Taking Notice
NEW JOBS
>> John Young has been named general manager of the Maui Myth & Magic Theatre. His responsibilities include management of the sales, marketing and operations departments. Young has been in the travel and hospitality industry since 1989, most recently as general manager of the Royal Kahana Resort in Lahaina.>> Geoffrey Baricaua has been named branch manager at the Waipahu office of Territorial Savings. He will be responsible for all branch operations and residential mortgage production. Baricaua previously served as branch manager at the bank's McCully office.
>> Francis "Junior" Ulep has been named chef de cuisine at The Canoe House restaurant at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows. He was most recently chef de cuisine for the Ihilani Fine Dining Room at the Manele Bay Hotel. In addition, Al Treutler was named director of hotel safety and security at Mauna Lani. A 25-year veteran of the security and law enforcement industries, Treutler most recently was director of hotel safety and security at The Lodge at Koele and Manele Bay Hotel.
>> Brendan Curry and Allan Otvos have been named assistant tennis professionals at the Orchid at Mauna Lani. They will be responsible for private and group lessons, as well as camps and events at the resort. Curry joins the Orchid at Mauna Lani after spending the last 12 years on the professional circuit and training tour professionals. Otvos has been a Professional Tennis Registry certified professional since 1977.
>> Lori H. Makiya and Suzanne Watanabe have been named senior account executive and account executive, respectively, at Bright Light Marketing Group Inc. Makiya returns to the company after serving most recently as vice president of client services at PacRim Marketing Group. Watanabe will be responsible for coordinating public relations activities for various clients. She joins Bright Light after serving as an events/committee coordinator at the Building Industry Association of Hawaii.
>> Marcie Farias has been named manager and project coordinator at Hastings and Pleadwell. She was previously promotions manager at the Honolulu Advertiser.
PROMOTIONS
>> Howard Murai has been named president and chief operating officer at Finance Realty Ltd. and Finance Investment Ltd. He replaces Robert Miyasato, who will now serve as executive vice president at Finance Realty. Murai was most recently senior vice president and chief operating officer. He joined Finance Realty in 1997.>> James S. Andrasick has been promoted to executive vice president at Alexander and Baldwin Inc. He will retain his current responsibilities as chief financial officer and treasurer while assuming the new title. Andrasick has been with the company since June of 2000. He previously served as president and chief operating officer at C. Brewer and Co.
>> Victor Castro has been promoted to creative director at Obun Hawaii Group. He will be responsible for the company's creative product and will also assist with marketing and sales strategy. Castro, who joined Obun in 1999, served as a senior graphic designer before his promotion.
>> Scott Whitney has been named editor of Pacific Magazine, a publication of PacificBasin Communications. He most recently served as associate editor at Honolulu Magazine. In addition, managing editor Giff Johnson will now serve as contributing editor at the magazine.
ON THE BOARD
>> Wai Lik Chan has been named president of the Sheet Metal Contractors Association for the 2002-04 biennial term. Other officers installed during the association's banquet were Neal Arita, vice-president; Jeanette Monma, secretary; Yoshiko Kawakami, treasurer; and Clark "Skip" Morgan, Gabriel Zee, Rodney Yanai and Elbert T. Saito, directors.
RECOGNITION
>> Hawaii Modular Space Inc. has been awarded first place from the international Modular Building Institute's Annual Convention and Trade Show. HMSI president Mike Fox accepted the award on behalf of the company, which was presented to HMSI for its work on the Hawaii Job Corps Center in the Temporary Housing category.>> Nextel Partners employees Jason Moku, Keith Okazaki and Ken Furukawa were recently named Circle of Excellence winners for 2001. The three were recognized for their achievements in customer service and engineering.
>> Cordelia Fukuhara has been named the 2002 American Business Women's Association Woman of the Year for the Na Kilohana O Wahine Chapter. She has been a member of the ABWA since 1991 and serves as the chapter secretary.
>> Edward Jones investment advisor Ethan D.B. Abbott has been named to the president's club of The American Funds Group. He was honored for superior service to local investors from his Kahala office and dedication to principles of sound investing. Abbott has been with Edward Jones since 1995.
BACK TO TOP
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Japan and Australia leaders launch talks on free trade
CANBERRA, Australia >> Japan and Australia promised last week to negotiate a free trade pact between the countries."Both of us see it as a desirable goal to work toward," Australian Prime Minister John Howard said after a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi. The leaders agreed to have the heads of their foreign affairs departments meet to map out talks.
