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Olympus Corp CEO Resigns Following Allegations
Olympus Corp, the renowned Japanese endoscope manufacturer, announced on Monday that Chief Executive Officer Stefan Kaufmann has resigned after allegations surfaced regarding his purchase of illegal drugs. This development has caused a 6% decline in the company's shares, marking the steepest drop in nearly three months.
Kaufmann, a German national, took over the CEO role in April 2023 intending to enhance Olympus's medical equipment division. He succeeded Yasuo Takeuchi, who had successfully navigated the company through extensive asset sales during his tenure.
In a company statement, Olympus disclosed that upon receiving the allegations against Kaufmann, it promptly consulted with external legal counsel and launched an investigation. The investigation's findings led the Board of Directors to unanimously conclude that Kaufmann likely engaged in behavior contrary to the company's global code of conduct and core values.
Kaufmann, 56, was asked to resign and complied with the request. As Olympus grapples with this latest scandal, Yasuo Takeuchi will temporarily reassume the CEO role.
The impact of Kaufmann's departure was evident in the stock market, as Olympus shares have seen a notable increase of 35% over the past year, outperforming the Nikkei 225 index, which rose by 24%.
This incident is not Olympus's first encounter with controversy; thirteen years ago, former CEO Michael Woodford exposed significant accounting fraud involving inflated acquisition costs to conceal financial losses. Woodford's subsequent firing sparked a turbulent battle for control of the company.
