Brown Named Financial Chief at Microsoft

Microsoft Corp. announced Friday that Michael W. Brown has been appointed chief financial officer, a position he has held unofficially since the previous CFO died of cancer more than a year ago.

Brown will report directly to Bill Gates, chairman and chief executive of the Redmond, Wash.-based personal computer software company. He will oversee Microsoft’s worldwide manufacturing, distribution and logistics.

Brown became Microsoft treasurer in 1989. He was promoted to vice president of finance and acting CFO in 1993 and was given interim responsibility for the company’s information technology group and operations.

Frank Gaudette, the previous CFO, died of lymphatic cancer in April, 1993.

Kenneth J. Meister, president and chief executive of Guardian Trust Co., has been elected chairman of the Los Angeles-based company.

Guardian Trust is a subsidiary of Guardian Bank and offers custodial trust services to the bank’s labor union and management trust fund customers.

John W. Cotton, head of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green & McRae’s litigation group in Los Angeles, has been named its managing partner.

Cotton, 47, succeeds Carl D. Hobelman, who is returning to the firm’s Washington office.

CIT/Group/Business Credit has promoted Gary T. Prager to executive vice president and group sector manager, a newly created position. Prager was previously senior vice president and sector manager.

In his new position, Prager, 44, is responsible for CIT Group/Business Credit’s Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas offices.

Russell E. Solt has joined Williams-Sonoma Inc. as senior vice president and chief financial officer, succeeding James E. Riley.

Solt, 46, was executive vice president and chief financial officer at BelkStores for five years. Riley, 56, was appointed senior vice president of systems and administration.