Jul 24, 2019

Rover.com

Bill Kong is the new chief marketing officer at Rover.com in Seattle. Kong has over 20 years of experience in product management and brand marketing, with an emphasis on direct-to-consumer business. He was chief growth officer at Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics, and executive vice president of product marketing and performance marketing services at CommerceHub. Rover.com provides pet sitters and dog walkers.

Itron

In Liberty Lake, Itron promoted Tom Deitrich to president, CEO and board member. Deitrich has been Itron's executive vice president and COO since October 2015 and will start his new roles on Aug. 6. He succeeds Philip Mezey, who announced his retirement earlier this year and will work with Deitrich on the transition. Itron is a technology and services company focused on energy and water.

Washington Federal Bank

Retired executive Linda Brower joined the board of Washington Federal, the parent company of Washington Federal Bank. Brower was executive vice president and chief administration officer at the bank from 2003 until her retirement in 2016. She has four decades of banking experience, including leadership roles at Bank of America and US Bank.

Amazon

Amazon Publishing signed author Dean Koontz for a five-book deal and a collection of six short thrillers. Thomas & Mercer will publish the first book “Devoted” next spring and “Nameless,” the short thriller collection, will be available this fall from Amazon Original Stories. Koontz's best-selling short story “Ricochet Joe” was published in late 2017 by Amazon Original Stories.

Fluke

Everett-based Fluke acquired Pruftechnik, a German provider of precision laser shaft alignment, condition monitoring and non-destructive testing. Terms of the deal were not announced. Fluke develops electronic test tools and software for measuring and monitoring.

Jul 23, 2019

Immusoft

Seattle-based biopharmaceutical company Immusoft appointed Dr. Robert Hayes as chief scientific officer. Hayes has nearly two decades of biologics discovery and development experience, most recently as head of biologics at Amgen. Prior to that, he was vice president and venture leader at Centyrex, a biotech venture within Janssen R&D. Immusoft re-engineers B cells to treat diseases.

Fisher Phillips

Fisher Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm, added five attorneys to its Seattle office. The new associates are Amanda N. Buchan, Ryan R. Jones, Radhika V. Mehta, Gulsah Senol and Eryne Walvekar. Buchan defends employers in U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims and lawsuits. Jones focuses on class actions and discrimination and harassment claims. Mehta specializes in immigration law. Senol practices on all aspects of workplace law, including the Americans with Disabilities, Fair Labor Standards and Family Medical Leave acts. Walvekar represents individuals and companies on immigration matters. Fisher Phillips has more than 400 attorneys in over 30 offices.

Precisive Surgical

Seattle-based spine imaging system company Precisive Surgical merged with La Jolla, California-based Carlsmed, a developer of personalized surgical implants for patients with debilitating spine deformities. Terms of the deal were not announced. The two companies are working on a system that allows doctors to use more imaging data for customized spine surgeries.

TCS World Travel

Seattle-based luxury tour operator TCS World Travel is partnering with genealogy research firm Heritage Consulting to create bespoke legacy journeys. Heritage's research is used to retrace customers' family roots through travel, such as meeting distant cousins in an ancestral village or following in a great-grandparent's footsteps to the fields where he or she worked.