Bill Muir has bowed out of EFI, with former Xerox CEO Jeff Jacobson taking on the role.
It was less than a year for Muir at CEO, who officially resigned due to family reasons. Sources within the company have noted that with a family based in Florida, and the EFI headquarters in Silicon Valley, Muir felt strained.
Rodd Harrison, VP sales APAC, EFI, told Sprinter, “Jacobson is an industry veteran, he has been in the industry for 30 years, and this is his fourth CEO role. He knows our business very well, he knows our business very well. It is good to have someone at the helm who knows our customers and knows our technology, and he is a serial suceeder. He has built businesses profitably, and grown them everywhere he has been. It is really good for EFI.
“We are consistent, our goal is to be the supplier and employer of choice. That is in the culture of the company, how we treat our customers and staff. We want to double our business in APAC, a change of CEO does not change those objectives, we will continue driving forward.”
Since the takeover by Siris Capital was made official, two staff members at EFI in Australia have been let go. Harrison told Sprinter, “Two have left, but we are hiring five more. We are in growth mode, and you will see new faces in this country, and the Asia Pacific. It is an important region for the future of the company.”
In a statement, Jacobson says of his appoitnment, “Together with my experienced and talented colleagues on the EFI team, we will provide the leadership needed to help EFI accelerate the transformation of industries where colorful images matter.”
Jacobson was an executive chairman with EFI prior to adding the CEO title, coming into the business under the new owners, Siris Capital, in January. He was embroiled in a court dispute with Xerox and Fujifilm over the proposed global Fuji Xerox merger, and was ousted by the board of Xerox following emails with Fujifilm Holdings relating to the merger being made public, amidst a stoush with activist investors Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason, who wanted to block the merger.
Bowing out, Muir notes, “It has been a privilege to lead EFI through an important chapter in the Company’s history, and I look forward to seeing EFI thrive as it continues to collaborate with customers and partners worldwide. I have admired Jeff as an expert in the digital imaging space, and I am confident that with his vision and under his leadership, EFI will be able to successfully write the next chapter of innovation and market leadership across the Company’s portfolio of solutions.
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