04/21/03

Michael Schmidt has joined news and analysis firm Market News International as a major account executive reporting to CEO Michael O’Connor. Schmidt was previously a market data technical consultant at UBS Warburg working in Stamford, Conn. and New York.

Global index company FTSE has appointed Diane Tan as sales manager for FTSE Asia Pacific. Tan, who will report to Paul Hoff, the recently appointed managing director of the region, will be responsible for FTSE’s sales and marketing activities in Hong Kong. Prior to joining FTSE, she was a sales account manager at Moneyline Telerate in Hong Kong. She has also worked in Australia, Beijing and Singapore.

Reuters has appointed Yuji Takei president of Reuters Japan, reporting to Marc Duale, managing director of Reuters Asia. Duale was acting as president of Reuters Japan since September last year following the departure of Richard Pascoe, who returned to London after a four-year tenure in Japan. Takei is now responsible for Reuters’ business in Japan but will also continue in his role as managing director of focus group accounts in Reuters Asia. He joined Reuters as system controller in 1985 and is the first Japanese national to hold the position of president in Reuters Japan’s 130-year history.

Larry Tabb, long-time industry analyst at TowerGroup, has announced his departure from the company in order to start his own group, The Tabb Group. Tabb, who oversaw the Securities and Investments Research practice before becoming senior strategy advisor in December (IMD, Dec. 2, 2002), will now advise financial services firms and vendors.