Avnet Elects Ray M. Robinson and Gary L. Tooker to Board of Directors

Business Wire, Sept 6, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

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PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2000

Roy Vallee, chairman and CEO of global electronic component and computer products distributor Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), has announced the elections of Ray M. Robinson and Gary L. Tooker to the company's board of directors. The additions of Robinson and Tooker bring the number of Avnet's directors to 12, 11 of whom are outside directors.

Robinson is president of the southern region of AT&T. In this capacity he is responsible for marketing, sales and promotions of AT&T's Consumer Long Distance Services, which represents approximately $3.5 billion in annualized revenue.

Robinson began his career with AT&T in 1968, and subsequently held such positions as district sales operations manager, vice president of corporate relations and president and CEO of AT&T Tridom. His broad AT&T experience includes human resources, operations, sales, marketing strategy, customer service, international business, government affairs, product management and community relations.

He serves as a board member of Citizens Trust Bank (CTB) and National Service Industries (NSI), in addition to several philanthropic, educational and civic organizations.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in finance and economics from the University of Denver and a masters of business administration in finance from the University of Denver Graduate School of Business.

Tooker was elected chief corporate staff officer and a director of Motorola in 1986. He became chief operating officer in 1988, president in 1990 and vice chairman and chief executive officer in 1993. He was elected chairman of the board of directors in 1996, stepping down in June 1999 to serve as vice chairman until his retirement at the end of 1999. He remains a member of Motorola's board of directors and serves as a consultant to the company. Tooker joined the company's semiconductor division in 1962.

Additionally, he is a director of the Pacific Basin Economic Council U.S. Member Committee and he serves on the Executive Committee of the Council on Competitiveness. Tooker has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Semiconductor Industry Association, the American Electronics Association and the Pacific Basin Economic Council. Presently Tooker is also on the boards of directors of Eaton Corporation, Axcelis Technologies, Inc., and Catalyst. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Morehouse College and serves on Arizona State University's Foundation Board. He is active in a number of other professional, academic and community organizations.

He is a graduate of Arizona State University where he received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and did postgraduate studies in business administration. In 1983, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from ASU in May 1996, and was the recipient of ASU's College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Engineering Excellence Award in November 1999.

"Ray Robinson and Gary Tooker bring to the Avnet board of directors over 70 years of valuable business experience," Vallee said. "Both men have spent their distinguished careers with highly respected global corporations and both have considerable knowledge to share with Avnet's board as the company moves forward with its strategic plans for growth."

Phoenix, Arizona, USA-based Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune 500 company with annual sales exceeding $9 billion, is one of the world's largest distributors of semiconductors, interconnect, passive and electromechanical components and computer products from the leading manufacturers. Serving customers in 60 countries, Avnet markets, inventories and adds value to these products and provides world-class supply-chain management and engineering design services.

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