President Picked After Long Search by Ingram

Ingram Micro D, the Santa Ana-based personal computer products wholesaler, has named computer retail chain executive David R. Dukes to its long-vacant presidency.

Dukes, who will also serve as chief operating officer, since 1986 has been regional president of Inacomp Computer Centers Inc., responsible for the national chain’s operations in Florida and Georgia.

Ingram Micro D is the nation’s largest wholesaler and distributor of PC products; its 1989 sales are expected to top $1 billion.

Dukes fills a post vacated in May, 1988, when Harold Clark, then Micro D president and chief operating officer, was named vice chairman of the company. Clark resigned five months ago, however, after helping engineer the acquisition on Jan. 19 of Micro D by Ingram Industries of Nashville, Tenn.

Dukes, who could not be reached for comment, joins Micro D in a year also marked by the departure of Godfred Otuteye, the company’s former chief financial officer.

Dealer of the Year Award

In his official biography, Dukes, 45, a former Army captain, is described as a 10-year veteran of the minicomputer industry with a strong background in motivation, training, finance and organization. He was named 1989 Dealer of the Year by the National Office Machine Dealers Assn. and is on the dealer advisory councils of several major personal computer makers, including Compaq Computer Corp. and Apple Computer Inc.

Before joining Inacomp three years ago, Dukes for three years owned his own minicomputer retail store. Before that, according to a spokeswoman for Ingram Micro D, he worked in various executive positions in the office machinery manufacturing business.

In a prepared statement Tuesday, Ingram Micro D Chairman Linwood (Chip) Lacy Jr. described Dukes as “one of the country’s most respected and successful resellers,” a man who “will be able to provide our company with that much-needed reseller perspective as we move into our next growth phase.”

Lacy, who has also acted as president for the past 15 months, acknowledged that it has taken a long time for the company to find a president, but said that recruiting Dukes made the wait worthwhile.

As president and chief operating officer, Dukes will be responsible for domestic sales, marketing, operations and product acquisition.