The following appears on asia.nikkei.com
CEO Yoshinori Yamashita will have to reel in the company’s ‘lifeline’
By MANAMI OGAWA – TOKYO — Ricoh is facing its biggest crisis ever. So President and CEO Yoshinori Yamashita has decided to “Break with Past Management,” as his slogan says.
Ricoh is staring at huge losses as the market for multifunctional printers, Ricoh’s cash cow, evaporates and its global sales network racks up high costs.
Yamashita, who took the helm in April, is respected in-house for his management ability, but whether he can keep the renowned office equipment maker profitable is another question entirely.
Yamashita in the middle of April began visiting Ricoh’s sales outlets in Japan, the U.S. and Europe, urging senior officials to pursue profits instead of more market share.
