We’ve invested in training our people, pushing for change and updating skills. We want our people to move with us. The skills our team needs today have seen a significant shift versus our original plans. That's because the challenges facing global business, and the pace of change and transformation, have rapidly increased.
“Being honest and being visible is really important in leadership,” says Nicola Downing, CEO of Ricoh Europe. “There have been so many challenges happening at once during the past couple of years: COVID-19, economic uncertainty, supply chain pressures and more. We’ve been really honest about what we are doing to adapt. Our transparency and realism has helped our customers and employees whist advancing our transformation journey.”
An international digital services company steeped in history and Japanese culture, Ricoh takes a longer-term view to success and innovation. Nicola Downing believes that success isn’t just about having a healthy balance sheet. “It is about doing the right thing. About having a business that is sustainable and has a future. My biggest motivation in this job is making sure that we have a company for all our employees and future ones in the decades to come.”
Having the right people with the best skills is integral to Ricoh’s vision and strategy for the future. “We have had an opportunity to really focus on our employees — to be more open and honest about subjects including mental health and wellbeing."
“We’ve invested in training our people, pushing for change and updating skills to match our new innovations, digital services portfolio and changing customer needs. We want our people to move with us. The skills our team needs today have seen a significant shift versus our original plans. That's because the challenges facing global business, and the pace of change and transformation, have rapidly increased.”
As with many global manufacturers, Ricoh has been challenged by pressures on supply chains, continued lockdowns in key manufacturing locations and rising costs and economic uncertainty. However, Nicola Downing has been focused on localizing supply chains and becoming more flexible and agnostic as to how Ricoh delivers services and products to customers. “We have pushed ourselves to be more agile and change our manufacturing processes. We have been retrofitting parts in Europe, increasing our recycling capabilities and reusing materials that are available locally. Ricoh has always taken a very responsible approach to business throughout our entire 85-year history.”
Despite the challenges of the past and those ahead, she remains positive. “I’m optimistic for a few reasons. We have a great portfolio of digital services and products, a fantastic global customer base and fabulous people. If we make the right decisions now, continue to be honest and transparent, and we continue to do the right things for people, society and the planet, we will be around for a long time to come.”
Unless otherwise indicated, throughout this report, “we”, “KPMG”, “us” and “our” refer to the network of independent member firms operating under the KPMG name and affiliated with KPMG International or to one or more of these firms or to KPMG International.