ATLANTA—Newell Rubbermaid has appointed Jeremy Liebowitz to the newly created position of vice president, global e-commerce, to lead the acceleration of the company’s online revenue growth worldwide. Liebowitz will report to Mark Tarchetti, Newell Rubbermaid’s chief development officer, with a strong link to Chief Customer Officer Joe Cavaliere.

NEW YORK–Fusionbrands has appointed Maurizio Rispoli as executive vice president of sales. Rispoli will be responsible for Fusionbrands’ global presence, working directly with retail partners and its worldwide network of distributors and agents to increase sales and profitability.

Rispoli has has held a number of senior international roles and was most recently Head of Business, Rest of World at Joseph Joseph Ltd.

AURORA, Colo.-Bona US has named Jordan Anderson and Nick Larson territory managers responsible for sales in their assigned regions.

Anderson’s responsibility is for sales in Canada, while Larson oversees sales in the Midwest region, encompassing Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Both executives report to Gregg Bethune, director of outside sales for the company. Anderson’s position is a new one for Bona, while Larson has succeeded Matt Casey, who has moved to become Bona’s certified craftsman program manager.

MARKHAM, Ontario–Browne & Co., a Canadian housewares marketing and distribution company, has named Jonathan Pearson national sales manager for the USA retail division. 

Pearson, a 20-year housewares veteran, reports directly to Peter Braley, chief operating officer, retail division. Pearson will be responsible for U.S. retail operations and the management of the company’s brands, which include Cuisipro, Kitchen Grips, Berard France and Nogent. He succeeds Deb Flynn, who left to take a position at another company.

ECULLY CEDEX, France-Groupe SEB has named Vincent Leonard to become senior executive vice president in charge of finance.

Leonard will assume his new role on June 1, and will succeed Jean-Pierre Lac, who will retire on that date. He will oversee the housewares giant’s finances and report directly to Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, chairman and CEO.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J.-The De’Longhi Group has named Jim Foster vice president of U.S. sales.

In his new post, Foster is responsible for sales in the United States, fostering the company’s continued growth by building channel-appropriate retailer plans. He reports to Mike Prager, president and CEO of De’Longhi North America, and has succeeded Ken Kaprowski, who has left the company.

WATERBURY, Vt.-Michael Degnan has been named chief legal officer and corporate general counsel for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), effective March 31.

Degnan has been GMCR’s vice president and associate general counsel since January 2011. In his new role, he will succeed Howard Malovany, chief legal officer, corporate general counsel and secretary, who is retiring.

BEDFORD, Mass.-Christian Cerda has been named senior vice president and general manager of the iRobot home robots business unit.

In his new role, Cerda is in charge of the unit, with a particular emphasis on building on iRobot’s domestic and international expansion and product development. He reports to Jeff Beck, the company’s chief operating officer, who previously held this position.

LOS ANGELES–Mastrad has named Sanjay Choudhuri its U.S. president. In this newly created position, Choudhuri will be responsible for business development and brand marketing in the United States for the French-based company. He reports to Mastrad CEO Mathieu Lion.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Spanish cookware manufacturer Castey has teamed up with Chef José Andrés and designer Philippe Starck for two cookware lines that will debut at the upcoming International Home + Housewares Show.

At the Housewares Show, attendees will have a chance to meet José Andrés at Castey’s booth, S-4210, where they can take photos with him and register to win a dinner for four in one of his restaurants or a set of cookware and autographed cookbooks. He will be there from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, 2013. 

NEW YORK-StoreBound has promoted Shaun MacKenzie to president and has named Phillip Underhill chief marketing officer.

Both of these positions are new for the company. MacKenzie, who was senior vice president of sales, continues to oversee the company’s sales organization and is also in charge of operational initiatives. Underhill has assumed responsibility for all aspects of marketing, packaging and brand management.

DALLAS–Dallas Market Center has named Kevin Strawbridge executive vice president of marketing and technology. In his position, Strawbridge will be responsible for integrating marketing and technology efforts to best serve both buyers and sellers.

