Fuse is opening a Chicago office to be helmed by MICHAEL ROCHE, director of advertising sales for the Midwest region.

ROBERT FORMENTIN has joined Answers.com as vice president of advertising sales, responsible for all aspects of direct advertising sales and operations.

JENNIFER GREENE has joined TACODA as manager, sales development (East) a newly created position. Greene joins TACODA from Q Interactive, where she served as senior account manager.

NICK VELLOFF, director of creative development at AKQA's DC office, has left the agency to operate an independent rich media agency. Velloff joined AKQA's Washington DC office in 2003 where he managed interactive flash development for brands such as Vitamin Water, AOL and ESPN.

Genex has named LISA LACASSE as media director. Most recently, she led media planning and strategy at Nissan North America for both the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

al Punto Advertising has hired TONY STANOL as chief business strategist. Stanol comes to al Punto after senior account management experience at JWT, BBDO and FCB.

KEITH ULRICH has joined Mullen Detriot as senior vice president, group account director; GAYLE JOSEPH was named vice president, account director for public relations and SUSAN LARUE was named vice president, group planning director in the Detriot office.

Starcom USA has created a new executive leadership team--Starcom Executive Operations--consisting of Starcom USA CEO JOHN MUSZYNSKI; STEVEN FEULING, president and chief consumer officer; CHRIS BOOTHE, president and chief activation officer; ANDREW SWINAND, president and chief client officer, and KATHY RING, president and chief Los Angeles operations officer.

MICHAEL SPIRITO has joined the YES Network as director of business development.

Mediaedge:cia has named KRISTEN ZOHN communications strategy director for its print division. She will oversee all print buying and planning duties for several agency clients, including Colgate-Palmolive, E&J Gallo Winery, Cadbury-Adams and Payless Shoe Source. Zohn joins MEC from Johnson & Johnson’s global marketing group, where she spearheaded research and strategic integrated communications programs as media manager for J&J brands Aveeno, Clean&Clear, Stayfree, Reach and Rembrandt, among others.