The Wall Street Journal-20080128-Noted---

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AXA (Paris) -- Suzanne van Staveren has been named vice president and chief operating officer of corporate markets, a distribution channel, for AXA Equitable Life Insurance Corp., a part of this insurance company. The post is new. Ms. van Staveren, 37 years old, was vice president, scale and profitability for large corporate market retirement services at Fidelity Employer Services Co., a division of Fidelity Investments.

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BANK OF GRANITE Corp. (Granite Falls, N.C.) -- R. Scott Anderson was named chief executive for this community bank, effective immediately. Mr. Anderson, 52, succeeds Charles M. Snipes. Mr. Snipes, 74, remains chairman until April. Mr. Anderson was president and chief operating officer. He remains president; the post of operating chief will be eliminated, a spokeswoman said.

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BIOFORCE NANOSCIENCES HOLDINGS Inc. (Ames, Iowa) -- This producer of integrated biological and mechanical systems named Kerry Frey president and chief executive, effective immediately. Mr. Frey was president and chief operating officer. Mr. Frey, 62, succeeds Eric Henderson as chief executive. Mr. Henderson, 51, was named executive vice president and chief science officer. Both posts are new. The title of operating chief has been eliminated, a spokesman said.

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HUGHES HUBBARD & REED LLP (New York) -- John M. Townsend, a partner with this law firm, was appointed by President Bush to the Panel of Arbitrators of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, an international body attached to the World Bank. Mr. Townsend, 60, succeeds Daniel Price, who was named deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs last year. Mr. Townsend was appointed to fill the rest of Mr. Price's term, expiring June 19, and to an additional six-year term.

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PACIFIC SUNWEAR OF CALIFORNIA Inc. (Anaheim, Calif.) -- Michael Henry was named senior vice president and chief financial officer for this specialty retailer. Mr. Henry, 37, had served as interim finance chief since November. He was vice president and controller.

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ZEALOUS TRADING GROUP Inc. (Las Vegas) -- This financial-services company named Joseph S. Ranieri managing director of equity capital markets, effective immediately. The post is new. Mr. Ranieri, 40, was managing director of U.S. Equity Trading at Canaccord Adams Inc.