“Kevin is an experienced and acknowledged leader and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our team,” said Cindy Morris, chief operating officer, Dallas Market Center. “He will lead the marketing and technology strategy to further establish Dallas as a marketplace with cutting-edge digital resources.”

LONDON–Exhibition planner i2i Events Group has appointed Katherine Truesdale sales manager for North America, where she will focus primarily on the giftware, fashion, jewelry, home furnishings and housewares sectors.

Spring Fair and Pure London are among the worldwide events organized by i2i Events Group.

SEATTLE-Karl Mejia has been named marketing director at Chef’n Corp., where he will oversee profit and loss and manage Chef’n’s multi-brand product portfolio, ensuring it is in line with the company’s corporate growth objectives, as well as be critical in identifying new product and service opportunities.

WASHINGTON-The board of directors of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers has elected Paul Sikir, vice president of design engineering with Sub-Zero, as its new chair.

Sikir succeeds Robert P. Scaglione, who recently left Sharp Electronics and subsequently resigned as AHAM’s chair. He will fill the remainder of Scaglione’s two-year term, which will run through the 2014 annual AHAM member meeting. Previously, Sikir served as first vice chair, as the association’s treasurer and as chair of AHAM’s major appliance division.

ELVERSON, Penn.–Coatings company Whitford has named Mike McGinn its new North American sales manager. McGinn succeeds Spencer Siegel, who has moved to the role of worldwide manager for consumer products for Whitford.

Most recently vice president of sales and marketing for Coyne Textiles Services, a textile services outsourcing company, McGinn has more than 20 years’ experience in global sales and marketing for venture-capital based startups and industrial manufacturing companies.

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark.—Dayna Butler has rejoined Microplane as sales manager, kitchen products, for the Western U.S. territory. Janice Friedman, who joined the company in March as national sales manager, kitchen products, following Dayna’s departure, will assume the new role of sales manager for the Eastern U.S.

VALLEJO, Calif.–Meyer Corporation, U.S., has appointed Rosa Ziebell vice president of marketing.

Suzanne Murphy, former vice president of marketing, is relocating to Melbourne, Australia, to assume the new role of vice president of marketing at Meyer Australia, beginning in September.

NEW YORK-Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) has named Patricia DiPette senior vice president of licensing.

DiPette has assumed responsibility for developing and negotiating new domestic merchandising opportunities for MSLO. She reports to Ann Bukawyn, executive vice president of global licensing.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario-Scott Bolbock, senior director of marketing for Electrolux and Eureka canister and lightweight vacuums, has been tabbed to lead canister-vacuum and power-head product development in North America for Electrolux Home Care Products.

LANCASTER, Pa.-Haan Corp. has appointed Barry Witte as vice president and general manager.

In his new role, Witte has assumed responsibility over the steam-cleaning tools manufacturer’s sales, marketing and operations. He reports directly to Romi Haan, president and CEO, and has succeeded Chris Guckian, who has left the company.

Before joining Haan, Witte was vice president of North American sales for Applica Consumer Products. His career spans more than 10 years in the consumer-products market.

SAN FRANCISCO-Williams-Sonoma began its fiscal year with a 2.8 percent decline in net income, which totaled $30.7 million.

Increased expenses were the prime reason for the slip. Gross margin in the quarter, which ended on April 29, fell 60 basis points to 37.8 percent. Selling, general and administrative expenses rose 6.5 percent in dollars and 10 basis points as a percentage of sales, to 31.8 percent.

TORRANCE, Calif.– Nicole Lindermayr joins pepper and spice mill company William Bounds in the newly created position of director of international sales. She reports to Helen Bounds, president.

Representing the third generation of the William Bounds family business, Lindermayr is the granddaughter of Helen Bounds and her late husband, founder Bill Bounds. 

NEW YORK-Dorothy Belshaw, newly appointed president of the gift division at International Market Centers, and Mike Turnbull, senior vice president, strategic relations at AMC, Inc., its AmericasMart Atlanta brand and LIGHTFAIR International entity, have recently joined the board of directors of Gift for Life, according to a Gift for Life newsletter.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.–Focus Products Group, LLC, which targets the consumer, hospitality and foodservice markets and includes the housewares brands Amco, Chicago Metallic, Swing-A-Way and XHP, has added four executives to its team.

