2024/03/28
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) conferred an honorary doctoral degree upon Mr. Simon Lin, Chairman of Wistron Corporation, on March 28th to recognize his significant contributions to the high-tech industry and society. Acer founder Stan Shih, and former President of United Microelectronics Corporation, John Sun, also attended the ceremony to express their congratulations.
From Acer to Wistron: Simon Lin's Journey in the Tech Industry
Reflecting on Simon Lin's journey since joining Acer in 1979, his promotion to General Manager of Acer Group in 1998, and the establishment of Wistron Corporation in 2001, focusing on manufacturing, research, and services.
Today, Wistron Corporation is a world-class information and communication technology leader with over 65,000 employees worldwide. It has been honored eight times on the Fortune Global 500 list over eight years, named a Top 100 Global Technology Leader by Thomson Reuters in 2018, and listed on the Forbes Global 2000 for 15 consecutive years. Its subsidiaries, including Qisda Corporation, Wiwynn Corporation, and Wistron ITS, are all prominent players in the IT industry.
Under Simon Lin's leadership, leveraging his extensive experience in product development, Wistron Corporation has expanded internationally and gained market trust. His leadership qualities have earned him numerous accolades, including being selected as one of the Taiwan Top 100 Best-Performing Business Leaders by HBR and receiving recognition as an Academician by the Industrial Technology Research Institute in 2020.
Stan Shih: Simon Lin, Co-Founder of Acer and Architect of the 'Smiling Curve' Strategy
In his address, Chairman Stan Shih highlighted Simon Lin's pivotal role as one of the co-founders of Acer. He credited Lin for naming the 'Smiling Curve,' a key corporate competitive strategy proposed during Acer's restructuring in 1992. Shih noted that in 2000 Acer had to undergo separation, forming three independent business groups of similar scale: Acer, BenQ, and Wistron (ABW). Today, Wistron's market value surpasses Acer's by several folds, ranking as the seventh-largest ODM manufacturer globally, a success attributed to Lin's forward-thinking strategic deployments.
Dr. Simon Lin, honored with a doctorate, expressed gratitude to childhood friends, high school and university classmates, supportive friends in business, and former colleagues at Acer. He shared his philosophy of "outer roundness, inner squareness," advocating for a harmonious yet principled approach to life. Offering advice to the audience, he emphasized sincerity, passion, humility, and altruism, drawing inspiration from the lyrics of "You Raise Me," stating, "Without all of you, I wouldn't have the opportunity to stand here today."
Dr. Simon Lin Offers Advice to Younger Generations: Talent Development and Entrepreneurship Insights
When discussing talent development issues, Dr. Simon Lin pointed out that talent was Taiwan's greatest asset in the past. However, due to declining birth rates and the expansion of business scale, the talent shortage problem has emerged. Although AI assistance in human work can alleviate the talent shortage by enabling fewer people to create higher value, more is needed.
Dr. Simon Lin humorously described himself as a somewhat lazy CEO. While others may spend their days in meetings, he rarely does so because he believes that after spending 80% of his time doing what needs to be done well, the remaining 20% should be reserved for himself to think deeply. He emphasized that Taiwan's future competitiveness is cultivating diverse and inclusive talents.
Furthermore, when students were asked how to cultivate entrepreneurial abilities in school, Dr. Simon Lin advised that entrepreneurship is inherent in DNA. Firstly, individuals must recognize themselves and understand if they can deal with 'people's problems.' Whether expanding one's network of friends or finding supportive business partners, having a wide range of connections is crucial.
