Execs & Accounts for August 30, 2006

Danny Sullivan, the founder of SearchEngineWatch.com and longtime ringleader of the Search Engine Strategies conference series, has announced he’ll resign from the twin franchises. Writing in his blog, Sullivan cited a failure to renegotiate his contract with parent Incisive Media, which also owns ClickZ Network.

Apple has added Google CEO Eric Schmidt to its board of directors. Apple Chief Steve Jobs had this to say: “Like Apple, Google is very focused on innovation and we think Eric’s insights and experience will be very valuable in helping to guide Apple in the years ahead.”

Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive tapped CheckM8 to power rich media advertising across its Web site. The publisher will add formats like the “slider ad” and “margin ad.”

E-mail marketing and ad management provider Bluestreak opened a new office in New York and hired Mary Byrne as SVP of global sales, marketing and services. The Providence-based company also moved its U.K. office from Richmond to Central London.

Merscom, a publisher of casual PC and console games, tapped Exent Technologies to represent ads in six of its popular titles. The games are Buku Sudoku, Buku Kakuro, Bode Miller Alpine Skiing, eXtinction, Space Interceptor and Terrorist Takedown.

Webloyalty hired Matt Gilbert as SVP of business development. He was previously SVP of IAC InterActive Corp’s ad solutions search marketing practice, prior to which he led IAC’s Ask.com sales force.

Digital marketing agency Optiem hired Tom Bernot as COO. He joins from Swagelok Company, where he was global brand manager.

Geary Interactive launched a Web site for Sahara Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The online experience uses a “video concierge” named Kristyn.

Zoove, which offers a mobile marketing method called “StarStar Dialing,” hired Mike Caffey as VP of engineering and development. Caffey was most recently director of engineering for SS8 Networks, prior to which he was an engineering manager for WorldCom.

Jamster, a mobile content firm owned by VeriSign, hired Boris Hageney as VP of North America. Hageney joined the company as country manager for Italy, and later took on responsibility for Spain, Portugal and Western Europe.

Mobio Networks, a developer of mobile applications, hired Paul Cushman as VP of business development and Marcia Kadanoff as VP of marketing. Cushman was VP of U.S. consumer products for Neven Vision. Kadanoff ran her own marketing consulting firm, called Firewhite.