New Managing Director at Nikon Friday October 12, 2001 New Managing Director at Nikon Mr Yojiro Yamaguchi has joined Nikon UK as Managing Director. He takes over at the helm of Nikon UK from Mr Toshi Masai, who has returned to Tokyo to take up the position of General Manager, Public Relations Department. He has been appointed to steer and establish Nikon's involvement in the Investor Relations sphere. Mr Yamaguchi began his career with Nikon 26 years ago in the export department of what was then the Camera Division. It's a career that has included posts in the United States and Canada, and now the United Kingdom. The first of two periods in the USA was in 1977 and lasted for three years. The company was then known as Nippon Kogaku (USA) and he was responsible for the importation of Nikon products and their transfer to the exclusive Nikon distributor in the USA, as well as for liaison with Tokyo on sales and marketing issues on behalf of the distributor. The second period began in 1985, following a brief return to Japan and this time, he stayed in New York for seven years, during which time he held the position of General Manager of Product Management and Budget Control for the Photo Division of what had, by this time, become Nikon Inc. On his return to Japan he was promoted to Manager of Communications and Marketing, Photo Sales Department. This was a particularly exciting time for him. Nikon was one of the five development companies for the Advanced Photo System and Yamaguchi-san was involved in overseeing the launch of Nikon's products in this new format, as well as the launch of Nikon's flagship 35mm SLR - the F5. In 1996 he became president of Nikon Canada Inc., where he spent the next two years. His responsibilities in Canada included, for the first time in his career with Nikon, instrument products such as microscopes and measuring instruments. This experience has stood him in good stead for his new position with Nikon UK, where his responsibilities once again include Instrument business for which he shows the enthusiasm for growth that he has for the Imaging business. He returned to Tokyo at a time of restructuring for the company. The camera and Electronic Imaging divisions had merged, joining together the resources of both divisions to provide better sales and marketing services. August 2001 saw him take over the top position at Nikon UK at a particularly exciting time for the company, just as the Coolpix 775 - Nikon's first mass consumer digital camera has been launched into Europe. During his time with Nikon, he has seen many changes in the photographic market. "I've seen image capturing devices develop from the Nikon F2 Photomic through to the D1X and the emergence of digital imaging, from its beginnings to the force it is today. I've seen many other developments to our market, such as the introduction of the Advanced Photo System and the opening up of Nikon factories outside of Japan. "As well as working in the US and Canada, I've also travelled extensively to China and South East Asian countries. From this broad experience of different markets and different product developments down the years, one thing is very apparent. The most important factor is the customer, it's just the products that are different. The main thing is that people like what we have to offer both in terms of the product and services." There can be little doubt that digital imaging is the future, so how does Mr Yamaguchi view the current massive interest in digital and its implications for the future? "We are at a stage now, when very soon, few people will be unaffected by digital products. They are playing an increasingly important role in our lives. By digital I don't just mean cameras, I include image capturing, processing, transmitting, image-reproduction and Instrument products with digitalised microscopic images, designed mainly for professional applications in the area of medical or industrial markets. "Images too, are something that people can't avoid. They are an important communication tool. Digital products are now making communication via images easier and faster than ever, and Nikon will remain at the forefront of this revolution. "One thing has remained constant throughout the development of photographic technology and that's the lens. All cameras, whether they use film or digital capture, even CCTV and webcams, need a lens. The lens has it's own life." As Managing Director of Nikon UK, his key word will be quality. "This company has good, youthful energy resources within it and shows good integrity, good team spirit - it's a highly motivated company. This is a very good foundation to achieve the level of services expected of Nikon. "The products themselves have to deliver quality and the services we provide to our customers must also deliver quality to keep us ahead of our competition. "We must take care not to strive for rapid market share or growth at the expense of quality. If we deliver the correct level of quality and constantly strive to improve on it, this will put us ahead of the game." Ends [Return to Press Office Home Page]