Tech Data Hires New CEO

Tech Data got a boost of sales and marketing acumen at the top with its choice last month of Robert Dutkowsky as the distributor's new CEO.

Tapping Dutkowsky to replace retiring CEO Steven Raymund also gives Tech Data the benefit of Dutkowsky's experience in utility computing, an increasingly important technology at the heart of many VAR-distributor partnerships.

Raymund, who has led Tech Data since 1986, will continue in his role as nonexecutive chairman of Tech Data's board.

Dutkowsky, 51, comes to Tech Data from Egenera, a Marlboro, Mass.-based blade server and infrastructure-management vendor. There he served as chairman, president and CEO since February 2004.

Prior to his work at Egenera, Dutkowsky worked for 20 years at IBM, where he rose through the sales, marketing and executive-management ranks and held positions that included vice president of distribution in Asia-Pacific and vice president of worldwide sales and marketing for the RS/6000 line.

Dutkowsky left IBM in 1997 for EMC, where he served for three years as executive vice president of markets and channels. In that role, he was responsible for the vendor's worldwide sales, marketing and services operations.

In 2000, he was named president and CEO of GenRad. Then, in January 2002, Dutkowsky was named president and CEO of JD Edwards & Co., which he left in 2004 when the company was purchased by PeopleSoft.

"The talented management at Tech Data have built an industry-leading IT distribution company with an extensive global reach, an exceptional team of employees and highly focused operating fundamentals," said Dutkowsky in a statement. "I look forward to working with the entire team at Tech Data, and with the customers and business partners, as we further Tech Data's position as an industry leader."

"[Dutkowsky] possesses a highly successful track record in driving sales growth and leading companies through periods of change and development," said Raymund in a statement announcing the hire.