Fuji Xerox promotes Peter Thomas to NZ managing director for 'new era'

Peter Thomas, the current chief operating officer for New Zealand, takes over the top job at Fuji Xerox on October 1.

Fuji Xerox has promoted Peter Thomas to New Zealand managing director after hiring the former Westpac executive last year to lead an overhaul of the business tarnished by accounting irregularities.

Thomas, currently chief operating officer for New Zealand, takes over the top job on October 1. The Japanese company also announced a new position as chair of the local business, naming company veteran Haruhiko Imai to the post to "strengthen governance . . . galvanise the company's board meetings" and provide a bridge between the New Zealand operations and its parent company, it said in a statement.

The company was "ready to take on a new era as a rejuvenated and refreshed company," it said.

"Fuji Xerox is committed to resolving past issues experienced at this subsidiary and ensuring they do not happen again," said Isamu Sekine, CEO of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific, the immediate parent of the local operations. "With this new team I'm confident we have the right individuals to lead this business and regain trust with not only customers but all stakeholders including staff by demonstrating the highest ethical standards."

Imai is a 34-year veteran of Fuji Xerox, most recently as US-based senior general manager for global account marketing.

In July, Fuji Xerox suspended its three all-of-government contracts with New Zealand government agencies as officials awaited a report on irregular accounting practices at the company. In June, Japanese parent Fujifilm Holdings revealed $355 million of "inappropriate accounting" in operations in New Zealand and Australia between 2011 and 2016, according to a report by an independent investigation committee. Fuji Xerox's chairman Tadahito Yamamoto, deputy president Haruhiko Yoshida and two Fuji Xerox directors, Katsuhiko Yanagawa and Jun Takagi, resigned.

Meanwhile, sacked former managing director Gavin Pollard is still officially fighting to get his job back, claiming he was made a scapegoat by the Japanese parent over the unit's accounting irregularities and overpayment of sales commissions. While he was knocked back in a bid for interim reinstatement this month, his substantive hearing is to be heard by the Employment Relations Authority in October.

Pollard had been Fuji Xerox New Zealand's general manager of national sales operations between 2012 and 2015 before he was appointed to the MD role in April 2015, replacing Neil Whittaker who had shifted to Australia.

Not long after his promotion the Japanese parent was alerted by a whistleblower to inappropriate accounting practices at the New Zealand unit, which were confirmed by an independent audit that identified possible fraud that took place when Pollard was part of the executive team as GM sales.