Effective as of Sunday (1 October), Yamagata has taken over from Akihiro Fujii, who will return to Japan to join the board of Screen Graphic Solutions Co. in Kyoto.

In his new role, Yamagata will be responsible for managing and further growing the Japanese manufacturer’s business portfolio in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

His responsibilities will include Screen’s inkjet digital printing technology: Truepress Jet for commercial printing, Truepress Label for labels, and the Truepress PAC range for flexible packaging, as well as Screen’s CTP business.

Prior to his appointment as president, Yamagata was vice president and global sales manager, having joined Screen in 2018 as sales manager for label printers.

He has worked abroad for more than 16 years in Argentina, Brazil, and Hong Kong and, in addition to his native Japanese, he speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Yamagata commented: “On this exciting journey, I am truly delighted to embrace this new role. I look forward to the opportunity of connecting with both new and longstanding Screen customers to showcase our cutting-edge inkjet digital printing solutions as well as our traditional CTP products.”

He added last month’s unveiling of the company’s Inkjet Innovation Center (IIC) at its European headquarters in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands, would “serve as a testament to our commitment to innovation and customer engagement”.

“It is Screen’s mission to be a good partner in each country of the diversified EMEA market. Building on our high-tech printing technology and renowned after-sales service, I see great potential for Screen Europe to increase our market share across Europe as well as in the Middle East and Africa.

“Screen has a superb portfolio of proven solutions designed to meet the needs of the diverse market sectors in the EMEA region.”