Book Details
Paperback:Â 272 pages
Publisher:Â Portfolio Hardcover
Language:Â English
ISBN-10:Â 1591845750
ISBN-13:Â 978-1591845751
Product Dimensions:Â 0.8 x 6.1 x 9.1 inches
Book Description
“It was no comfort to know that I was making history, for the forced removal of a company president is almost unheard of in Japan. I rose quietly, left the room, and holding my head high, walked back to my office. My main goal was to escape as quickly as posÂsible. The board had seemed scared-why else would they have acted the way they did. But just what were they scared of?”
When Michael Woodford was made president of Olympus-the company to which he had dediÂcated thirty years of his career-he became the first Westerner ever to climb the ranks of one of Japan’s corporate giants. Some wondered at the appointment-how could a gaijin who didn’t even speak Japanese understand how to run a Japanese company? But within months WoodÂford had gained the confidence of most of his colleagues and shareholders. Unfortunately, soon after, his dream job turned into a nightmare.
The trouble began when Woodford learned about a series of bizarre mergers and aquisiÂtions deals totaling $1.7 billion-a scandal that threatened to bring down the entire company if exposed. He turned to his fellow executives- including the chairman who had promoted him Tsuyoshi Kikukawa-for answers. But instead of being heralded as a hero for trying to save the company, Woodford was met with vague responses and hostility-a clear sign of a cover up. Undeterred, he demanded to be made CEO so he could have more leverage with his board and continue to search for the truth. Then, just weeks after being granted the top title, he was fired in a boardroom coup that shocked Japan and the business world at large. Worried his forÂmer bosses might try to silence him, Woodford immediately fled the country in fear of his life and went straight to the press-making him the first CEO of a global multinational to blow the whistle on his own company.
Following his dismissal, Woodford faced months of agonizing pressure that at times threatened his health and his family life. But instead of sucÂcumbing he persisted, and eventually the men who had ousted him were held to account. Now, Woodford recounts his almost unbelievable true story-from the e-mail that first alerted him to the scandal, to the terrifying rumors of involveÂment with the Japanese mafia, to the stream of fruitless denials that continued to emanate from Olympus in an effort to cover up the scandal. He also paints a devastating portrait of corporate Japan-an insular, hierarchy-driven culture that prefers maintaining the status quo to exposing ugly truths.
The result is a deeply personal memoir that reads like a thriller narrative. As Woodford puts it, “I thought I was going to run a health-care and consumer electronics company, but found I had walked into a John Grisham novel.”
About the Authors
Michael Woodford
Michael Woodford was born June 12, 1960 in the U.K. He graduated from Millbank College of Commerce and joined a U.K. division of Olympus in 1981. In 2008 he was appointed head of Olympus’s Europe operations, and in February 2011 Mr. Woodford moved to Toyko to become President of the company. On Sept. 20, 2011 Mr. Woodford was named Chief Executive Officer of Olympus, but was dismissed from his positions on Oct. 14, 2011 after raising questions about a series of financial transactions by the company. Mr. Woodford formally resigned from the Olympus board of directors Nov. 30, 2011. In a high-profile media campaign Mr. Woodford sought to raise consciousness of corporate governance issues in Japan, seeking stockholder support to oust Olympus management in a proxy fight. In January 2012 Mr. Woodford ended his campaign having failed to rally Japanese institutional investors to his cause.
