New Orleans research firm The Olinger Group has added Paul E. Kirch as vice president of business development. Kirch assumes his new position as the firm prepares to re-open its corporate headquarters, which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Cendant Hotel Group, Parsippany, N.J., has named Kevin Rupert vice president of marketing and strategy for Wyndham Worldwide.

Vision Critical, Vancouver  B.C., has named Manuel Zahariev chief technology officer and Gord Baizley vice president of finance and administration.

Chicago-based media information firm Bacon’s Information, Inc. has named Shawn Cantor director of business development, Eastern region.

Pepsi-Cola North America, Purchase, N.Y., has named Meena Mansharamani senior vice president-innovation and insights.

St. Louis-based Maritz Research has named Elmer Rich account manager, financial services group. In addition, Lisa Elderkin has been named account manager, financial services group. Elderkin is based in Maritz Research’s Walnut Creek, Calif., office and is responsible for business development and assisting clients on the West coast.

Brian Dundon has joined MarketVision Research, Cincinnati, as vice president with responsibility for managing and developing research business.

Magda Cooling, a partner with research firm Opinions… of Sacramento, has earned Professional Researcher Certification from the Marketing Research Association.

Stamford, Conn., research firm InsightExpress has named Barbara Wade a director within its consumer packaged goods sector. The firm also named Melissa Sherman and Julie Wu project manager. Ryan Grady has joined the company as an advertising account manager within the advertising and media sector. In addition, Alison Bemont and Marjorie Hoffmann have been named customer service representative. And Janelle Taylor has been named software quality assurance tester, product operations.

Scott Hanson has joined Decision Analyst Inc., Arlington, Texas, as senior research manager.

The Analytical Group Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona, has named Anne Varley as account associate.

St. Louis consulting firm The Mattson Jack Group, Inc. has named Eric G. John vice president and Bernadete M.B. Piassa senior project director of the firm’s marketing research team. They are based in the Philadelphia office.

Promodata (Leemis Services), a Chicago research company, has promoted Adam Samuelian to vice president/director of IT and marketing.

Port Washington, N.Y., researcher the NPD Group has promoted four former directors to vice president: Stephen Baker, Steve Flavin, Bruce Schnur and Martin Zagorsek .

Steven Struhl has joined Portland, Ore., research firm Doxus as head of its marketing sciences and methodology team.

Stillwater, Minn.-based Readex Research has named Joe Cline senior network administrator.

Redlands, Calif., geographic information system firm ESRI has named Brent A. Jones survey industry solutions manager.

John Snyder has been promoted to the newly created position of vice president, Portable People Meter sales, at Arbitron, New York . Separately, Shellye L. Archambeau, chief executive officer, MetricStream, Inc., has been named to the Arbitron board of directors.

Jane Mount has been promoted to vice president at Digital Research, Inc., Kennebunk, Maine.

Scarborough Research, New York, has named MJ Angiollo account director, print and Internet services. Barbara Quisenberry has been promoted to director of account management.

Stephen Bell has rejoined Cambridge, Mass., research firm Abt Associates as a principal scientist in the social and economic policy division. He also joins the Abt Associates Fellows, a group of senior researchers who assess and enhance the quality of the company’s work.

Rodney N. Wright has been named automotive retail practice leader at J.D. Power and Associates, Westlake Village, Calif.

ComScore Networks, Reston, Va., has named Joe Famalette vice president of sales for the CPG marketing solutions group and John Golanty vice president of client services.

Waltham, Mass., research firm Affinnova, Inc ., has named Waleed Al-Atraqchi chief executive officer and president.