Karen Swinford has joined the company as president of retail, where she will report to and work closely with Jeff Ackerberg, CEO, to amplify the company’s consumer-driven business model. She was most recently at Wilton for more than 10 years, most recently as general manager for Wilton Housewares and Copco.

RUSSELVILLE, Ark.-Microplane has appointed Janice Friedman national sales manager, kitchen products, effective today.

Reporting directly to Joel Arivett, vice president at Microplane, Friedman will be responsible for management of all sales activities, customer relationships and market development. Microplane’s independent sales representatives will report to Friedman. Dayna Butler, the company’s former national sales manager, has left the company.

ATLANTA-AmericasMart, looking to fuel its growth in the global trade show arena, has appointed Douglas Broward to the newly created office of AMC senior vice president/branding.

Broward is charged with creating and sustaining AmericasMart brand continuity across all shows, markets and business lines through all marketing communications channels and in the AmericasMart on-site brand presence.

Broward previously served as chief creative officer at Grizzard Advertising, which is part of the global advertising and marketing firm Omnicom Group.

INDIAN TRAIL, N.C.–Vacu Vin has named Kurt Zanner vice president of sales and marketing, effective Feb. 15.

Zanner succeeds Tom Reikowski, who has left the company, and will report directly to Patrick Schneider, president of the International Innovation Company in the Netherlands. Vacu Vin is a division of the IIC Company.

STURTEVANT, Wis.–Karen Formico has become vice president of marketing for Andis, a newly created position.

In her new role, Formico is responsible for overseeing and leading all initiatives involving marketing, public relations, advertising and communications for the personal-care products manufacturer.

Before joining Andis, Formico was marketing manager for Broan-Nu Tone, a producer of residential ventilation products. She had also held a marketing post with Simplicity Creative Group.

NEW YORK–Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) has named Margaret M. Smyth to its board of directors.

Most recently, Smyth served as vice president and chief financial officer of Hamilton Sundstrand, part of United Technologies Corp. Prior to that, she was United Technologies’ vice president and corporate controller. She also served in financial positions with 3M, Deloitte & Touche and Arthur Andersen.

STOCKHOLM–Electrolux has appointed Stefano Marzano to the newly created role of chief design officer.

CLOSTER, N.J.–Jura-Capresso has named Thomas McMahon to the newly created position of director of sales.

McMahon is responsible for managing sales-representative groups and accounts in 19 states. His appointment is part of Jura-Capresso’s expansion of its sales-management team, which now includes three directors of sales. McMahon, along with Directors of Sales Lisa Biddle and John Evans, reports to David Shull, vice president of sales and marketing.

ONEIDA, N.Y.-Jim Joseph has resigned as president and CEO of Oneida to become an Executive in Residence at LeMoyne College. His last day at Oneida will be Jan. 31, 2012.

Joseph said he will continue to work with Oneida on “strategic projects” as a member of the flatware company’s newly created board of directors.

WOODS CROSS, Utah–Candle Warmers Etc. has promoted Brett Heyland to the newly created position of vice president of sales. In his new role Heyland will direct the company’s in-house sales team to exceed revenue, sales profitability, and budgetary objectives.

LOS ANGELES–French-based gadget maker Mastrad has named Mark Cassin its new U.S. managing director, in charge of directing and overseeing the United States market.
  

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario–Swissmar and PSP USA have appointed Maria Brown executive vice president and Tom Lawler director of sales.

Brown has been with Swissmar for more than 19 years. She will be responsible for the operations of Swissmar and PSP USA.

Lawler most recently worked at Victorinox. As the director of sales for Swissmar Inc. and PSP USA, Lawler will work with the management team to build and strengthen the U.S. sales team. He is based in New Jersey and reports to Graziano Bruno, vice president, sales.

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.–Hearthware has named Alice Pace and Becky Sarwate to newly created positions in the company.

Pace has joined Hearthware as patissiere (baker), reporting to Jennifer Epker Dawes, executive chef. Her responsibilities include creating and testing recipes for the company’s product line, including the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven and the NuWave Mini Infrared Oven. She also assists in the recipe and instructional videos that appear the NuWave oven owners’ exclusive website, nuwavecookingclub.com.

