Radical model to escape negative woes

Fujifilm has survived and transformed into a global technology brand under its veteran chief

When the Tokyo-headquartered Fujifilm Corp elevated Shigetaka Komori, 77, its CEO since June 2003 and group president since 2000, to chair-man in 2012, photographic products, the company's mainstay, were reeling from the digital onslaught.

There was a time when photo graphic products accounted for 60 percent of the company's sales and up to 70 percent of its profit. But, within a decade, digital cameras evolved and thrived - and nearly destroyed Fujifilm.