Three VPs Named At Hallmark Cards
Cards here has reorganized its North American personal communications business and, as a result, has announced the creation of three major positions.
The company has named Robert Firnhaber vice president of retail development. In his new position, Firnhaber directs a geographically consolidated field sales force, newly centralized retail support center, new logistics organization and five retail focus teams. He was president of the Hallmark brand.
Steve Paoletti has been named Hallmark vice president of mass channel retail teams. He reports to Firnhaber. Paoletti was Hallmark vice president of sales.
Al Summy has been named division vice president of retail execution. Reporting to Firnhaber, Summy is responsible for the service and installation organizations, a combined retail support center, and the general merchandise, food and drug store sales force. He was Ambassador division vice president of sales and service.
Hallmark said in a release its reorganization covers the consolidation of duplicate marketing and product development functions serving the Hallmark and Ambassador brands, and the creation of a new strategic function serving all of the company's personal expression brands. "This reorganization marks the beginning of a new era for Hallmark and Ambassador, and the new organization underscores our corporate commitment to mass channel retailers," said Lanny Julian, president of Ambassador Brands, in a release. Julian announced in December he will leave Ambassador March 31 to begin a marketing firm called Donlan Group.
Hallmark's release also stated the company will join its U.S. and Canadian marketing and operations as part of its new structure, which was the result of an eight-month study that included employee opinion surveys and a job activities analysis.
American Greetings Appoints Zinn a VP
CLEVELAND -- American Greetings here has named Thomas T. Zinn vice president of information services. Zinn succeeds Dean Trilling, who was appointed vice president of American Greetings' Interactive Marketing division.
In his new position, Zinn is responsible for American Greetings' corporate computer operations center and worldwide communications network, applications development and maintenance of computer systems in the United States, office systems at the company's world headquarters here, and the coordination and oversight of all subsidiary information services. Zinn was most recently a member of Ernst & Young's Great Lakes Management Consulting & Information Technology group. He has more than 20 years professional experience in information technology, Ambassador said in a release.
"As an Ernst & Young principal, Zinn led a consulting team that worked with our associates to successfully complete a major order processing system project," said James Van Arsdale, senior vice president of operations at American Greetings. "In all, Zinn has been associated with American Greetings for nearly eight years as a consultant," he added.
