A LEADING Southend businessman has been named the new boss of one of the world’s biggest companies.

Michael Woodford, the driving force behind KeyMed, has taken up the role as president and chief executive officer of Japanese optical equipment maker Olympus, best known for its cameras.

Mr Woodford, 50, who has lived in Southend for three decades, now joins a handful of foreigners who have made it to the top of a Japanese company.

He said: “I feel very honored to take the post of leading the Olympus group, which has presence not only in Japan but all over the world.”

Mr Woodford has already vowed to lead Olympus to the “next stage of globalisation”.

He joined the company’s Southend-based medical subsidiary, KeyMed, in 1981 and became its managing director ten years later.

Since then, he has ploughed thousands of pounds into road safety projects in the town and supported hundreds of charities.

John Lamb, Tory deputy leader of Southend Council, described Mr Woodford as a “true friend” of the town.

He added: “This is excellent news for him and I’m very pleased.

“He has done an enormous amount for Southend over the years and, in the shape of the road safety schemes he has implemented, we are all benefiting from that.

“We wish him all the best in this new job and hope he has every success.”

Mr Woodford will officially start his new role on April 1, splitting his time between Tokyo and Southend.

The achievement marks the culmination of a stellar rise up the company’s ranks, after his appointment as executive managing director of Olympus Medical Systems Europa in 2005 and then taking over the European business.

However, the company has struggled during the recession and was forced to sell off businesses to cope with a slide in revenues.

Mr Woodford said his first job would be to “level-up” the under-performing parts of the business to match its best departments.