Execs & Accounts for August 11, 2003

Overture has established an operation in Australia in anticipation of launching its paid placement search service there by the end of this year.

Overture has spun out the Sydney operation as a wholly owned subsidiary, Overture Services Australia Pty. Limited, and named Mel Bohse as managing director of the company. Bohse was previously vice president of AltaVista Asia Pacific, which Overture acquired during the first half of 2003.

Overture Australia will join the company’s operations in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and South Korea. Additionally, the company said its previously announced plans to launch in Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia by the end of the year remain on track.

The paid search market in Australia is projected to grow at an annual compounded rate of 86 percent to approximately U.S. $41 million by 2005, according to a 2002 report from Jupiter Research, which shares a parent company with this Web site. Overture has recently agreed to be acquired by Yahoo, but it will remain an independent subsidiary.

Viewpoint Corporation, a developer of interactive media technology, has appointed former Vanstar President Jay Amato as CEO. Bob Rice, current president and CEO, will become executive chairman.

Following his tenure at Vanstar, Amato led the formation of Technology Access Action Coalition/ACT, a Washington-based organization of technology luminaries whose mission was to promote innovation and growth in the tech sector. Most recently, he served as a principal with the Flatiron Group in New York, a business strategy and planning advisory service.

“Jay’s impressive track record of developing revenue growth, building strategic partnerships with technology leaders and his visionary outlook made him the ideal candidate,” said Viewpoint board member Stephen Duff.

NetIQ has named David Barram lead independent director and Maureen McNichols as director of the company’s board, while board member Douglas Erwin has stepped down effective immediately.

Erwin, a NetIQ director and former CEO of NetIQ subsidiary PentaSafe Security Technologies, was general manager of NetIQ’s security and administration business unit before the company acquired PentaSafe in December 2002.

“Dave Barram has been an important asset to NetIQ since joining our board almost a year ago. As lead director, we will continue to rely on his rich experience to help guide our progress,” said Charles Boesenberg, CEO and chairman of NetIQ.

Maureen McNichols has been a professor of accounting at Stanford University since 1984, and is currently a professor of public and private management at Stanford’s graduate school of business.

“With her extensive expertise in financial reporting and corporate governance, Maureen brings valuable perspective to our board,” said Barram.

Online movie rental service Netflix and travel site Lowestfare.com have tapped ValueClick’s Be Free subsidiary to drive leads and sales through its BFAST affiliate marketing platform.

Lowestfare.com, a priceline.com subsidiary, is a new Be Free client, while Netflix is a renewing customer.

For more breaking news on account action and executive moves, visit ChannelSeven.com