Leadership Team
Meet the people who lead our company, inspire our industry and drive innovation to solve customer challenges.
In today's business environment, we remain focused on helping our customers capture, transform and manage the power of their information. We are motivated to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
Carsten Bruhn
President and CEO
Ricoh North America
Carsten Bruhn was appointed President and CEO for Ricoh North America on April 1, 2021. Bruhn brings to this role a relentless pursuit of excellence with a focus on understanding customers’ needs today while anticipating changes in the future. Bruhn possesses the rare combination of proven sales experience and leadership principles that center on inspiring teammates, fostering collaboration and productivity, driving the collective team forward, and focusing on important cultural issues such as diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Most recently, Bruhn served as Corporate Vice President for Ricoh Global Services. In this role, he managed and fostered Ricoh’s relationship with its most strategic global customers. He worked tirelessly to help ensure the Ricoh leadership team understood, innovated, and responded to customers’ unique needs by helping solve their problems. He focused on empowering customers to embrace digital transformation and built strategies to work with Ricoh’s best-in-class partners to enable businesses to transform into digital businesses.
Under Bruhn’s leadership, Ricoh’s Global Major Account (GMA) channel experienced growth by attracting new customers, while also renewing and providing increased value to existing customers. In 2020, these initiatives continued to accelerate by helping customers work from anywhere with digitalization, automation, and collaboration solutions, as well as providing tools for a safe return to the workplace.
During a two-year assignment in Japan, at Ricoh’s global headquarters, Bruhn led the global services transformation for Ricoh Business Solutions. Bruhn also served as Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Ricoh Global Services. Prior to joining Ricoh, he managed Lanier's Northern Europe region. After the acquisition of Lanier by the Ricoh Group in 2001, Bruhn successfully integrated Lanier's businesses into Ricoh's Operating Companies. Leveraging this experience, he understands the entrepreneurial spirit and passion that drives Ricoh Family Group dealer partners.
Originally from Denmark, Bruhn moved to the United States in 2021 after living in Great Britain for 23 years with a two-year assignment in Japan and extensive international travel supporting customers throughout the world, including North America.
Bruhn attended Henley Management College with a focus on management studies and INSEAD with a focus on finance.
Marc Cotie
Vice President, Legal and General Counsel
Ricoh Canada Inc.
Marc Cotie was appointed Vice President, Legal and General Counsel for Ricoh Canada in December 2012.
In this role, Marc actively manages all legal services provided to Ricoh Canada and has overall responsibility for the company's legal department. Marc provides leadership in the management of Canadian customer contracts, as well as a wide variety of other commercial matters such as strategic relationships, matters of risk assessment, remedies, compliance, and regulatory matters. Marc has also played a leadership role in the company's activities in connection with strategic acquisitions and reorganisations.
Marc has been with Ricoh Canada since 2010.
Previously Marc had gained over 10 years of experience in the legal field, starting with Baker & McKenzie's Toronto office, then at Sony of Canada Ltd.
Marc holds Common Law and Civil Law degrees, as well as an undergraduate degree, from McGill University and is a member of the Ontario Bar.
Taka Nakai
Vice President, Corporate Planning
Ricoh Canada
Taka Nakai was appointed Vice President, Corporate Planning for Ricoh Canada in December 2022.
In this executive role, Taka oversees the business development and operational initiatives for Ricoh Canada. He plays a key leadership role in driving the strategy and direction for all business lines.
With a focus on near and long-term strategic planning in the Canadian marketplace, Taka focuses heavily on setting strategies and direction for Ricoh Canada’s entry into the strategic markets while maintaining strong influence over the entire Canadian market across all key account spaces.
Taka has over 20 years of experience with Ricoh. His expertise in transformational and strategic planning in the context of Ricoh’s global transformation into a digital services company was honed while holding leadership roles with Ricoh Company Limited in Japan and Ricoh Europe, including four years specifically with Ricoh France. His global experience enables him to effectively facilitate collaboration between many operating groups within the Ricoh Group.
Taka holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kwansei Gakuin University in Japan.
Bruce Pearce
National Vice President,
Sales Ricoh Canada
Bruce Pearce joined Ricoh Canada as the National Vice President of Sales in February 2023. He leads the national direct sales organization and is responsible for overall sales performance and designing and implementing strategic, customer-centric, and future-focused sales plans.
Bruce is a strategic, mission-driven executive and trusted business partner with extensive experience in Canadian and international business. He excels at identifying and accelerating strategic measures that strengthen the performance of an organization. Bruce is a thought leader who recognizes business opportunities that bring value and growth to all parties involved. His business acumen, consultative approach, and sound fiscal judgment have laid the foundation for success throughout his career.
A strategic and service-oriented leader, Bruce has an extensive Services background and the ability to lead business transformation through principles of accountability, organizational excellence, employee development, and strong partnerships. Prior to joining Ricoh, Bruce held executive roles in Sales, Managed Services, Operations, and Service Management experience with organizations such as Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated, Hewlett Packard, and IBM Canada.
Bruce holds a Bachelor of Mathematics degree with a Minor in Business from the University of Waterloo.
Peter Pontone
Vice President, Human Resources
Ricoh Canada Inc.
Peter Pontone was appointed to the role of Vice President, Human Resources for Ricoh Canada in January 2021.
Peter leads the Human Resources function for Ricoh Canada with a focus on progressive people strategies and organizational effectiveness initiatives. A member of the HR Leadership team since 2014, most recently as a Director, Human Resources, Peter has served as a strong business partner driving strategic business plans to ensure the success of the organization.
With his experience in labour and employee relations, merger and acquisitions, learning and development, talent acquisition, and pension and benefits, Peter brings a wealth of Senior Human Resources experience from both Canada and the U.S.
With the understanding that engaged employees create a better customer experience, a key focus for Peter in his role is to create a positive employee experience. Through effective communication and feedback, best practices, and progressive processes, the Human Resource practice at Ricoh supports both employees and leaders to thrive and succeed.to thrive and succeed.
Peter has a business degree from the University of Phoenix and holds a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designation.
Kartik Rajan
Vice President, IT & Communication Services
Ricoh Canada, Inc.
Kartik Rajan was appointed Vice President, IT & Communication Services for Ricoh Canada Inc in September 2022.
Kartik leads a team of innovative and passionate IT, Service, and Sales professionals focused on ensuring the successful design, delivery, and support of critical IT and Communication Solutions for our Customers.
In his previous role as Senior Director, Services Delivery for Ricoh IT Services, Kartik created workflows, infrastructure, and role mandates to deliver sustainable operational best practices resulting in Customer success.
Kartik is focused on developing and delivering Ricoh's IT & Communication Services strategy in this highly competitive marketplace. His team is focused on comprehensive solutions and support for everything from technology consulting and assessments to IT security, procurement, support services, and leading-edge Communication Services.
Known to be dynamic and analytical, Kartik is a team-oriented professional with extensive experience providing strategic support and guidance in the IT space. Before joining Ricoh in 2021, Kartik held senior leadership roles in the Telecommunications and IT industries. His background is broad-based, with over 15 years of experience and expertise with digital platform operations, application support, and operations roles.
Kartik holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Western Ontario.
Lauren Sallata
Chief Marketing Officer
Ricoh North America
Lauren Sallata was appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for Ricoh North America in June 2021. She brings more than 20 years of experience to the role as an award-winning marketing professional and executive leader. She has successfully led large, global technology organizations through brand and digital marketing transformations all with a focus on the customer experience, increased engagement and significant, sustainable growth.
Sallata joined Ricoh from Panasonic Corporation, where she most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer in a unique role leading North American marketing while also involved in global strategy in Japan. Under her leadership, Sallata led the marketing transformation in North America, redesigning brand and digital strategy to align with the organization’s new business positioning. She repositioned the brand from consumer to a holistic provider of B2B integrated solutions. Sallata increased overall purchase intent and awareness, developed regional and global brand strategy for long-term positioning among Millennial and Gen Z buyers, and launched a best-in-class marketing technology strategy and customer engagement platform. During her time at Panasonic, Sallata received many industry awards and honors, including: 2020 ITSMA Marketing Excellence Diamond Award in Transforming the Brand; 2018 ANA B2 ‘Marketer of the Year’ top three finalist; and two 2017 Stevie Business Awards for B2B Campaign of the Year.
Prior to Panasonic, Sallata held leadership positions at Xerox Corporation from 2008-2016, including Vice President of Business Development & Marketing where she led strategy and execution for the corporation’s rebrand and enterprise portfolio project. Her early career was spent at Verizon Business in several Senior Management roles where she led marketing and sales strategy for high-growth business units, managed client relations and P&L contract operations.
Sallata’s expertise in adapting and thriving during massive change is a consistent thread and key driver for her. She shares her knowledge widely through thought leadership, which has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Advertising Week, and Advertising Age. She has been a member of several corporate and industry boards throughout her career, currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the Consumer Technology Association.