending. He began his career with SouthTrust Mortgage and held senior positions at Mortgage Corp. of the South and its successor, BancBoston Mortgage Corp. He replaces William P. Foley II.
MCCANN ERICKSON
McCann Erickson’s Detroit office hired Dean Bastian as executive vice president, director of creative development, a key new role at the agency. Bastian is relocating from McCann’s New York City headquarters to the Detroit office to take this position.
Bastian’s primary responsibility is to focus the creative and nontraditional media resources of McCann Worldgroup on developing brand-building ideas for McCann’s Detroit-based clients. Bastian seeks out and develops unique client-specific solutions across a variety of disciplines, with particular emphasis on new media vehicles.
Previously, Bastian was a senior vice president, group creative director at McCann in New York. His career history includes stints at JWT, Ogilvy & Mather and FCB, and his brand experience runs from AT&T to Zima.
EVIEW 360
Eview 360, a multidisciplinary design agency, hired Walid Saba as vice president of design. Joining founder Wael Berrached, Saba oversees design and creative services across Eview 360’s global client base and is responsible for developing the creative team. He works out of the firm’s corporate office in Farmington Hills.
