Epson has announced that Rob Clark, the firm's current senior vice president of Europe, has been appointed as managing director of its UK and Ireland business.
Effective immediately, Clark will continue in his current European leadership role alongside taking over from the outgoing Duncan Ferguson as UK&I MD.
Ferguson will continue with the business as vice president of Professional Printing and Robotics, as well as country manager for Epson UK.
Commenting on his appointment to the role, Clark said one thing the current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted is "the resilience of Epson overall" as well as the "dedication of both the European and UK teams".
"I'm honoured to lead such a fantastic group of people and look forward to us all being back in the office soon," he said.
Globally, Epson said it invests around $1.3 million into R&D every day to maintain its position as a global leader in innovation. This has led to the firm establishing a diverse portfolio of products that focus on printing, visual imaging, wearables and robotics.
The current growth phase focuses on collaboration and open innovation – a strategy highly-suited to today's environment, the firm added.
This commitment to innovation has allowed Epson to develop a diverse product range, which includes the cartridge-free EcoTank solution, as well as its ReadyPrint subscription plans.
"Many of our business areas have exciting, innovative new products launching this year, which will strengthen and expand already strong product portfolios," Clark continued.
"We have already seen significant demand for our new label printer and C&I in particular will introduce a raft of significant new LFP products at a time of strong growth in the signage and textile industries. And interest in PaperLab and the secure and paper recycling it offers in growing through Europe, to mention just a few."
As a senior executive, Clark has played a key role in Epson's strategy to expand the inkjet market and lead a market-wide move away from laser printers.
"Our success last year in business inkjet – driving the shift from laser will continue," he said. "We see the new ways of working that are evolving as the perfect time for customers to benefit from the inkjet advantages, such as cutting energy usage, boosting productivity and reducing waste."
