CIO Announcements from Dow Chemical, Virgin America, Spirit Airlines and More

I apologize for not posting any new announcements about CIOs over the past few days.  CIO is in the process of deploying new blogging software, and I was instructed last Friday not to post anything new until my blog was moved over to a new server.  I’m back in action today, and I have much to report.

Yesterday, Dow Chemical announced that Dave Kepler (pictured at left) was appointed senior vice president of the company.  Kepler, who serves as head of shared services and CIO, will now also co-chair the Midland, Mich.-based company’s environmental, health and safety board as well as chair its corporate environmental advisory council.  In his new position, he will be responsible for driving Dow’s sustainability and corporate security agendas.  Kepler, who has served as Dow’s CIO since 1998, takes on this new role from Larry Washington, who’s retiring from Dow at the end of March.  Kepler has worked for Dow since 1975. For more information on Kepler’s new role, check out the press release Dow issued.

Mark Gulling (pictured at right), a former CIO of Kodak, started his new job as packaging manufacturer MeadWestvaco’s new president of global business services yesterday.  Like Dow’s Kepler, Gulling is responsible for his company’s global internal services operations, which include shared services for HR, finance, logistics and IT. 

Two low-cost airlines announced new CIOs yesterday:

Virgin America hired Bill Maguire as the Burlingame, Calif.-based start-up’s new CIO. (The airline will begin flying as soon as it gets FAA approval.)  Maguire, 52, doesn’t appear to have any experience working for an airline.  He most recently worked for Aspect Communications in San Jose as its SVP and CIO.  Prior to that, he served as Legato Systems’ CIO.  He also previously worked for Amdahl and the U.S. Postal Service.  

Scott Allard joined Spirit Airlines as its VP and CIO.  He comes to the Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company from TravelWorm where he led the online travel agent’s technology initiatives.

Last week, Gary Wood started his new job as CIO of the Knights of Columbus, which is not just a location for Sweet 16 parties, but a $1.6 billion insurance company, which I never knew.  Wood is based at the K of C’s headquarters in New Haven, Conn.  He most recently worked for NIIT Technologies as a senior management consultant where he was on a long-term assignment at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.  The executive search firm Horton International placed Wood at the K of C. 

Steven Wallace has left his position as CIO of Constellation Brands, according to a colleague who tried getting in touch with him.  I have no idea of the circumstances in which he left the $4 billion spirits manufacturer and distributor.

Last but not least: A friend of Jessica Denecour wrote to let me know that Denecour joined Varian Medical Systems as its VP and CIO.  She most recently worked for Agilent Technologies as its VP of information technology solution services, and previously as Agilent’s VP of information technology infrastructure services.  This friend says Denecour is “top notch.”  Apparently Varian Medical Systems thinks so, too.