Exposure: Inside the Olympus Scandal: How I Went from CEO to Whistleblower - Couverture rigide

Woodford, Michael

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1591845750 ISBN 13 : 9781591845751

Editeur : Portfolio Hardcover, 2012

Synopsis

Exposure "It was no comfort to know that I was making history, for the forced removal of a company president is almost unheard of in Japan. I rose quietly, left the room, and holding my head high, walked back to my office. My main goal was to escape as quickly as pos-sible. The board had seemed scared--why else would they have acted the way they did. But just what were they scared of?" When Michael Woodfor... Full description

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

“It was no comfort to know that I was making history, for the forced removal of a company president is almost unheard of in Japan. I rose quietly, left the room, and holding my head high, walked back to my office. My main goal was to escape as quickly as pos­sible. The board had seemed scared—why else would they have acted the way they did. But just what were they scared of?”   When Michael Woodford was made president of Olympus—the company to which he had dedi­cated thirty years of his career—he became the first Westerner ever to climb the ranks of one of Japan’s corporate giants. Some wondered at the appointment—how could a gaijin who didn’t even speak Japanese understand how to run a Japanese company? But within months Wood­ford had gained the confidence of most of his colleagues and shareholders. Unfortunately, soon after, his dream job turned into a nightmare.   The trouble began when Woodford learned about a series of bizarre mergers and aquisi­tions deals totaling $1.7 billion—a scandal that threatened to bring down the entire company if exposed. He turned to his fellow executives— including the chairman who had promoted him Tsuyoshi Kikukawa—for answers. But instead of being heralded as a hero for trying to save the company, Woodford was met with vague responses and hostility—a clear sign of a cover up. Undeterred, he demanded to be made CEO so he could have more leverage with his board and continue to search for the truth. Then, just weeks after being granted the top title, he was fired in a boardroom coup that shocked Japan and the business world at large. Worried his for­mer bosses might try to silence him, Woodford immediately fled the country in fear of his life and went straight to the press—making him the first CEO of a global multinational to blow the whistle on his own company.   Following his dismissal, Woodford faced months of agonizing pressure that at times threatened his health and his family life. But instead of suc­cumbing he persisted, and eventually the men who had ousted him were held to account. Now, Woodford recounts his almost unbelievable true story—from the e-mail that first alerted him to the scandal, to the terrifying rumors of involve­ment with the Japanese mafia, to the stream of fruitless denials that continued to emanate from Olympus in an effort to cover up the scandal. He also paints a devastating portrait of corporate Japan—an insular, hierarchy-driven culture that prefers maintaining the status quo to exposing ugly truths.   The result is a deeply personal memoir that reads like a thriller narrative. As Woodford puts it, “I thought I was going to run a health-care and consumer electronics company, but found I had walked into a John Grisham novel.”

Revue de presse :

“A gripping chronicle by a corporate whistle-blower who achieved a stunning victory.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Exposure treats readers to a fascinating inside look at bare-knuckled corporate governance...[it] should be compulsory reading for company directors and MBA students.”
—The Economist
 
“Woodford has written a brilliantly gripping book, with a great hero at its heart. His story is all the more frightening for being true.”
—Rosamund Urwin, The Evening Standard (UK)
  “Michael Woodford took a considerable risk in exposing wrongdoing. He was a study of boldness in action.” —Lionel Barber, editor, Financial Times   “Woodford’s reaction to the corporate malfeasance and corruption he discov­ered once he reached the top is even more noteworthy, though perhaps not surprising. Throughout his life he had demonstrated a willingness to speak out against what he perceived as treachery, even when it could result in financial harm or personal danger.” —Bloomberg BusinessWeek   “Michael Woodford could have spent years turning a blind eye to the shady dealings of corporate executives at Olympus. Instead . . . he dove headfirst into allegations of corporate misconduct.” —Time, in naming him a 2011 Person Who Mattered   “Michael Woodford is a man who did not stand by and do nothing. He stood his ground and he spoke the truth. It’s people like him who keep our soci­ety from falling into total darkness. Japan could use more people like him.” —Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice, from the Afterword   “He’s the most celebrated international whistleblower of recent times. His story is filled with mystery, suspense, and betrayal.” —Management Today    “Michael Woodford lost his job for his integrity.” —The Economist

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Portfolio Hardcover
• Date d'édition: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1591845750
• ISBN 13: 9781591845751
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 272