Internet Retailer Hires Former Nordstrom Direct CIO as its COO

Plus, Hammersmith moves from MetLife to Wachovia Securities, and more.

Internet-based gift purveyor RedEnvelope hired Frank Buettner as its new COO.  Buettner, 50, most recently served as the VP of operations and IT for Bag Borrow or Steal, an early stage internet company.  Prior to Bag Borrow, he served as Nordstrom Direct’s CIO and COO, where he was responsible for all fulfillment operations, customer service centers and IT initiatives. He also previously worked for Lands’ End for 20 years.  His last position with the Wisconsin-based cataloguer was as vice president of its international division.

Mark Hammersmith will join Richmond, Va.-based brokerage Wachovia Securities as its CIO on February 28.  The Yale grad will report to Martin Davis (pictured at left), Wachovia’s corporate CIO, and will be a member of Wachovia Securities operating committee.  Hammersmith most recently worked for MetLife’s institutional business and for MetLife Bank as CIO. 

Diane Duggan, executive vice president of technology and media services at Discovery Communications, promoted John Honeycutt to EVP of media technology and operations.  Honeycutt most recently served as SVP of the television operatons group—a position he’s held since he joined the network in 2003. In that role, he directed the design and launch of Discovery’s Television and Technology Center and he lead Discovery’s digitization initiative, both of which helped earn Discovery Communications a CIO-100 award in 2005.  In his new role, he will be responsible for identifying future media technology trends, enacting operational efficiencies across Discovery and developing strategies for Discovery’s participation in the technical societies and organizations that guide global standards creation.