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

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

by Michael Woodford (Author)

  • Used

    Paperback 2012

    $6.22
Synopsis

President, whistleblower, crusader. Exposure is the story of how Michael Woodford exposed the dark heart of Olympus.When Michael Woodford was made President and CEO of Olympus, he became the first Westerner ever to climb the ranks of one of Japan's corporate icons.Then his dream job turned into a nightmare.He learned about a series of bizarre mergers and acquisitions deals totalling $1.7 billion - a scandal which if exposed threatened to bring down the entire company. He turned to his fellow executives but was met with hostility and a cover-up. Within weeks he was fired in a boardroom coup that shocked the international business world. As rumours emerged of Yakuza (mafia) involvement in the scandal, Woodford fled Japan in fear of his life. He went straight to the press - becoming the first CEO of a multinational to blow the whistle on his own company.Exposure is a deeply personal memoir that reads like a thriller. As Woodford himself 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.''Sensational' Jon Snow, Channel 4 News 'He lost his job for his integrity' The Economist Michael Woodford grew up in Liverpool and joined Olympus as a medical equipment salesman, rising through the ranks to run its UK, MEA and European businesses. In April 2011 he was appointed President and COO of the Olympus Corporation - the first Western 'salary-man' to rise through the ranks to the top of a Japanese giant. That October he was made CEO, but only two weeks later was dismissed after querying inexplicable payments approaching $2 billion. He was named Business Person of the Year 2011 by the Sunday Times, the Independent and the Sun, and won the Financial Times Arcelor-Mittal Award for Boldest Businessperson of the Year. He lives in London with his wife and two teenage children.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 272
 Edition: 0
 Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 29 Nov 2012
ISBN 10: 0670922234
ISBN 13: 9780670922239

Media Reviews
With as much suspense as most thrillers, Michael Woodford's story has the hallmarks of a John Grisham novel. Even those without much knowledge of business should find it easy to follow and enjoyable to read. A brilliantly gripping book, with a great hero at its heart. His story is all the more frightening for being true. * Evening Standard *
Michael Woodford's rapid ascent and downfall for doing the right thing is nicely told in this first-person whodunnit. The kind of integrity and courage that Woodford displayed is unusual. Exposure should be seen as compulsory reading for company directors and MBA students.... Woodford stands tall as an example of leadership. Read his book and ask yourself: would you do the same thing - or would you just shut up and go to Davos? * Economist *
Brace yourself, for this is a rare tale of integrity and probity in business. Woodford tells his tale like a thriller, uncovering fraud piece by piece... He triumphs with a pacey narrative [and] a storyteller's eye for detail. A fine book by a fine man who did the right thing. If it does get the Hollywood treatment, Woodford should get a George Clooney at the very least. * The Times *
Michael Woodford had everything the corporate world could ever offer. Yet when he discovered rampant corruption at the core of one of Japan's most prestigious companies, he did not hesitate: This is a sensational personal account of a man of great courage and principle who got to the top, and blew the whistle to glorious effect. In the corporate world Michael Woodford is too rare and exceptional a breed -- Jon Snow * Channel 4 News *
If Michael Woodford follows through with his threat to write a book on the events leading up to his dismissal by Olympus it promises to be a real humdinger along the lines of Too Big To Fail or Barbarians At the Gate -- James Moore * Independent *
Michael Woodford took a considerable risk in exposing wrongdoing. He was a study of boldness in action -- Lionel Barber * Financial Times *
The most celebrated international whistleblower of recent times... his story is filled with mystery, suspense, duplicity and betrayal * Management Today *
The business book of the year has to be Michael Woodford's Exposure -- Rosamund Urwin * Evening Standard *
The first westerner to work his way to the top of a Japanese corporation discovered a few months later a GBP950m secret eating away at its heart. ... when he blew the whistle [he] learned of potential plots to take his life. * Independent *
In a world increasingly dominated by global multinationals, he just felt someone had to speak out * Sunday Times *
He lost his job for his integrity * The Economist *
Michael Woodford could have spent years turning a blind eye to the shady dealings of executives at Olympus. Instead he dove headfirst into allegations of corporate misconduct * Time *
Michael Woodford has proven himself a hero, though he never wanted the battle. He risked everything -- Clive Stafford Smith
A gripping chronicle by a corporate whistle-blower who achieved a stunning victory * Kirkus *
He is one of the few foreign businessmen to have penetrated deep inside a Japanese corporation and to report back unflinchingly on what he saw. What he found was not pretty * Financial Times *
Author Bio
Michael Woodford grew up in Liverpool and joined Olympus as a medical equipment salesman, rising through the ranks to run its UK, MEA and European businesses. In April 2011 he was appointed President and COO of the Olympus Corporation - the first Western 'salary-man' to rise through the ranks to the top of a Japanese giant. That October he was made CEO, but only two weeks later was dismissed after querying inexplicable payments approaching $2 billion. He was named Business Person of the Year 2011 by the Sunday Times, the Independent and the Sun, and won the Financial Times ArcelorMittal Award for Boldness in Business. He lives in London with his wife and two teenage children.