With Gianfranco Lanci slated to take charge as president, Acer has a new top team to lead the company to one of the global top three PC brands

Mumbai: Acer Inc (2003 revenues : $ 4.9 billion) has announced that Gianfranco Lanci, president of Acer EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and the international operations business group (IOBG), will take over as president of Acer Inc, effective January 2005.

President JT Wang, will step into the shoes of Stan Shih, chairman and CEO, who is due to step down at the end of this year. The new positions will be effective from January 1, 2005. Lanci's elevation marks Acer's recognition of his outstanding performance in the European market, including his management style and successful business model, which may now extend to the Acer group world-wide.

Lanci's post as president of Acer Inc signals an important advance for Acer as a global company. A combination of factors led to Lanci's elevation. They include a high percentage of Acer's revenues from the international operations; as one company with one brand and one team, there is no longer the division of local and overseas members; recognition of Lanci's notable contribution to Acer's business; and confidence in his ability to strengthen the international operations.

Shih says Lanci's efforts to expand the Acer brand into the European market have reaped tremendous results. In 2003, sales in Europe accounted for more than 60 per cent of Acer's IT product business.

Starting in Italy, Lanci has demonstrated a strong and steady growing momentum; in Q2-2004 Acer notebooks ranked No.1 in EMEA. Acer in the US has also seen substantial growth this year since he began overseeing this market, proving his capability to turn challenge into success.

According to Wang, "Our business model in Europe has built up high competitiveness. Our European management will lend its wealth of knowledge and experience of channel relations, vendor relations, and human resource management to other markets of focus.

"Lanci brings with him a highly professional management approach, and understanding of cross-regional and cross-cultural issues. I am confident that he has the strength to lead Acer to become one of the global top three PC brands, and to train the next generation of senior managers."

Shih adds, "As president of IOBG, Lanci has already built up a good rapport with other members of the management team, including JT Wang and Jim Wong, president of IT products business group. Their mutual understanding and trust form the essential basis in building an efficient cooperation in the future."

The IT products business group has contributed to nearly 80 per cent of Acer Inc.'s consolidated revenues, and Europe is currently Acer's biggest market. In recognition of these achievements, Jim Wong and Walter Deppeler, vice president, Acer EMEA, will serve as senior corporate vice presidents of Acer Inc, in addition to their current roles, from 1 January 2005.

Lanci will also become CEO of IT business at Acer Inc upon taking charge as president.  Meanwhile, Scott Lin, president of Greater China Operations; Steve Lin, president of Asia Pacific; and James Chiang, president of Channel Business Group of Acer Inc.will also be designated as corporate vice presidents. TY Lay, president of IOBG, Acer Inc., will assume his new role as chief of staff, chairman's office, with Philip Peng moving to iD SoftCapital Corp, a consultant founded by Stan Shih. Howard Chan, vice president of treasury will take up the post of chief financial officer.

In addition to Lanci's place on Acer's board of directors after the next election, there are plans to invite another foreign external director on the board to fortify Acer's knowledge and vision of the global IT industry.

Born in 1954, Lanci joined Texas Instruments, Italy in 1981 and became country manager in 1991 at the age of 37. When Texas Instruments' portable PC business merged with Acer in 1997, Lanci became managing director of Acer Italy. His exceptional performance quickly led him to ascend the corporate ladder, being appointed president of Acer Europe in 2000, president of Acer EMEA in 2002, and co-head of IOBG, Acer Inc, in 2003.

Acer ranks among the world's top ten branded PC vendors, designing and marketing easy, dependable IT solutions. In 2000, Acer spun-off its manufacturing operation to focus on globally marketing its brand-name products: desktop and mobile PCs, servers and storage, displays, peripherals, and e-business solutions for business, government, education, and home users. Established in 1976, Acer employs 7,800 people supporting dealers and distributors in more than 100 countries.