Olympus: When the gods came tumbling down

• Main Authors: OHLSSON-CORBOZ, Anne-Valerie, BERG, Michèle B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2014
• Subjects: Olympus; Michael Woodford; crisis management; whistleblowing; corporate governance; accounting scandals; leadership; cultural values; ethics; decision making; Accounting; Business Administration, Management, and Operations; Business Law, Public Responsibility, and Ethics; Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/83; https://cmp.smu.edu.sg/case/2631
• Institution: Singapore Management University

In April 2011, Michael Woodford, a British national, was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Olympus. Within months of becoming President, Woodford discovered that Olympus had made some questionable acquisitions and paid large amounts of money for companies with few assets, and exorbi...