Mars The Musician's Planet recruited David MacBlane to be president of its new Internet division, Marsmusic.com. The Fort Lauderdale-based company sells, leases and repairs music and recording equipment. MacBlane, 38, previously served as chief information and operating officer of WPP Group USA Inc., a New York-based company that owns about 50 marketing and public relations firms worldwide.
Economic Development -- Hospital administrator Fred Messing was named to a one-year term as chairman of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade County's economic development agency. The appointment comes at a crucial time. With a jobless rate that is nearly two percentage points above the statewide average, the county continues to battle its reputation for high crime rates and widespread public corruption. Messing, COO of Baptist Health Systems of South Florida, succeeds AT&T executive George Foyo.
Entertainment -- Playboy TV International named William Fisher president of the Miami Beach-based joint venture between Cisneros Television Group and Playboy Entertainment Group. The venture will develop, own and operate Playboy television networks worldwide. Fisher, 39, previously worked for Home Box Office in Singapore as senior vice president of HBO International since 1995.
Real Estate -- St. Joe Co. tapped veteran real estate executive Robert Shinn as president of its Orlando-based Hospitality Development Group, a unit of the company devoted to hotels, resorts and timeshares. Shinn joins Jacksonville-based St. Joe from the Walt Disney Co., where he served most recently as senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering's Florida operations and president of the Celebration Co., a Disney subsidiary.
Restaurants -- Checkers Drive-In Restaurants CEO Jay Gillespie resigned after two years in the position. Vice Chairman Peter O'Hara will oversee day-to-day activities at the Clearwater-based fast food chain until a replacement is named. The company, which has been struggling, operates nearly 468 Checkers in the Southeastern U.S. and about the same number of Rally's fast-food outlets in the Midwest.
Retail -- In the midst of financial setbacks and a falling stock price, Office Depot's John Macatee is out as president, COO and director. The one-time Sherwin Williams executive served less than two years with the Delray Beach-based office products retailer. In a change in management structure following the resignation, Shawn McGhee will serve as president, merchandising group and oversee store, catalog and Internet sales.
Technology -- John Ballock, 39, is a new partner with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) and the managing principal of CSC's new Florida office in Tampa. Prior to joining CSC in 1996, Ballock was a senior manager with Price Waterhouse. California-based CSC is an $8-billion consulting company that specializes in e-commerce and business systems integration. The company also has an office in Miami.
Telecommunications -- Taking over as president and chief executive officer at Sarasota-based Elcotel Inc. is Michael Boyle. Shelton James, who had been acting president and CEO, will continue as chairman of the board. Boyle, 54, has more than 17 years of computer and telecommunications experience. He was previously with Maitland-based Phoenix Wireless Group. Elcotel sells hardware and software to private pay phone service providers and telephone companies.
Utilities -- After less than a year, Robert Young stepped down from his post as president and director of Juno Beach-based electric utility holding company FPL Group. Young, 55, joined FPL in February after serving for 10 years as chief executive officer of Scottish company Hydro-Electric. Young cited differences between his background and FPL's management style and corporate culture as his reason for leaving.
Tampa-based TECO Energy elected Robert Fagan to be chairman of the board. He replaces Girard Anderson, who is retiring. Fagan, joined TECO in April as president and CEO.