Douglas Wiley is now senior public policy adviser at Wiley Rein, where he lobbies on issues including those affecting broadcasting and advertising … Cognitive Networks, automatic content recognition for smart-TV firm, adds to board Jason Fairchild, OpenX … Regional News Network online and broadcast news producer hires Jeffrey Thompson, ex-Shout Factory, as senior vice president-business development … AMC Networks promotes Katie Lanegran to vice president-public relations, SundanceTV … Spanish Broadcasting System promotes Max Ramirez to vice president-digital media sales, SBS Interactive … At cable operator WOW on April 1, Colleen Abdoulah steps down as CEO and remains chairwoman, succeeded by Steven Cochran, promoted, while Cathy Kuo was promoted to COO … CSG adds to board David Barnes, MWH Global … Lobbyist registrations: Wikimedia Foundation, Thompson Coburn, effective Feb. 3 … Yelp, Bloom Strategic Counsel, effective Feb. 3.
Motorola Solutions hires Robert Hoffman, ex-Information Technology Industry Council, as corporate vice president and leader-government affairs … AT&T names Eric Topol, who remains at Scripps Health, as chief medical adviser, working on company’s healthcare information technology … Ebbe Altberg, ex-BranchOut, joins Linden Lab as CEO, replacing Rod Humble … MagicJack VocalTec hires Scott Venuti, ex-Clearwire, as vice president-sales and distribution … Ciena board adds Michael Nevens, Permira Advisers.
TechNet hires Linda Moore, ex-LMF Strategies, as president and CEO, and Andrea Deveau, ex-Direct Energy, as California executive director … Lerman Senter hires Deborah Salons, ex-Homeland Security and Defense Business Council, as associate attorney to work on traditional and new media and telecom issues … Satya Nadella, Microsoft executive vice president-Cloud and Enterprise group, promoted to CEO, replacing Steve Ballmer, who said in August that he would retire, but remains on company’s board; Bill Gates shifts from chairman to new role on board as founder and technology advisor, and company says he will devote more time to Microsoft, supporting Nadella in “shaping technology and product direction”; John Thompson named chairman and remains an independent director on board.
Fletcher Heald promotes broadcast lawyer Dan Kirkpatrick to member … Access, digital rights group, hires Amie Stepanovich, ex-Electronic Privacy Information Center’s Domestic Surveillance Project, as senior policy counsel, focusing on human rights and communications surveillance, effective Wednesday … Among mobile payment companies: Ingo Money hires Lisa McFarland, ex-Visa, as executive vice president-chief marketing officer … FreedomPay hires Brian Voigt, whose previous employers include Bank of America Merchant Services, as senior vice president-strategic partnerships.
Wilkinson Barker elects communications lawyer Brad Gillen an equity partner … PrecisionDemand TV ad targeting data firm hires Debbie Reichig, formerly of In-Focus Media Consulting, as chief revenue officer … International Datacasting Corp. Chairman Del Lippert resigns from position and board for medical reasons, with board member Chris Van Staveren named chairman and Georges Ata resigning as director to focus on job as CEO of Intelcan … Gigamon network management firm adds to board Paul Milbury, ex-Cisco.
FCC hires Howard Symons, ex-Mintz Levin, as Incentive Auction Task Force vice chairman, as expected (CD Jan 16 p5) … Michael Picker, named California Public Utilities commissioner by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), whom he had worked for as senior adviser on renewable energy, filling vacancy from Commissioner Mark Ferron, leaving because of health reasons from a term that would have expired at year’s end … FTC hires Justin Cole, leaving FCC, as director-Office of Public Affairs, and acting Director Peter Kaplan returns to permanent job as deputy director; FCC hasn’t filled role of press secretary which Cole held … Universal Service Administrative Co. acting CEO Scott Barash leaving, to be effective Feb. 14, to become general counsel at the University of the District of Columbia; USAC Chief Operating Officer Richard Belden named interim CEO … Sinclair promotes Rob Weisbord to head newly created digital interactive business … General Catalyst Partners venture capital firm hires Paul Sagan, ex-Akamai, as partner.
MagicJack VocalTec hires Seth Cummings, ex-Scatteree Partners, as executive vice president-marketing, new post … Crown Media promotes to senior vice presidents Darren Melameth for program planning & acquisitions and Randy Pope for programming & development … CTI Towers wireless tower operator hires Joe Ryan, ex-American Tower, as vice president-acquisitions, new position … Newly named Ethernet Alliance officers: John D'Ambrosia, Dell, chairman; Scott Kipp, Brocade, president and treasurer; Howard Frazier, Broadcom, secretary. Named directors: David Fair, Intel; Tom Fawcett, JDS Uniphase; Gilda Foss, NetApp; and Manoj Wadekar, QLogic … Media Institute First Amendment Advisory Council adds Greg Lukianoff, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
Tw telecom promotes John Blount to president; he remains chief operating officer … Clear Channel promotes Darren Davis to president of the newly created Clear Channel Networks Group … Range Networks commercial open-source cellular systems provider hires Edward Kozel, ex-Deutsche Telekom, as CEO … Among those new to Alliance for Women in Media board for 2014 as at-large director is Christine Merritt, Ohio Association of Broadcasters … Quilt coalition representing advanced regional research and education networks includes in 2014 executive committee: Don Welch, Merit Network, as chairman; Mike Phillips, Lonestar Education and Research Network, vice chairman; Amy Philipson, Pacific Northwest GigaPoP, treasurer; and Ron Hutchins, Southern Crossroads, secretary … Warren Communications News promotes Cory Bennett to assistant managing editor, Washington Internet Daily.
MPAA hires for government and regulatory affairs Patrick Kilcur, ex-Senate floor staffer for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as vice president, and Ben Staub, ex-House Judiciary Committee Democratic staff, as director … Cox Enterprises hires Jennifer Prime, ex-FCC Wireline Bureau Competition Policy Division, as director-regulatory affairs … CBS promotes Barry Chamberlain to president-sales, CBS Studios International, working on traditional, VOD, digital and other content … YES Network President-CEO Tracy Dolgin remains in that role as 21st Century Fox buying majority of network (see separate report above in this issue) … Viacom’s Nickelodeon moves senior vice presidents Sarah Noonan to SVP-live action content and Jay Schmalholz for live event television … Entravision hires Andrew Polsky, ex-Spanish Broadcasting System, as vice president-national digital marketing solutions … Mformation Software Technologies that manages wirelessly connected devices hires as vice presidents: Christine Bolles, ex-Ericsson, for marketing and product management; Richard Barton, ex-Comverse, operations; Luca Ferrari, ex-Giesecke & Devrient, sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa; and Gabriel Camarena, whose past employers include Comverse and Gilat, for sales-Latin America … Nexstar adds Dennis Miller, TV Guide Network, to board, replacing Erik Brooks, Abry Partners, who retired as a director Jan. 16.
21st Century Fox’s Fox International Channels and RCN Television Group hire Ibra Morales, ex-Katz Television Group, as president of their joint venture MundoFox … Disney promotes Debra O'Connell to president, ABC National Television Sales, succeeding John Watkins, who had said he’s retiring at month’s end.