Toshimitsu Taiko Assumes Senior Leadership Role at Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.

RAMSEY, NJ—April 1, 2013—Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. has announced several senior management changes within the organization. President and CEO Nobuo (Ned) Umehara will be moving back to Konica Minolta’s Tokyo Headquarters, and Toshimitsu (Tom) Taiko will be taking over the senior leadership role within the organization. President and COO Rick Taylor will also be taking on an expanded role within the organization.

Nobuo (Ned) Umehara has spent the last 36 years with Konica Minolta in increasing positions of responsibility within the company. During his tenure as CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., from March 2010 to March 2013, Umehara oversaw a period of unprecedented growth and increasing market share. During this time, the company entered the IT Services market with the acquisition of All Covered, along with 13 additional acquisitions to build a leading IT Services company, as recognized by MSPmentor.

"It has been a privilege leading a dynamic organization such as Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.," said Umehara. “I want to thank the entire Konica Minolta family for their unwavering support and dedication during my time here, and I look forward to their future success."

Toshimitsu (Tom) Taiko has been named chairman and CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., effective immediately. Taiko, who until recently served as director of Konica Minolta Business Technologies, has been with the company since 1986. He has a background in strategic planning and business development along with successful previous assignments in both the United States and Europe. Taiko will be leading an organization with strong brand awareness, award-winning product lines and a solid infrastructure.

"The past few years have been very exciting for Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A.,” relayed Taiko. “The team has done a terrific job expanding the business into the IT Services and solutions space, and I envision continuing our current strategies to expand our presence in commercial print, managed print services, IT Services and the solutions business while gaining share in the core MFP business.”

Rick Taylor, president and COO, has been appointed to Konica Minolta’s Global Strategy Council, which reports directly to Masatoshi Matsuzaki, CEO of Konica Minolta. This role, which is in addition to his day-to-day responsibilities for the overall operation of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., will focus on business transformation and growth strategies for Konica Minolta globally.

“The appointment to this council is a testament to the hard work and success of the entire Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. team,” explained Taylor. “Our customers know that they can count on our employees to not only meet their expectations but to exceed them on a daily basis.”

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. is a leader in advanced document management technologies and IT Services. The company focuses on complete business solutions including production print systems, digital presses, multifunctional products (MFPs), managed print services, vertical application solutions and related services and supplies. Konica Minolta has won numerous awards and recognition including being recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for six years in a row. For the third consecutive year, Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI) has named Konica Minolta as the winner of its A3 MFP Line of the Year award. In 2012, Konica Minolta also received “Document Imaging Solutions Line of the Year” recognition from BLI and has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index in recognition of the company’s economic, environmental and social performance.

Source: Konica Minolta.