NEW JOBS
>> Eric H. Ogi of Ogi & Associates has been named assistant field marketing officer for Hawaii, representing Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Ogi has worked with CFC Insurance Marketing Corp. of California and Allianz Life Insurance for a decade. In his new capacity, he will be responsible for new agents, current agents, training, joint field work, client seminars and product knowledge.>> Debbie Elliot and Marshall Brown have been named residential loan officers at Finance Factors. They will be responsible for the origination of all portfolio and residential loan department products. They will also handle approved government loan programs and commercial loans. Elliot most recently served a loan officer for Finance Factor's downtown branch. Brown was a senior loan officer at GE Capital Hawaii and has more than 20 years of experience in residential lending.
>> Adworks Inc. has hired Mario Gomez as associate designer. He is responsible for creating logos, signs and ads for various agency accounts. He previously worked as a designer and junior art director for The Schiller Group.
PROMOTIONS
>> Christopher Pape has been promoted to the position of operations and maintenance manager of Atlantis Submarines in Kona. He will be responsible for ensuring compliance with all regulations, standards, policies and procedures. He will also manage the offshore and maintenance teams and oversee tours. He joined Atlantis-Kona in 1991 as a diver.>> Clear Channel Hawaii has promoted Laurie Mizuno to local sales manager for both STAR 101.9 and I-94. Christine Yasuma moved up to promotions director for STAR 101.9 and is now Clear Channel's Internet content manager. Mizuno has been with Clear Channel for four years. Yasuma has been with the company for two years.
ON THE BOARD
>> Darlene Zickerfoose has been named president of the nonprofit Assistance League of Hawaii. Other new executive officers are Vice President Raynette Scruton, Recording Secretary Connie Culbertson, Corresponding Secretary Pat Sandborn and Treasurer Marti Frensley.>>The Hawaii Women's Business Center has eight new members on its board of directors: Laurie Cateriano, vice president and manager at American Savings Bank; Chenoa Farnsworth, an independent management consultant; Myra L. Hager, executive director for insights to Success Inc.; Ann N. Katekaru, human resources management senior consultant with Inkinen and Associates; Kathleen A. Perkins, vice president of membership development for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Susan Utsugi, vice president and commercial banking officer at Central Pacific Bank; Melanie Wong, owner and president of Premium Inc.; and Yuka Nagashima, president and co-founder of Lavanet.
BACK TO TOP
|
Japan consumer prices fall for 33rd month
TOKYO >> Japan's household spending jumped in June as consumer prices fell for a 33rd straight month, throwing the spotlight back on Japan's battle with deflation at a delicate time when unemployment is rising and wages are frozen.The nationwide core consumer price index, which excludes volatile fresh food prices, slipped 0.8 percent in June from May, the government said last week.
In a sign that falling prices will likely continue, consumer prices in Tokyo, tallied a month ahead of nationwide figures, showed core CPI sliding 1.0 percent in July from a year earlier, the 34th consecutive month of decline.
Australian CPI up 0.7% in second quarter
SYDNEY, Australia >> Australia's inflation rate slowed in the second quarter as the price of food and motor vehicles fell, boosting expectations the central bank will leave interest rates unchanged next month.Prices rose 0.7 percent in the three months ended June 30 from the previous quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said. Economists had forecast a 0.8 percent increase after prices gained 0.9 percent in the first quarter.
Bonds yield fell to six-month low as the report, coupled with a slump in global stock prices, fueled expectations the Reserve Bank of Australia will leave its overnight cash target rate at 4.75 percent in August. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News today are unanimous the rate will be kept unchanged.
China state firms' profit fell 11% in half
BEIJING >> Chinese state companies' profit stemmed its decline in June as a cheaper currency and rising government spending spurred sales.Income at state-run industrial companies fell 11 percent in the first half of 2002 from a year earlier to 106 billion yuan ($12.8 billion), the National Bureau of Statistics said. That followed a 13 percent drop in the first five months, indicating that the decline slowed last month.