Ina Fried

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Acer Parts Ways With CEO Lanci; Chairman Wang in as Interim CEO

Acer said on Thursday that its chief executive, Gianfranco Lanci, had resigned effective immediately.

In a statement, Acer said that Lanci “held different views from a majority of the board members.” The company’s chairman, J.T. Wang, will act as interim CEO, Acer said.

Stan Shih, the founder of the Taiwanese computer maker, had been sharply critical of the company’s performance in recent days, suggesting it was in a crisis after having to again lower earnings targets. The company has expanded in recent years through its acquisition of Gateway and other moves, but at times its lofty ambitions have exceeded its growth.

If you want to hear some of Lanci’s more colorful views, here’s an interview I did with him late last year, talking about tablets and Android in particular.

A check back through the archives reveals other highlights, including his prediction of how Acer could quickly dominate tablets despite the iPad and his 2009 take on Dell.

Here’s the full release from Acer on Lanci’s departure:

Acer CEO and President Gianfranco Lanci has resigned from the company, with immediate effect. Acer Chairman J.T. Wang takes acting role in the interim. The company has commenced with the planning of organizational and operational adjustments for the sustainable future of Acer.

The resignation was approved at a meeting of Acer’s Board of Directors today, and the company has communicated internally with its worldwide employees.

On the company’s future development, Lanci held different views from a majority of the board members, and could not reach a consensus following several months’ of dialog. They placed different levels of importance on scale, growth, customer value creation, brand position enhancement, and on resource allocation and methods of implementation.

The change does not affect current operations which are functioning as normal. Acer’s strong management team of multi-nationals has been well-informed and is committed to overseeing and implementing the company strategies, as does the amicable company relations with industry partners persist. Acer will continue to push for globalization, follow its multi-brand and channel business model, develop competitive products and services, and foster closer relations with key vendors and channel partners.

Acer Chairman, J.T. Wang expresses, “The personal computer remains the core of our business. We have built up a strong foundation and will continue to expand within, especially in the commercial PC segment. In addition, we are stepping into the new mobile device market, where we will invest cautiously and aim to become one of the leading players.”

“In this new ICT industry,” continued Wang, “Acer needs a period of time for adjustment. With the spirit of entrepreneurship, we will face new challenges and look to the future with confidence.”

In his role as President and CEO, Lanci has contributed significantly toward Acer’s growth. The company expresses its true appreciation for Lanci’s efforts and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.

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