Corporate Report: March 8

CareerEdge executive director hired to head Osprey Biotechnics division
Mireya Eavey, executive director of CareerEdge, is leaving the organization to take a leadership position with Sarasota-based Osprey Biotechnics. Eavey will become president of the One Biotechnology division at Osprey Biotechnics, which makes biological products for environmental, industrial and agricultural applications.

Mark Pritchett of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Timothy Polk with the city of Bradenton, co-chairs of CareerEdge, will assume day-to-day oversight until a new leader is appointed, which is expected sometime this month.

Eavey's last day with CareerEdge will be March 9, but she intends to assist the organization with its leadership transition beyond that date. She also plans to help lead CareerEdge's manufacturing partnership.

CareerEdge is a partnership of business, government and philanthropic organizations that uses public and private dollars to work toward opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties. CareerEdge was created with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, City of Bradenton Central Community Redevelopment Agency, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Bank of America, Bradenton 14th Street Community Redevelopment Agency, Bradenton Downtown Development Authority and Manatee Community Action Agency. It is also supported by contributions from Microsoft, Sarasota County Government, Jane's Trust, Chase and Suncoast Workforce.

PSCU plans MasterPass offering, quicker phone, tablet payments
St. Petersburg-based credit union service organization PSCU has reached an agreement with MasterCard to offer the MasterPass digital payment service soon to PSCU's nearly 700 member-owner credit unions.

The digital-wallet service can house the account credentials of credit, debit and prepaid payment cards along with default billing and shipping information. For online shopping, consumers that use the service can avoid having to enter payment, billing and shipping information on each site they use by simply putting in their MasterPass credentials.

The service is also designed to work with mobile devices to allow buyers to pay in physical stores using mobile devices through near field communication (NFC) or the device's mobile data connection.

PSCU plans to implement the online wallet functionality this spring.

Lake Trust Credit Union of Lansing, Mich., has agreed to participate in testing the new digital service. The programs will still go through a prototyping and pilot period, before PSCU rolls them out to its members.

Veritas Employer Services expanding through partnership
Bonita Springs-based professional employer organization Veritas Employer Services has announced a partnership with AccessPoint, a Novi, Mich.-based human resources management company. Veritas currently provides employer services to clients in Florida, and specializes in serving the golf, hotel and hospitality industries as well as association management organizations.

Veritas reports that the partnership should allow the company to expand its service offerings into staffing, recruiting and executive search, and its geographic reach. The agreement is expected to let the Southwest Florida company offer its services in the more than 20 states where AccessPoint has relationships.

Sagicor Life Insurance COO promoted to president
Tampa-based Sagicor Life Insurance Co. is promoting Bart Catmull to president and chief operating officer, effective April 1. Dodridge Miller, president and CEO of the Sagicor Group, made the announcement at a recent meeting of the board. In this new position, Catmull will be responsible for all aspects of Sagicor United States operations.

Catmull has worked in various positions within the company including chief operating officer, chief financial officer and treasurer during the last 14 years. Prior to that, Catmull worked as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers focusing on accounting and reporting issues, specifically related to insurance and technology companies.

Trion Technology inks deal for European distributor S3
Trion Technology, a Clearwater-based manufacturer of plasma etch, strip and deposition systems to make semiconductors and microelectromechanical systems, announced a strategic alliance with S3 Alliance. S3 Alliance will distribute and support Trion's line of products throughout Europe.

The agreement was designed to allow Trion Technology to further penetrate the European market. S3 Alliance's existing clients include major companies in the semiconductor industry, government research, universities and research and development laboratories.

At the same time, Trion's products will also expand S3 Alliance market offerings.

Axiologix trades stock to Ironridge Global for $800,000
Axiologix Inc., a Sarasota-based technology and services company, announced it has settled more than $800,000 in debt in exchange for issuing shares of common stock to institutional investor Ironridge Global Technology, a form that specializes in investing in telecommunications, electronics, computer and technology companies.

“We recently announced the completion of a letter of intent to acquire a leading IP voice and data operator and having such a supportive and strong investor come into the business at this time underpins our ability to close this and other transactions,” Vincent Browne, chairman and CEO of Axiologix Inc. says in a press release.