Denver, CO—Noboru Akahane, president of Pentax Ricoh Imaging, Tokyo, Japan, announced that Ned Bunnell, the current president of the company’s U.S. subsidiary, Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation, based in Denver, Colorado, will retire on September 30. Effective October 1, Akahane will be appointed president of Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas Corp. in addition to his role as president of Pentax Ricoh Imaging, Tokyo, Japan.
“We appreciate Ned’s considerable contributions and leadership of the Pentax operations in the U.S. over the past seven years. He has helped revitalize the Pentax brand and reestablish our relationship with key retailers both in the photo specialty channel and larger national chain stores, and we wish him well,” said Akahane.
Also effective October 1, James Malcolm will assume the position of executive vice president, Pentax Ricoh Imaging Americas. Malcolm will report directly to Akahane and will be responsible for the leadership and operations of the U.S. subsidiary.
Most recently, Malcolm had been working with Ricoh Company, Ltd., in Japan on the post-acquisition integration of Pentax on a global basis. His insight and experience set the direction and provided the vision to initiate management changes, including compliance with merger strategies.
“We are very pleased that Jim has joined the Pentax Ricoh team. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our camera business, accumulated from years in the photo industry,” said Akahane. “His knowledge of photographers’ needs, his proven business acumen, understanding of technology and insight into consumer trends are invaluable to our future.
“Given the market opportunity, North America is very important to our business,” Akahane added. “There are a core group of Pentax and Ricoh fans here, and we are confident to deliver high-quality products that will not only satisfy our current customers but also attract new customers through innovation and support of Ricoh’s global brand.” pentaximaging.com
