Xerox officials say that their Vice Chairman and CEO John Visentin has died. They say he unexpectedly passed away on Tuesday, due to complications from an ongoing illness.
The 59-year-old Visentin joined Xerox in 2018. A statement released by the company on Wednesday said that “The Xerox family is profoundly saddened by this untimely event and extends its heartfelt condolences to John’s wife, his five daughters and his family.”
James Nelson, Chairman of Xerox’s Board of Directors said that since joining the company, “John drove Xerox forward. As a champion for innovation, he embraced and enhanced Xerox’s legacy as a print and services provider and embarked on a transformative journey that broadened the company’s expertise and offerings to digital and IT services, financial services and disruptive technologies.”
Steve Bandrowczak, Xerox’s President and Chief Operations Officer since 2018, will serve as Interim CEO.
"We are all greatly saddened by this tragic news and are keeping his family at the forefront of our thoughts in this difficult time," said Bandrowczak. "John’s vision was clear, and the Xerox team will continue fulfilling it – not only to deliver on our commitments to our shareholders, customers and partners – but also to pursue John’s legacy."
Visentin, who previously was an executive with a number of technolgoy companies, was named CEO in 2018 after a settlement was reached with activist investor Carl Icahn, who is a major Xerox shareholder.
Icahn had battled Xerox officials over the direction of the company, and Visentin, who was a consultant at the time for Icahn, was then named CEO.
Xerox employs about 1,765 people in the Rochester area, mostly in Webster.
