Lenovo merges APAC market units; promotes Roderick Lappin as APAC head

Lenovo has appointed Roderick Lappin as president for the company’s Asia-Pacific region. The company is merging its Asia-Pacific Emerging Markets (APEM) and Asia-Pacific Mature Markets (APMM) businesses into a single unit, and thus promoting Lappin to head the merged unit. “With the consolidated Asia-Pacific business, Lenovo will have the scale and efficiency to operate more effectively in this highly-competitive and dynamic market,” the company said in its release. [caption id=“attachment_892219” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] As a result, the company has also promoted Ken Wong to the position of vice president of strategy and planning. “Lappin has been a driver of success across the current Lenovo APMM business, leading the company to become the PC sales leader in Japan and facilitating the successful launch of the consumer business in Australia and New Zealand.” Lappin intends to stay in Tokyo where he will run the Asia-Pacific business and will remain the president of NEC Lenovo Japan Group. He will continue to lead the Japan and ANZ business and will report to Gianfranco Lanci, Lenovo’s chief operating officer and executive senior vice president. “Rod has a wealth of experience in creating successful businesses in mature and emerging markets, making him the best person to head up the new Asia-Pacific business for Lenovo,” said Lanci. “With Rod at the helm, I am confident the business across Asia-Pacific will continue to thrive and will experience a whole new level of success, just like NEC Lenovo Japan Group in Japan over the last three years under his strong leadership.” Lappin has been with Lenovo for the past eight years and has been based in Japan since 2008. Originally from Australia, he holds a degree from Macquarie University’s Graduate School of Business.