Japanese imaging firm Canon has appointed a new leader for its Brazilian subsidiary. Masahiro Sato is the company’s new president and chief executive, starting next month.
According to Canon, Sato has “high expectations of development” for the Brazil operations, which he will be leading alongside the company’s business in Chile. The new chief executive will be focusing on strengthening the firm’s growth in the corporate and consumer space and boosting Canon’s local market share.
Among its digital imaging technologies and systems, Canon offers products ranging from photographic and professional video cameras, to multifunctional devices, copiers, faxes and scanners, in addition to large format printers. Its corporate division has a portfolio that includes document management software, printing outsourcing, Fine Art and large format printers, as well as graphic production systems.
Sato replaces Masaharu Choki, appointed in January 2019 after 15 years of unchanged leadership at the Brazilian subsidiary. Choki will be heading back to Japan to take up a position at the company’s headquarters.
“Leading the team at Canon Brazil will be an important challenge, so that together we can grow even more in the search for innovation and deliver the highest quality products and services,” Sato said in a statement.
Similarly to his predecessor, Sato has built his entire career at Canon and started in the 1980s as a photocopier technician. Over 39 years at the imaging firm, he held senior roles in the company’s offices in the United States, where he worked for 15 years in different occasions, as well as Thailand and Chile, where he joined as president in 2019.