ROSEMONT, Ill.–Richard Boynton Jr., president and CEO of Jura-Capresso, has been elected chairman of the International Housewares Association.

Boynton will succeed Bruce Kaminstein, CEO of Casabella. In addition, William Reibl, president of Bill Reibl & Associates, has been elected vice chairman and chairman-elect. Michael Magerman, president and CEO of Quickie Manufacturing, has been elected treasurer.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.-Smith’s, the maker of Edgeware knife sharpeners and kitchen tools, has appointed Sonja Berton national sales manager, housewares. She will report to Mark Adkison, vice president of global sales, and her responsibilities will include managing the Edgeware sales force of more than 50 independent manufacturers’ representatives across the U.S. She succeeds Mark Harris, who left the company earlier this year.

Berton was most recently the sales manager at MUKitchen.

ATLANTA-Michael Polk will become president and CEO of Newell Rubbermaid on July 18, succeeding the retiring Mark Ketchum.

Most recently, Polk was president of global foods, home and personal care at Unilever, prior to which he served in several high-level positions in a 16-year tenure with Kraft Foods. Michael Cowhig, chairman of Newell Rubbermaid’s board of directors, cited Polk’s “proven record of growing global brands, driving change and delivering superior financial performance.”

CHICAGO–David Kroll has joined Dyson as vice president of U.S. marketing.

Kroll has thus assumed responsibility for expanding the marketing team in this country for the United Kingdom-based manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, fans and hand dryers. He reports directly to Max Conze, president of the U.S. unit, and he has succeeded Caroline Errington, who has left the company.

CINCINNATI–Procter & Gamble has appointed Patrice Louvet president of its Global Male Grooming unit.

The move puts Louvet in charge of the company’s male-grooming brands, including the Braun line of men’s electric grooming products.

He will report to Dimitri Panayotopoulos, vice chairman of Global Business Units. He will succeed Charles V. (Chip) Bergh, who is retiring on Sept. 1 from P&G after 28 years to pursue his aspiration to be CEO of a major company, according to a P&G statement.

LOS ANGELES–Tabletop and cookware company Lynns Concepts has named Michael Byrne to the newly created position of president.

Byrne will work with Lynns’ partners overseas and will be the principle driver of all Lynns’ North American operations, according to a statement from the company. Byrne will also be the principal driver for the company’s new production facility in northern China and will manage sourcing and distribution channels for the company’s American stainless steel cookware and ceramics businesses.

CINCINNATI–Edward Shirley, vice chairman of Procter & Gamble’s beauty and grooming segment, will retire from the company on Jan. 1, 2012.

Among the products in this segment are the Braun line of electric shavers and the Oral-B group of dental-care products. Until the first of the year, Shirley will serve as vice chairman on special assignment, reporting to Robert McDonald, P&G’s chairman, president and CEO. He will focus on the transition of the beauty and grooming business.

NORWALK, Conn.–Cutlery maker Wüsthof-Trident has appointed Michael Garaghty (a.k.a. “Chef Mike”) executive chef.

In this newly created position, Chef Mike, who reports to Scott Severinson, president, sales and marketing, will preside and appear in Wüsthof-sponsored television segments, retail events, cooking videos, social media initiatives, trade shows, consumer food festivals and other elements of the brand’s sales and marketing campaigns.

STOCKHOLM-Marcus Wallenberg has been re-elected chairman of the board of AB Electrolux, the parent company of the Electrolux brand.

In addition, Keith McLoughlin, president and CEO, was elected to the company’s board at yesterday’s annual general meeting. McLoughlin succeeded Hans Stråberg as president and CEO on Jan. 1.

Wallenberg has served on the Electrolux board since 2005. McLoughlin, who joined Electrolux in 2003, had been chief operations officer for major appliances before assuming his current posts.

MONROE, Conn.–Cutlery maker Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc. has named Rob Sterner senior vice president, sales for the commercial and retail cutlery and Swiss Army knife divisions. In this newly created position, Sterner reports to Rene Stutz, North American president of Victorinox Swiss Army.

