OKI Europe Ltd Appoints New Managing Director

EGHAM, England, February 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Harry Takahashi to lead OKI Europe through next phase of development as Terry Laidlaw retires

OKI Europe Limited has announced the appointment of Harry Takahashi as managing director, effective from 1^st March 2013. He will take over from Terry Laidlaw, who retires after 22 years with the company.

     (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121126/579563 )
     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130219/594920 )

Takahashi joined OKI in 1982 and has held a number of roles within the organisation, both in Japan and Europe, most recently as deputy managing director of OKI Europe.  Prior to this he was executive manager within the overseas sales department of parent company OKI Data Corporation and vice president of marketing for the EMEA region. Since his appointment as deputy managing director in 2011, he has worked closely with Laidlaw in steering the company through a period of significant change.

"I am delighted to take on this new role at a time when OKI Europe is poised to take advantage of a number of important commercial initiatives developed over the past two years," confirms Takahashi. "With a comprehensive product and managed print services/document solutions portfolio now in place, I am looking forward to meeting the challenges of our core SMB customer base and, increasingly, the very different needs of larger enterprise businesses.

"Over the past two decades, Terry has played a central role in building the OEL Group," he says. "In particular, he has successfully established a strong presence for the business across Central and Eastern Europe. His vision, drive and enthusiasm have been key to the success of these developments, providing the perfect springboard for growth as we enter an exciting period of further expansion across OKI Europe."

Laidlaw, who retires on 31 March 2013, originally joined OKI Europe with the remit to extend the company's presence further east across Europe, the Baltic States and the Middle East and today this region accounts for a substantial and still-growing share of OKI Europe revenues.  

"I am delighted to have played a part in establishing OKI Europe as a major presence in the print market," says Laidlaw. "In looking ahead I am confident that, under Harry's experienced and expert leadership, the company will achieve the ambitious growth plans we have put in place for the next phase of OKI Europe's development."

About OKI Europe

OKI Europe is a division of OKI Data Corporation, a global business-to-business organisation dedicated to creating professional in-house printed communications products, applications and services which are designed to increase the efficiency of today's and tomorrow's businesses. OKI Europe's annual group turnover accounts for over 50% of OKI Data Corporation's group turnover.

The company is well-established as one of Europe's leading printer brands, in terms of value and units shipped. OKI Europe's award winning, product portfolio comprises six distinct segments: Colour and mono printers, multifunctional devices, which combine printing, copying, scanning and faxing functionalities, as well as Serial Dot Matrix printers, faxes and specialty printers for point-of-sales and manufacturing. Established in 1990, today OKI Europe employs approximately 1,100 people in 21 production sites and sales offices and is represented in 60 countries throughout the EMEA region.  

OKI Data Corporation is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Oki Electric Industry Co. Ltd., established in 1881 and Japan's first telecommunications manufacturer.

SOURCE OKI Europe