Canon USA chief talks COVID, marathons and Billy Joel

Kazuto "Kevin" Ogawa, president and CEO of Canon USA, has had a unique first year on the job as the new head of the camera and business machines giant's Melville-based arm.

Ogawa, a 40-year-veteran of Tokyo-based Canon, took the reins of the company’s North American operations just as pandemic shutdowns began in April 2020. The company – which went remote for much of the health crisis – recently welcomed employees back to its marquee headquarters off the Long Island Expressway on a flexible rotating schedule.

Ogawa said the company has faced challenges over the past year but sees growth opportunities on the horizon.

In a conversation with Newsday, he shared his thoughts on leadership and corporate culture, as well as his love of music and travel.

Responses have been edited for clarity.

What brought you to Canon?

My major was in social psychology. That’s why I wanted to go into marketing or a sales kind of a job. I also wanted to work overseas outside of Japan because I had never been outside of Japan. My goal was either to be an international salesperson or marketing person. That's why I chose Canon. My first job was a copier salesman knocking on doors in Tokyo.

In 1983 I was selected as part of a sales competition to go overseas. I went to Toronto to join Canon Canada as a trainee. It was the first time I needed to get a passport. I took some night classes at the University of Toronto to learn English. Living in Canada was an eye opener for me because it was the first time I’ve gone abroad.

How has remote work impacted sales of business machines, like commercial Canon copiers, printers, and scanners?

B2B (busines-to-business) sales have been impacted. But, thanks to the diversified product portfolio that Canon has, the home printers, the inkjet printers, or the laser beam printers, those are booming now. It’s a huge opportunity.

Of course, the B2B was affected because fewer workers are working in the office. But now, gradually and surely, it’s picking up.

Also, on top of that, devices such as the EOS camera Canon makes are increasingly being used as at-home webcams. Last year we developed the EOS webcam utilities software. So, the mirrorless camera or a digital SLR became the webcam.

Did working during the 2003 SARS outbreak in Hong Kong prepare you for COVID?

I was general manager of the Hong Kong group at that time. I clearly remember that what we had to do was protect and secure employee safety and well-being. That was the mission rather than running the business.

It did not prepare me [for COVID-19] but I gained leadership experience. That is quite a good asset to have. Hong Kong is a very small city [geographically] , and I could not [leave] Hong Kong. Every morning the broadcaster reported the number for new cases. It was so scary. I could not go out. I could not return to Japan at all.

What do you do for fun?

Marathon running is one of my hobbies, also golfing and playing guitar and singing. I started playing the guitar when I was a high school student. Two weeks ago, I hosted an executive dinner. The last session of the dinner I performed.

What kind of music do you like?

Billy Joel. (laughing) It's Long Island! And Ed Sheeran.

As an accomplished marathon runner, what’s the one race you’ve never finished?

I’ve completed 14 races. Each time I’ve run, I’ve always completed the race. However, there’s one exception. That was in 2013, during the Boston Marathon. I saw two of the [terrorist bomb] explosions in front of me. I was close to the finish line. I completed 25 miles with one mile to go, then I saw the explosions. My wife was waiting for me at the finish line, so she saw them too. Police came to stop all the runners and they evacuated us to another block.

My dream is to run the six major marathons; New York City, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, London, and Berlin. Out of six, I’ve completed four. London and Berlin are the last two.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I’m trying to be open and approachable. I try to be flexible or approachable because in general, with this kind of position, you know CEO, most of the employees are afraid to talk to me directly. That’s why you always get good news as CEO. Sometimes an employee may hide reality, including bad news ... they try to deliver a good message. That is good. Appreciated. But all the time? How can we find the truth? That’s what’s important.

If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

My wife is living in Tokyo. So that’s why if I had a super power, I would like to teleport so that all of a sudden I could jump to Tokyo.