VALLEJO, Calif. -Darrin Johnston has been promoted to the newly created position of senior vice president of sales at Meyer Corp., U.S., for which he has sales responsibilities over all brands, including Circulon Anolon, BonJour, KitchenAid cookware, Rachael Ray, Farberware, Paula Deen and SilverStone. He will continue to report to the company’s managing director, Jay Zilinskas.

CLOSTER, N.J.—Jura-Capresso has appointed April Strogen to the newly created post of product manager for the Capresso brand.

Strogen oversees marketing, sales support and new product development for all of Capresso’s products. She reports to David Shull, Jura-Capresso’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Before joining Jura-Capresso, Strogen was product manager for Emerson Radio Corp. Prior to that, she was product manager and market specialist for De’Longhi USA.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.–LG Electronics has reset its U.S. organization with the appointments of Wayne Park as president of LG Electronics USA and Sam Kim as head of the U.S. division’s home-appliances business unit.

Both executives are long-standing veterans with LG. Park, whose LG career spans 28 years, had been head of LG Electronics North America since January. He succeeds James Shad, who is leaving the U.S. organization this month. Also since January, Kim—whose LG career began in 1988—had been North American regional business leader for refrigerators.

STOCKHOLM–Keith McLoughlin will succeed Hans Stråberg as Electrolux’s president and chief executive officer on Jan. 1, 2011.

McLoughlin is head of research and development, manufacturing and purchasing for Electrolux’s major-appliances unit. He assumed this post last year after heading Electrolux Major Appliances North America. In a company statement, Marcus Wallenberg, Electrolux’s chairman, said McLoughlin will focus in his new position on continuing to execute the company’s overall corporate strategy.

WEST ORANGE, N.J.–Leon Dreimann, owner and chief executive officer of Greystone Brands and George Foreman Cleaning Solutions, is serving as director and consultant of Groupe SEB Holdings, the holding structure of U.S. entities including Groupe SEB USA and All-Clad Metalcrafters.

ROSEMONT, Ill.—The International Housewares Association has elected four new directors, as well as three new officers, for terms that run from Oct. 1, 2010, to Sept. 30, 2013.

The new directors are David Elliott, general manager/KitchenAid Small Appliances, KitchenAid; Daniel Oehy, president, Swissmar; Alvise Ricoveri, managing director, De’Longhi America; and Gary Seehoff, chief executive officer, Evriholder Products.

MINEOLA, N.Y.–Maura Sell has joined bambu as sales and marketing manager, with responsibility for growing sales, working with the company’s sales reps, cultivating customer relationships and developing sales programs for key accounts.

Sell has held various senior-level sales and marketing positions including at Whole Foods. She is based in Portland, Ore.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.—Brett Bradshaw has been named president of Bradshaw International, a leading manufacturer of kitchen tools, gadgets and bakeware, best known for its flagship brand Good Cook.

A 17-year veteran of the company, Bradshaw has been involved with all areas since joining, and for the past three years he had headed the company¹s marketing, sales and sourcing departments, as well as repositioned the Good Cook brand and built the company¹s private label business.

WEST ORANGE, N.J.–Groupe SEB has made changes to the executive ranks in its U.S. Partnership Group, which handles the company’s product-development relationships with other manufacturers.

Michael Miller, vice president of sales for Rowenta, has been given the additional responsibility over Krups’ partnership sales in the United States. Richard Joaristi, marketing director of T-fal electrics, has added the title of marketing director of Groupe SEB USA partnerships. Both Joaristi and Miller report to Greg Cairo, president of Groupe SEB core brands.

WOODRIDGE, Ill.–Mary Cushing Merfeld has been named chief financial officer at Wilton Brands, succeeding Thomas Kasvin, who is leaving to pursue other interests, the company said.

Merfeld will continue in her role as president, operations, a position she has held since 2007.  Having been at Wilton for 20 years, Merfeld has served in a number of positions, including as chief financial officer from 2002 to 2007.

HOT SPRING, Ark.–Smith’s has appointed Mark Harris to the newly created position of housewares domestic sales manager.

