Steel Advertising & Interactive, an Austin, Tex.-based full-service advertising and web design firm, has named Christine Bech partner and director of business development, according to a statement. Ms. Bech is charged with helping to develop strategic marketing initiatives for clients.

"We are very excited to have someone of Christine's caliber join our team," said Kirsten Cutshall, principal of Steel Advertising & Interactive. "We are poised to grow our business at a tremendous rate over the next few years, and we believe Christine's expertise and experience will help us grow the business in the right way."

Most recently, Ms. Bech was an independent consultant for a number of emerging technology companies. She previously held vice president and director roles at a number of companies, including Macromedia (now Adobe Systems, Inc.), NewsStand and Zilliant.

Said Ms. Bech: "The level of talent and depth of knowledge at Steel was a tremendous selling point for me. This is a top notch group who know what they are doing, love what they do, and have tremendous skill in both advertising and interactive development."

Steel's client list includes Austin Board of Realtors, Heritage Building Systems, Bio-Medical Services and The Miracle Foundation.