Acer Group Founder, Stan Shih, is recognized around the globe for his achievements in brand-business building, and for his unique models of management. Shih is frequently cited for his Smiling Curve, a business model that illustrates the vitality of the global IT industry. Upon his retirement from Acer in December 2004, Shih established iD SoftCapital, an investment management and business consulting company, with six partners who have extensive experience in the IT industry.

Shih began his career at Unitron Industrial Corp. in 1971, where he successfully designed, developed, and commercialized Taiwan’s first desktop calculator. In 1972, he helped to establish Qualitron Industrial Corp., and led the team that designed the world’s first pen watch. In 1976, together with four partners, Shih co-founded Multitech International Corp., the forerunner of Acer, with US$25,000 and has since led Acer to become a global PC vendor. Today Acer ranks No. 4 for total PCs and No. 3 for notebooks worldwide. At the time of his retirement from the Acer Group, the combined annual revenues of Acer, BenQ and Wistron had reached US$22.2 billion. He is a member of the board of directors of these three companies, all of which he had a hand in founding.

Shih is also involved with a number of noteworthy social and public organizations. He is a former chairman of the Asia Business Council, a member of the International Advisory Panel for Malaysia’s Multimedia Super Corridor, a Governor of the Asian Institute of Management, and a member of the board of directors of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. He also serves as Honorary Chairman of the Brand International Promotion Association.

Shih has received numerous awards. In 1976, he was named one of Taiwan’s “Ten Most Outstanding Young Persons.” In 1983, the International Jaycees selected him as one of the “Ten Most Outstanding Young Persons in the World.” In 1999, the Academy of International Business selected him as “International Business Executive of the Year.” In 2003, the Ministry of Economic Affairs presented Shih with the “Outstanding Contribution to Brand Building” award. In 2004, the Taipei Computer Association and Taiwan External Trade Development Council honored Shih for his vision and guidance in helping Computex Taipei to become one of the world’s top three IT trade shows.

Widely featured in industry and business media worldwide, Shih was honored by Fortune as one of “25 People You Ought to Know for Doing Business in Asia” in 1989. In 1996, BusinessWeek named him one of “The 25 Top Managers of the Year.” In 2000, Asiaweek selected him as one of “Asia’s top 25 Digital Elite” in the publication’s first look at the people shaping Asia’s high tech future. In 2004, BusinessWeek again named Shih as one of the “25 Stars of Asia.” He was also interviewed by CNN’s Talk Asia in 2003 and by the Discovery Channel for its documentary “Crossings” in 2004. In 2006, Time featured Shih in its article “60 years of Asian Heroes” for turning Taiwan into a PC-manufacturing powerhouse.

A graduate of National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, Shih obtained a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and honorary Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering in 1968, 1971, and 1992 respectively. He was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in November 1997. Most recently, in recognition of his exceptional leadership in the business world, he became the first Asian CEO to receive the Thunderbird School of Global Management’s highest honor, an honorary Doctor of International Law.

Shih was born in 1944. He and his wife, Carolyn, have three children.