Matsushita U.S. Realigns Sales, Marketing Units

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Matsushita Electric Corporation of America has realigned its various companies and divisions under three new "business sectors" each headed by its own president and COO.

The new structure for the United States-based sales and marketing operations creates the Consumer, Industry and Systems sectors. Andy Takani will hold the position of president/COO of the consumer sector; Joe Taylor will lead the Industry Sector with the same title; and Steve Yuhas will head the Systems Sector. A company spokesman said the new arrangement will be transparent to retailers but will result in Matsushita being able to better serve its retail partners and consumers.

Organizational changes were also made at Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company (PCEC), which is set under the Consumer Sector. The PCEC's Consumer Electronic Group Merchandising section was divided into five groups, all reporting to Jeff Cove, Consumer Electronic Group vice president and general manager.

These groups are: the Entertainment Group, led by Reid Sullivan, general manager; the Display Group, with Bill Mannion as vice president and general manager; and the Optical and Network Development groups, headed by Andy Nelkin, general manager. The Panasonic Personal Products Group, with Jerry Hayes as vice president and general manager, was transferred into the Consumer Electronic Group from the Panasonic Home and Commercial Products Group.

The groups under the Systems Sector umbrella were also reorganized. The Panasonic Document Imaging Company was renamed the Panasonic Digital Document Company, with Bill Kopp as president. The Panasonic Personal Computer Company division was renamed the Panasonic Computer Solutions Company. Frank DeFina, president of the Panasonic Security and Digital Imaging Company division will take the additional responsibility of president of Panasonic's Broadcasting & Television Systems Company division.

These moves are part of a three-year business plan that targets providing total service to meet Matsushita's customer needs, the spokesman said.

The new alignment matches one that was put in place earlier in Japan, placing the companies' manufacturing facilities in similar groups. This will enable the factories to react more quickly to changes requested by the company's sales and marketing forces.