Japan is Australia's largest trading partner with two-way trade of $21.6 billion in 2000. While both countries want a free trade pact, agricultural trade is seen as a major stumbling block. Australia has complained about hefty Japanese farm production subsidies and high tariff barriers.
Philippine March exports down 3 percent
MANILA >> Philippine exports probably fell at the slowest pace in more than a year in March as a rebound in the U.S. economy spurred demand for computer parts and other goods.Overseas sales probably fell 3 percent from a year earlier, following February's 6.4 percent drop, according to the median of five forecasts in a Bloomberg News survey. That would be the best performance since January 2001, when shipments last rose, suggesting exports will resume growth in coming months.
S. Korean April exports end 13-month slide
SEOUl >> South Korean exports ended a 13- month decline in April as companies filled more orders, the latest sign growth in Asia's fourth-largest economy is accelerating. Overseas sales rose 9.7 percent from a year earlier to $13.3 billion, the Commerce Ministry said, citing preliminary figures. That followed a 5.7 percent drop in March, according to a Bloomberg News report.
Britons work long hours, but productivity lags
LONDON >> Britons are working longer hours than they did a decade ago, but are less productive than their counterparts in the United States and Continental Europe, according to a survey released last week.One out of three British men, and 1 in 10 women work more than 50 hours a week, said Professor Peter Nolan, director of the Future of Work program at the Economic and Social Research Council, which conducted the research. On average that is roughly 10 hours more a week than people work in most other European countries; Americans still work longer hours.
Yet Britain is two-thirds less productive than the United States and one-third less productive than Europe when it comes to manufacturing output, Nolan continued.
USA Networks chairman earned $52.3 million
WASHINGTON >> USA Networks Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Barry Diller realized $52.3 million after exercising 2.8 million options in 2001, according to a proxy filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Diller didn't receive any options or a bonus in 2001, USA Networks said. The New York-based media company said it didn't pay bonuses to its top executives in 2001 because performance targets weren't met.
Diller's 2001 base salary was unchanged at $500,000. He also received $254,100 in other compensation.
USA Networks said Vice Chairman Victor A. Kaufman realized $11.2 million upon exercising 730,000 options.
AIG hints at succession with 2 appointments
NEW YORK >> After months of speculation, Maurice R. "Hank" Greenberg finally gave some insight on who will succeed him when he retires from American International Group.Greenberg, AIG's longtime chairman, announced the New York insurer has formed a seven-member office of the chairman and named two co-chief operating officers.
The insurer also named Frank Zarb, former Nasdaq chairman, as chairman of its executive committee, a non-executive position.
AIG's stock has faced some pressure in recent months as investors have expressed worries about Greenberg's health and the lack of a publicly announced succession plan for the company, analysts have said. Greenberg turns 77 this week.
Martin J. Sullivan, executive vice president of Foreign General Insurance, and Edmund S.W. Tse, senior vice chairman of Life Insurance, were named co-chief operating officers.
Linda Lay to open secondhand shop
HOUSTON >> The Kenneth Lay family is downsizing.Linda Lay, the wife of Enron's former chief executive, is opening an antique and secondhand shop called Jus' Stuff -- and will sell items including the family's personal property and furniture from its rental property, said Kelly Kimberly, a Lay family spokeswoman.
"She determined that some of these furnishings were just stuff and could be sold. Families and friends agreed," Kimberly said.
Lay and her daughter, Robin, also will sell items belonging to family and acquaintances, along with some new merchandise and design services.
A lamp fashioned from antique street lights, a mahogany bed, an antique reproduction desk, artwork and a bright yellow pair of metal fighting cocks are among the wares to be up for sale when the store opens in early May.
Martha Stewart to plug Chrysler vehicles
NEW YORK >> DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler unit teamed up with Martha Stewart, the doyenne of homemaking, in an agreement that includes advertising in her company's magazines and on its television show as the automaker tries to boost car and truck sales.Bloomberg News reported the automaker's Chrysler-brand vehicles also will be featured in articles in Martha Stewart Living magazine, and Stewart will participate in promotions that include invitation-only parties and contests for a chance to meet her, spokesman Dave Elshoff said. He declined to give a value for the yearlong Road Trip campaign with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc.