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Ricoh UK CEO: 'We are carving our place in the market as an expert workplace integrator'

Two months into his new role, Glenn Griggs outlines his priorities for the business, from diversity to M&A

Two months into his tenure as CEO of Ricoh UK, channel veteran Glenn Griggs is prioritising the reseller's people strategy and an ongoing move towards digital services as the business takes incremental steps towards net zero.

"Our journey towards becoming a digital services company is also a huge priority of mine, having been close to it so far. The next phase of our repositioning is focused on underpinning our market position, owning and leading the 'Workspace'", Griggs told CRN.

"We are carving our place in the market as an expert workplace integrator with a broad portfolio meeting the needs of diverse organisations. To meet this challenge, we are becoming perfectly attuned to the shift in workplaces and crafting our portfolio to meet our customers' pain points - part of this is a robust acquisitions strategy in the UK and Europe."

Griggs stepped into his new role in early July after his predecessor, Phil Keoghan, was promoted to lead Ricoh Northern Europe in April 2022.

Despite economic headwinds, Ricoh UK, which ranked 22^nd in the 2023 edition of the CRN's Top 100 UK resellers, delivered year-on-year revenue growth of over ten per cent in its most recent annual results.

Griggs was previously board director of sales, leading a team of over 250 Ricoh sales employees across the UK, and sales will remain a key part of his new role. However, he is looking forward to an expanded brief.

"Sales is a fundamental part of our operation, but I want people across all divisions to understand their role in success at Ricoh UK - everyone is an ambassador," Griggs tells CRN.

"We have a solid sales setup but know we have work to do regarding diversity. It's a personal priority of mine to ensure we're attracting, retaining and empowering diverse people in sales; we need to reflect our marketplaces better and ensure people feel supported to bring diverse perspectives."

M&A

Outlining the strategy for Ricoh's two most recent buyouts, audio visual integration specialist Pure AV and solutions and services provider MTI, Griggs hones in on plans to be a full-scale digital workspace provider.

"MTI technology was a landmark acquisition for us - with a broader context than Ricoh UK - enabling us to expand our IT services expertise across EMEA and to build on our existing competencies around datacentre transformation, cyber security and IT transformation," he tells CRN.

"As a Ricoh company, MTI's dynamic team are taking how we work with customers to the next level, ensuring we lead with optimum security, compliance and efficiency."

The Pure AV acquisition, on the other hand, has enabled the reseller to expand further into the digital workspace market and deliver customer projects and added scale to its digital transformation offering. The company will continue to operate under its own name, but there will be plans in the coming years to bring the two brands closer together, according to Griggs.

Workspace as a growth driver

Griggs sees an opportunity for Ricoh UK in workspace integration, particularly as a majority of companies settle into hybrid working patterns and face challenges in attracting and retaining a digitally-savvy workforce.

"As hybrid working becomes commonplace and more and more companies set aside budgets for Digital Transformation strategies, we're focusing our efforts on workspace integration, Griggs explains.

"Businesses of all sizes have disparate technologies in place. We see growth coming from those who want to create a seamless workspace experience that prioritises employees, nurtures productivity and supports flexibility. This is even more pressing as many organisations review real estate and face challenges with talent retention."

As UK CEO, he plans to solidify Ricoh's role in "building the mechanics of the workspace - from the printer to the datacentre", with an emphasis on creating a seamless work experience for on-site and hybrid workers.

Part of this rests on the firm's M&A and sales strategy, but Griggs is also focusing on closer collaboration with the wider Ricoh business and with the reseller's partner network.

"We're fortunate at Ricoh UK that we're part of a wider Ricoh family across Europe and the world, with our previous CEO, Phil Keoghan, moving to Ricoh Northern Europe. Part of our strategy is sharing our knowledge and experiences, despite being in different territories and operating in different marketplaces.

"By learning from each other, we can grow, evolve and enhance what we do, benefiting our customers. Extending this spirit of collaboration to our partners is equally vital. "

Sustainability in the spotlight

On the heels of announcing its Scope 3 emissions reduction scenario, Ricoh UK is now focusing on cutting emissions across its company car fleet and increasing sales of used devices.

Not a fan of carbon offsetting, Griggs describes it as "putting a blanket over flames with the flames still burning".

Instead, he is looking to changes within the business and advocacy among its customers.

"We have several short to long-term targets and objectives to bring net zero closer - not limited to the following: reduction of Co2 levels within our company car fleet (20 per cent reduction by 2025) and an increase in sales of nearly new devices (five per cent increase year on year)," Griggs states.

"We're also working with our customers to play their part in carbon reduction, encouraging them to use Ricoh devices in an eco-friendlier way. Our new IMC devices also have class leading ESG innovations, consisting of 50 per cent post-consumer recycled plastics and engineered for low energy consumption."

"Equally, on the digital services side of our business, we scope out opportunities for our customers not only to save money, but also reduce their carbon footprint. For instance, data centre management is a key mechanism for carbon reduction."