AUO Corporation ("AUO" or the "the Company") (TAIEX: 2409; NYSE: AUO) today announced top level personnel changes. AUO’s Board of Directors has approved the following appointments. Chairman Paul Peng will resign from his concurrent position as President and assume the position of Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”). Michael Tsai will advance to President and Chief Operation Officer (“COO”). Additionally, the current Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), Andy Yang will change his role and serve as Chief Strategy Officer. Benjamin Tseng, Associate Vice President of Finance, will be appointed as AUO’s new CFO. The new personnel changes will be effective on November 1, 2015.
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In consideration of the Company’s long-term operational development and strategy deployment, AUO Chairman Paul Peng will serve concurrently as CEO. In addition to overseeing the operation and management of the Company, he will focus on AUO’s mid- to long-term operational strategies, investment plans, and global market development to drive the Company’s value transformation. “AUO has developed solid talent cultivation mechanism and management succession plan. We have proactively sharpened our management team’s skills and experiences through the arrangement of cross-functional job rotations. I have every confidence in the new appointments,” said Peng. “I also hope and encourage that our new President and management team can bring more innovation momentum and a greater vision and scope to AUO, enabling the Company to continuously improve its competitive edges and leading AUO into a new milestone.”
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Michael Tsai now serves as Senior Vice President and General Manager of AUO's Video Solutions Business Group. As the new President and COO, he will be responsible for managing AUO’s daily operations, as well as leading the Company’s three business groups, including Video Solutions, Mobile Solutions, and Solar Business Groups. Tsai has nearly 18 years of experience in the display industry. He is well acquainted with various aspects of operations including sales, marketing, supply chain and manufacturing functionality, demonstrating a full range of management and leadership capability. He joined AUO in 1997 and rotated several positions in material and production, procurement, and manufacturing. In 2008, he was transferred to the sales and marketing business unit and promoted to Vice President. He has held top executive positions in Information Technology Business Group and then Video Solutions Business Group. In 2013, he was further promoted to Senior Vice President. Tsai received his EMBA degree from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.
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Andy Yang, the Company’s current CFO, will change his position and serve as Chief Strategy Officer and be responsible for the strategic planning as well as business investment and development of AUO. The Company hopes to leverage his financial expertise, management experience, and meticulous thinking to support the CEO to plan a visionary business strategy to better cope with the fast-changing markets and competitive landscapes.
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On the other hand, Benjamin Tseng will assume the position of CFO. He joined AUO in 2008 and has served several important positions, including Director of Financial Management, CFO of AUO subsidiaries in China, and Associate Vice President of Finance. He has extensive professional experience in the field of financial management, and is very familiar with the Company’s domestic and international financial operations. Previously, Tseng served as Vice President of ABN AMRO Bank. He received his MBA from the University of Rochester in the U.S.
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As part of the personnel appointments, AUO promoted two outstanding executives to lead the Company’s two display business groups. Wei-Lung Liau, the current Vice President of Video Solutions Technology Unit, will become the head of Video Solutions Business Group. Sean Chen, Senior Associate Vice President, will be promoted to Vice President and serve as the head of Mobile Solutions Business Group.
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Wei-Lung Liau obtained his master’s degree in Applied Chemistry from National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. He has profound expertise in technological research and development, and rich experiences in manufacturing management. He joined AUO in 1998 and has served in a variety of roles, including manufacturing, technology research, and product development positions. Sean Chen joined AUO in 1999. He has diversified experiences in manufacturing, marketing, and sales positions, and specializes in product planning, customer services, and sales production coordination. Chen holds dual master's degrees, one in Operation Research and Industrial Engineering, and the other in Mechanic Engineering from Cornell University in the U.S.
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AUO emphasizes that the employees are the Company’s most valuable assets. AUO Chairman Paul Peng has endeavored to enforce the inheritance of corporate experiences and the formation of organizational culture by promoting outstanding professional managers to important roles and making rooms for young generation to exploit their talents. In the future, AUO will continue to proactively cultivate core talents to add fresh impetus in the organization, aiming to lay a solid foundation for the Company to achieve sustainable development.