Harris served previously as the vice president of sales and marketing for WMF Americas. He will report to Mark Adkison, Smith’s vice president of global sales.

STURTEVANT, Wis.–Andis has named Thomas George vice president of operations and has promoted Ivan Zoot to director of education and customer engagement, a new position for the company.

In addition, the personal care-products manufacturer said it is planning an expansion of its headquarters facility here. Measuring 50,000 square feet, the added space will be used for manufacturing and warehousing, and is expected to be finished by the end of this summer.

TARRYTOWN, N.Y.--Belgian-based cookware company GreenPan has opened its first major office in the U.S. here, as it prepares to increase both its sales and presence in North America and South America.
Industry veteran and former independent sales representative Rick Lapine has been appointed president of the division, which will serve as the sales, marketing and product development hub for the Americas. His team will be announced shortly, according to the company.

SAN FRANCISCO—Howard Lester, the long-time head of Williams-Sonoma who took a minor kitchenware store and built into the home industry’s largest lifestyle retailer, is retiring.
Lester will be replaced as CEO by his number two executive Laura Alber, the current president. Adrian Bellamy, currently the board’s lead independent director, will become non-executive chairman and Lester will become chairman emeritus through December 2012.

SAN FRANCISCO—Howard Lester, the long-time head of Williams-Sonoma who took a minor kitchenware store and built into the home industry’s largest lifestyle retailer, is retiring.
Lester will be replaced as CEO by his number two executive Laura Alber, the current president. Adrian Bellamy, currently the board’s lead independent director, will become non-executive chairman and Lester will become chairman emeritus through December 2012.

IRVINE, Calif.–Will Symonds has been named managing director of DKB Household USA Corp. as part of a reorganization.
Symonds comes to DKB Household USA from DKB Household UK Ltd., where he was director of international sales. He succeeds Sanjay Choudhuri, who left the company at the end of 2009.
With experience in global brand development, sales, marketing and manufacturing, Symonds will lead the U.S. company to further focus on U.S. brand marketing, trade marketing and sales.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.-LG Electronics has appointed new executives to lead its North America subsidiary.
Wayne Park has been named president and chief executive officer of LG Electronics North America, and will succeed the retiring Michael Ahn on Feb. 1, 2010. James N. Shad will assume the post of president of LG Electronics USA on Jan. 15, succeeding Teddy Hwang, who has been named executive vice president of global sales and marketing for LG Electronics Air Conditioning Co.

WOODRIDGE, Ill.–Richard Conti has resigned as chief executive officer of Wilton Brands.
Jerry W. Levin, the company’s chairman, will serve as interim CEO. A Wilton statement said a search has already begun for Conti’s replacement.
The resignation occurred two weeks after Wilton Holdings, the company’s parent, reached an agreement with TowerBrook Capital Partners and Deutsche Bank Trust Co., the company’s largest creditors, to recapitalize Wilton Holdings with TowerBrook and Deutsche Bank Trust becoming its majority owners.

PRINCETON, N.J.-Jeremy Jones has joined Miele USA as vice president of marketing, a new position with the company.
Most recently, Jones was the vice president of marketing at Unger Cleaning. He has also held executive positions at T-Fal.

READING, Mass.–Keurig has promoted David Manley to vice president and general manager of the Away from Home and Consumer Direct divisions, and has appointed Dwight Brown vice president of marketing for its At Home business, both newly created positions.
Manley, previously vice president of marketing for the two divisions, has assumed charge over all of the functions of the two businesses, including sales, marketing and product development. He reports directly to Michelle Stacy, Keurig’s president.

GURNEE, Ill.–Hearthware Home Products has named Jennifer Epker Dawes to the newly created position of executive chef.
Dawes, a chef who is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has been in the food industry for 22 years, has assumed responsibility over the testing and development of recipes for Hearthware Home’s NuWave Pro Infrared Oven. She will also appear in online instructional video segments, demonstrating the recipes that use the NuWave Pro. She reports to Jay S. Moon, Hearthware Home’s president, and Gene H. Kim, vice president.

TUCKER, Ga.–Jodi Burson has been promoted to the newly created position of marketing manager for Big Green Egg, the manufacturer of ceramic kamado-style cookers.

