Kobayashi will be managing the company’s strategic direction and implementing his vision to grow Canon and make it number one in Australia, particularly in terms of customer service.

He says, “I have worked with Canon for more than two decades, and have observed the evolution of our brand and our clients. With the ever-changing face of consumer and business technology, it’s important we stay focused on providing our customers with the best service and experience.”

Kobayashi continues, “The Australian market presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities and my experience leading Canon in the Asian market has prepared me well for this role.”

In 2001, Kobayashi was appointed senior director and general manager of the Business Imaging Solution (BIS) Group within the Canon Asia Marketing Group. The company says, demonstrating strong leadership and management skills, Kobayashi drove the group to double-digit annual growth in the region and to achieve profitability in China, despite significant local challenges including price sensitivity.

In 2007, Kobayashi was appointed president and CEO of Canon Hong Kong where he continued their achievement of year-on-year sales growth for 46 consecutive months as of June 2008. He was also responsible for Canon’s business in Macau, Taiwan and Mongolia.

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