People On the Move

Lindon tech company names new top exec -- James Martinos was named president and chief executive of DirectPointe Inc., a Lindon-based supplier of subscription-based technology management services.

Martinos, 52, will succeed Michael Proper as the company's president and CEO effective Dec. 31. Martinos has served as chief operating officer since joining DirectPointe in 2005. Proper will continue serving as co-chairman of the DirectPointe board of directors and as president and CEO of CentralPointe Inc.

Employment

Demand for accounting and finance workers in Utah to stay steady in first quarter 2009 -- Accounting and finance workers, especially those skilled at identifying cost efficiencies, will continue to be in demand in Utah, according to a hiring survey by staffing services firm Robert Half International.

A net 2 percent of chief financial officers in the Salt Lake City are expected to add accounting and finance staff in the first quarter of 2009, according to the most recent Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. That's one percentage point above the national average.

Eight percent of executives surveyed plan to add staff during the quarter and 6 percent anticipate reductions in personnel, according to the survey.

"Even though weakness in the economy is affecting hiring in many fields, accounting and finance expertise in key functional areas remains in demand," said Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International. "While no job category is completely immune to economic changes, professionals skilled at identifying cost efficiencies and enhancing profitability are a perennial need for firms of all sizes."