Kawamura, who is relocating to London as part of the appointment, will be charged with building on OKI's distribution strategy in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA).

He said: "Our relationship with the channel in EMEA has proved key to our successful sales performance."

Kawamura is confident that the company's "reputation for high-quality products and customer support will provide the ideal springboard" for the region to play an "increasingly important role within the OKI Group."

He has previously held positions at OKI Electric Industry Co and, more recently, at the OKI Data Corporation as senior managing director – a position Kawamura will continue to hold.