SHARED VALUES AND VISION: MOVING FORWARD AT MEMJET

In this article, Sunil Gupta, Memjet’s President and CEO, writes about the challenge of transition and leadership after the very sad and sudden loss of Len Lauer in April.

Leadership transitions can serve as an inflection point for an emerging growth business like Memjet; but this one was not only tragic and unexpected; it took place in the midst of a very challenging backdrop.

Last month, Memjet’s CEO and my good friend, Len Lauer passed away suddenly at his home in La Jolla, California. During his 10 years at the helm of Memjet, he built a robust foundation with an amazing culture and capable team to ensure that the company operates flawlessly even under adverse circumstances. Len’s vision turned a scrappy start-up company into a fast-paced, high-growth organization that develops the most innovative printing technology in the world.

I am honored to have worked alongside Len over the past year as a member of Memjet’s board of directors. I am also humbled and privileged to be the next CEO of Memjet and appreciate the trust and confidence the board has placed in me.

As I begin my journey to fill these large shoes, I want to honor Len’s memory by acknowledging his amazing groundwork as CEO. I am fortunate to have had him in my life as a business partner and friend; we shared common core values.

This is truly a dynamic time for Memjet and for everyone around the world given the COVID-19 pandemic. I am energized to work with our global Memjet family, colleagues and partners to continue to deliver innovation and top-notch digital printing technologies to OEMs and markets all over the globe. I am certain that we have a very strong global team, a robust technology portfolio and a sound plan in place to address the challenges and opportunities from COVID-19 and to grow with our OEM partners.

I am confident my long association with Memjet and with the broader printing industry will make this a seamless transition.

Before joining Memjet, I was managing director of Fuji Xerox Australia (FXA). I also served on the board of Fuji Xerox Document Management Services during this time and was a member of Fuji Xerox Regional Officers Committee for Asia Pacific. Prior to that, I served as managing director of Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific (Malaysia Operations), and as the President and CEO of Xerox International Partners (XIP), a joint venture company and the OEM competent of Xerox Group.

Last year, I decided to join Memjet’s board of directors, and have been an active member of the team ever since. Over the course of many board meetings and in my other interactions with the Memjet community, my relationship with the company has deepened, and my appreciation for Memjet’s values and people has grown much more.

Though it is under very challenging circumstances, I feel immensely fortunate to be a direct part of the operating team of Memjet and its global family. I am confident we will be stronger together as we move forward. In the weeks ahead, we will share more updates about Memjet’s development efforts and what lies ahead.

Our enthusiasm as a group for the common interests and greater good, our commitment to teamwork, technology innovation, our trust amongst employees, and partnership with customers will help us overcome the obstacles and continue to drive business growth by serving our customer.