VERNON HILLS, Ill.–Trisha Cardin has joined Focus Kitchen Group, a subsidiary of Focus Products Group, in the new position of director of marketing. Reporting to Mike Otterman, president of Focus Kitchen Group, Cardin will oversee the development and execution of a brand building strategy to redefine Amco Houseworks and Chicago Metallic as premium housewares brands through packaging, consistent product design and direct-to-consumer communication, a release said.

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.–Lifetime Brands has announced that Alan Kanter will leave the company as group president of the home decor, photo frame and flatware divisions as of August 15. He is leaving to become president and chief operating officer of Performance Indicators, a company specializing in photoluminescence technology sold primarily to the government. During the transition period, he will maintain an advisory position with Lifetime Brands.

CANONSBURG, Pa.-Groupe SEB has appointed John McCann as vice president of sales for its high-end brands. McCann succeeds Jack Thompson.
He previously was with Saeco, where he was responsible for sales and marketing. Lori Brodak, national sales manager, and key account manager Cheryl McFarland, Ed Sekowski and Alex Monasterio, will report to McCann.

CONGERS, N.Y.–Casabella Holdings LLC has recruited Michael Karyo to manage and further expand its kitchen business, which will now include silicone and other materials. Karyo will work with the product development team to create products such as cutting boards, pot holders and bake mitts. An official title has not been assigned to him yet, the company said.
Karyo has extensive experience in silicone products, having founded Silicone Zone in 2001.

VERNON HILLS, Ill.–Clifford Hall has been named chief executive officer of Focus Products Group, succeeding Keith Jaffee, who founded the company in 2001.

KEWASKUM, Wis.–Regal Ware has announced that Jim Dorn, who began his career at the cookware company in 1964, has retired from the company as of Jan. 1.
He held a number of sales positions while at Regal Ware, and was most recently vice president for the food-service division, which he took on in 2003. He was also responsible for Regal Ware’s re-entry into the high-end retail market with new collections, such as American Kitchen and Marcus.

GAGGIO MONTANO, Italy–Mark Buss has been named president, chief executive officer and general manager-Americas for Saeco International.
This newly created position puts Buss in charge of Saeco’s operations in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Argentina, and the heads of the subsidiaries—including John McCann, president of the U.S. unit—now report to Buss. He in turn reports to Stefano Folli, executive vice president of the corporate parent.

BLAUVELT, N.Y.–Casabella has appointed two new members to its sales team: Mary Ann Lakoseljac as director of sales and Sue Kilarski as West Coast regional sales manager. Both are newly created positions.
Reporting directly to Bruce Kaminstein, president, Lakoseljac will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the sales team as well as manage a number of key accounts. Most recently, she was vice president, FMP, Home Decor division, Lifetime Brands.

TOLEDO, Ohio–Mark Feldstein & Associates, which develops products and imports housewares and giftware, has named Michele Burke vice president of sales.
In this position, newly created in response to an increase in business and expansion into different markets, according to the company, Burke will be responsible for maximizing existing accounts and developing new strategic relationships. In addition, Burke, who reports to Mark Feldstein, president, will help develop account management personnel.

MIRE LOMA, Calif.–Snapware Corp. has appointed Craig Allen chief executive officer, succeeding founder John Lown, who has left to pursue other interests, the company said in a statement.
With more than 20 years of senior management experience, Allen joined the company in May 2006 as chief financial officer and executive committee member. In addition, Heidi Slocumb, director of marketing, has been named to the company’s executive committee.
Lown founded Snapware in 1994 as a division of FloTool Corp. and its first product, airtight containers, was launched in 1995.

NASSAU, Germany–Housewares company Leifheit’s Supervisory Board has named Claus-O. Zacharias as its new chief financial officer, succeeding Frank Gutzeit. Zacharias has been managing director of NICI, a company in Altenkunstadt, Germany, that produces stuffed animals and other gift products.
Gutzeit is leaving the company by Sept. 30 to pursue other interests, the company said in a statement, and the board thanked him for his “commitment and reliability in a challenging phase of reorganization, and wishes him every success in his future career.”

