Patent and Trademark Office moves Mary Critharis to chief policy officer and director-international affairs, a job she did on acting basis after her predecessor Shira Perlmutter named to lead Copyright Office (see this section, Oct. 22) ... Remitly hires Saema Somalya, ex-Fifth Third Bank, as general counsel, succeeding Aaron Gregory, and adds to the board Bora Chung, Bill.com ... Mattel taps from ViacomCBS Media Networks Jonathan Anschell as executive vice president-chief legal officer and secretary, succeeding Robert Normile, who's continuing until Dec. 31 and remaining an executive adviser into April.
CCUR says CEO Wayne Barr ending leave of absence the board gave him (see this section, June 15) and he's now resigning; HC2 says it names him CEO, a job he did on an interim basis (see this section, June 22) at the spectrum company where he remains on the board ... Rand Technology appointments include moving Kim Fix to chief operating officer-Americas & Europe; and Kevin Sheehan to chief information officer.
Wilkinson Barker adds former Colorado, Denver, and U.S. official Arthur Ortegon as partner; his experience includes government relations, legal, regulatory, political, community investment and external affairs for telecom, transportation and mass media ... Glen Echo Group hires from House Ways and Means Committee staff Dan Rubin as senior director ... TechNet promotes Cameron Demetre to executive director, California and the Southwest.
Womble Bond broadcast radio and TV industry attorney John Garziglia retiring at year's end; law firm continues representing broadcast clients, hires media and telecom attorney Reid Avett, ex-Duane Morris, to help lead these efforts as of counsel, Communications, Technology and Media team ... CPB promotes Kathryn Washington to senior vice president-television content ... Alliance for Automotive Innovation hires Garrick Francis from CSX as vice president-federal affairs; Federal Affairs Senior Director John Ohly adds responsibility for some strategic initiatives.
NTCA elects Fred Johnson, Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative, as chairman; Keith Oliver, Home Telephone Co., as vice chairman; and Barry Adair, Wabash Communications Co-Op, as secretary/treasurer ... Optimus Ride taps ex-Verizon Vice President, City Solutions Sean Harrington as CEO and member of its board, replacing co-founder Ryan Chin, who remains at the autonomous vehicle technology systems developer "with responsibility over policy and sustainability initiatives" ... WWE appoints Karen Mullane controller-chief accounting officer; she's ex-corporate controller and interim chief financial officer, Etsy ... Board member Arun Sarin leaves Cisco, which says directors "reduced the size of the Board to nine members effective with Mr. Sarin’s resignation."
Ballard Spahr hires trademark attorney Susan Smith from Hunton Andrews as partner, Trademark and Copyright practice group ... TechNet adds Servando Esparza, ex-Bird Rides, as executive director-Texas and the Southeast ... Electronic Transactions Association hires Max Behlke, ex-National Conference of State Legislatures, as director-state government affairs.
Dish Network government affairs adds Jamellah Ellis, ex-Verizon, as senior regulatory counsel, and Lyndall Nipps, ex-tw telecom and Windstream, as senior regulatory specialist, both for state regulatory compliance; the MVPD also hires Tripp McKemey, ex-office of Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., who was recently elected governor, as senior government affairs analyst for federal lobbying team, focusing on House Republicans ... Jenner & Block hires Aaron Cooper, ex-Senate Intelligence Committee Russia investigation and former DOJ cybercrime prosecutor, as special counsel for Investigations, Compliance and Defense Practice; Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation Practice; and Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice.
President-elect Joe Biden announces he's naming Neera Tanden, Center for American Progress, who "would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to lead the OMB," and Kate Bedingfield, ex-MPA, White House communications director, a job she did for the Biden-Kamala Harris campaign ... Sinclair’s One Media 3.0 hires So Vang from NAB as vice president-emerging technologies ... BTIG adds Chris Dorn as managing director, Healthcare Investment Banking, where he will focus on healthcare IT and digital health companies.
Digital Colony taps from Macquarie Infrastructure Liam Stewart as managing director-chief operating officer, succeeding Jeff Ginsberg, who remains chief administrative officer and on investment committee of Digital Colony Partners inaugural fund ... Macy’s hires Univision Communications' Bobby Amirshahi as senior vice president-corporate communications, succeeding Cheryl Heinonen, leaving "after the Holiday season to relocate back home to the West Coast" ... Sun Capital Partners adds Elizabeth de Saint-Aignan, ex-Jump Capital, for managing director, Transactions team, leading "the firm’s focus on investments in the technology vertical."
Upon completion of ViacomCBS' sale of Simon & Schuster to Bertelsmann's Penguin Random House for $2.175 billion cash, expected in 2021, "Simon & Schuster will continue to be managed as a separate publishing unit under the Penguin Random House umbrella," led by Simon & Schuster President-CEO Jonathan Karp and Chief Operations Officer-Chief Financial Officer Dennis Eulau.