Global Graphics (Nasdaq Europe: GLGR, Euronext GLOG), a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance prepress equipment and software to the graphic arts industry, has appointed Don O'Leary as operations director of its French and Italian hardware manufacturing sites in Nancy, north east France, and Milan, Italy. These facilities produce a major part of the company's range of flexographic and letterpress pre-press equipment. In a career spanning nearly 15 years with Kodak in France, in various managerial positions, O'Leary was most recently employed as the Industrial Manager of the Sensitizing Division where, amongst other initiatives, he developed a lean manufacturing methodology throughout the division. He is an experienced practitioner in Total Productive Maintenance, supply chain management, international quality standards, people management and training procedures. Gary Jones, Global Graphics Hardware's Chief Operating Officer, said, " Don has the ideal skills mix to head up our flexo and letterpress manufacturing operations. We were looking for an individual who had first hand experience of pioneering best practice initiatives within the production environment to champion our policy of maintaining centres of excellence at our manufacturing sites." O'Leary comments, " I am very glad to be joining an ambitious group which combines both worldwide presence and the focus necessary to be best in it's field. I hope that by bringing a fresh perspective on operating practices I can help the group consolidate it's position as a leader in the prepress equipment industry." Global Graphics has grown rapidly over the past couple of years following several significant acquisitions and is the largest OEM supplier of hardware and software in the graphics arts field. Global Graphics Hardware develops and manufactures a complete range of prepress hardware for the preparation of print-ready flexographic and lithographic plates as well as a wide range of equipment for other printing processes. The company has four main production facilities around the world and in June 2001, realigned its seven prepress hardware subsidiaries into a single hardware division – Global Graphics Hardware.