ROSEMONT, Ill.–Jeff Siegel, president and chief executive officer of Lifetime Brands, has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the International Housewares Association.
In addition, Steven Fraser, chairman and CEO of Wilton Products, and James Joseph, president and CEO of Oneida, have been elected as new directors, with terms beginning on Oct. 1.
Robert Trudeau, chairman of Trudeau, has also been elected vice chairman/chairman elect, and Bruce Kaminstein, president of Casabella Holdings, treasurer of the board.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.–Ingerid Mohn has joined Pillivuyt USA to work in conjunction with Alice Title as managing partners of the factory-owned distributor in the United States.
Mohn will serve as vice president of sales and operations and Title has been appointed vice president of marketing and logistics.
For the past five years, Mohn had been president at Linden Sweden, managing all aspects of operating and distribution. Information about who Mohn is succeeding or reporting to was not available at press time.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.–John Case, president and chief executive officer of Electrolux Home Care Products, will leave his post in September.
An Electrolux statement said Case plans to become a teacher at CIMBA University in Asolo, Italy, in the university’s master of business administration program. Case has been on the university’s board of advisers since 2000, and he said teaching at the college level has been a longtime dream for him.

RICHMOND, Va.–Hamilton Beach has named three of its executives to new posts.

EDINA, Minn.–Jens Sorensen, president of Varnamo, Sweden-based Linden International, will head the U.S. division Linden Sweden at the end of the month, following the departure of current president Ingerid Mohn, whose last day is June 27. In addition, Linda Arnesen has been named national sales and marketing manager, a new position, from her position of marketing manager.

STAMFORD, Conn.–Ron Diamond has become the sole president of Conair, taking charge of the company’s entire product line in the wake of the announced retirement of Barry Haber, co-president.
Diamond and Haber had been Conair’s co-presidents since July 2000, with Diamond responsible for the company’s personal care products and Haber overseeing the Cuisinart and Waring brands of small electrics. With this move, Diamond is in charge of the small electrics brands as well as the personal care segment.

CHICAGO–Gordon Thom, president of Dyson U.S., has left the company.
According to a spokesman for Dyson U.S., Martin McCourt, chief executive officer of Dyson Worldwide, is now handling the responsibilities in this position. The company has also begun a search for Thom’s successor.
Thom joined Dyson in 1998 and established the company’s Japan office in that year. He set up Dyson’s U.S. offices in 2002, and was named president of the U.S. division in 2006.

WATERBURY, Vt.–Nick Lazaris has resigned as president of Keurig, the coffeemaker subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
According to a statement from Green Mountain, Lazaris is leaving the company to pursue other career opportunities, and has entered into a separation and transition agreement with Keurig. Under the terms of this agreement, Lazaris will continue as Keurig’s president until June 16 or the date on which a successor assumes the post, and will continue as a Keurig employee until Aug. 15. Meanwhile, the company has begun a search process for Lazaris’ successor.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich.–Brian Maynard has rejoined the KitchenAid brand, this time as director of brand marketing for premium brands, a newly created position.
Maynard, who worked at KitchenAid for more than a decade until the middle of last year, has taken on responsibility for marketing strategy and marketing communications for both the KitchenAid and JennAir brands, both part of Whirlpool Corp. Among his new duties are to oversee advertising, public relations and interactive issues for the two brands. He reports to Wes Pringle, vice president of premium brands for Whirlpool.

AT THE HOUSEWARES SHOW–Mike Stuckey, general manager of Ginsu, the cutlery division of Douglas Quikcut, has left the company to return to a different field. A successor has not yet been named.

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.–Lifetime Brands has appointed Jeffrey Berman to the newly established position of president, retail direct, where he will be responsible for the operations of the Internet and catalog segments of the company’s direct-to-consumer business.

ROSEMONT, Ill.–Michael Karyo, chief executive officer of SiliconeZone USA, has been elected to the board of directors of the International Housewares Association, on which there are 17 other members. His term begins immediately and ends in September 2010. He is also a member of IHA’s Government Affairs Committee.
Karyo launched SiliconeZone in 2001.