Schmidt New President of Ducommun

Ducommun Inc., a leading supplier of electronic components to the high-tech industry and one of the oldest companies in the West, on Wednesday named David G. Schmidt as president.

Schmidt succeeds Wallace W. Booth, 62, who will remain chairman and chief executive of the 136-year-old Los Angeles company. The appointment is part of “normal succession planning,” said Bob Welch, vice president-human resources at Ducommun. Schmidt, 45, who joined the company in 1977, was promoted from the positions of senior vice president and chief financial officer. He was named a director in 1981.

Succeeding Schmidt as senior vice president is W. Donald Bell, 47, currently president of the Ducommun electronics group and a former president of Kierulff Electronics, Ducommun’s largest operating unit.

H. Richard Byrne, 37, was elected vice president-finance and chief financial officer. He previously was vice president-finance and administration for the Ducommun electronics group.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Ashton-Tate Co., Culver City, announced that it has consolidated its operations under a new executive vice president of sales and marketing, Ronald S. Posner.

Posner, 42, who joined the software publisher last year, had been acting vice president and general manager of the international division. With Posner’s appointment, the company has abolished the divisional structure--consisting of software products, international sales and new-business development--that was put in place last September.

“It has become increasingly clear that we need a single marketing and sales strategy that works for both international and domestic operations,” Edward M. Esber Jr., president and chief executive, said in a statement. “Our message to both markets should be the same. . . . This will enable us to deliver our message throughout the marketplace more effectively than ever before.”

Before joining Ashton-Tate, Posner was chairman and chief executive of Santa Monica-based National Training Systems Inc., which provides training in microcomputers for senior executives. He was named a director of Ashton-Tate in April, 1984.

National Medical Enterprises Inc., Los Angeles, expanded its board to 15 from 14 members with the election of Raymond A. Hay, chairman and chief executive of LTV Corp.

NATION

Marsh & McLennan Inc., the nation’s largest insurance brokerage, realigned top management and announced that its president resigned “to pursue new opportunities.”

Bruce W. Schnitzer will be succeeded as MMI president by Robert Clements, who is currently chairman of the executive committee. Schnitzer will remain as a consultant for a year, the company said.

Robert J. Newhouse Jr., MMI chairman, will also head the executive committee.

L. Patton Kline, who is currently a vice chairman of Marsh & McLennan Cos., MMI’s parent, will become a vice chairman of the brokerage unit.

Marsh & McLennan Cos. last year disclosed that it lost $165 million as a result of unauthorized trading in government securities.