Acer appoints Wong as corporate president
Jim Wong will take the role of corporate president at the PC manufacturer.
![Jim Wong](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3yFQXmN2dMBAw2pZ9FjCLm-319-80.jpg)
Acer has appointed a corporate president to work alongside its new chief executive (CEO), following the departure of Gianfranco Lanci.
Jim Wong will take the job with immediate effect and work closely with CEO and chairman J.T. Wang to "embrace new challenges and opportunities in the new ICT age."
The appointment comes a few weeks after Lanci stepped down as head of the company, following disagreements with the board about the PC manufacturer's plans for the future.
Although Acer admitted the falling out in a public statement, no words were forthcoming from the now ex-CEO.
The company is now looking forward and plans to "aggressively yet cautiously" develop new products including tablets and smartphones, on top of its core PC business.
"The IT industry is encountering a profound change," said Wong. "I foresee many new opportunities and am ready to face the challenges ahead."
"We are ready with a clear set of goals and action plans."
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The so-called "goals" were outlined by the company and included building up corporate governance, simplifying operations and pushing forward a "spirit of teamwork."
"The presidential candidacy must fulfil company's needs for future development, and show capability to lead the company forward," added CEO Wang.
"Acer needs a leader who is familiar with technology, as well as understands the market. We reviewed Jim's potential and agreed he would fit well in the role."
PC decline
The news comes on the same day Acer admitted its second quarter PC shipments were set to fall.
In a stark statement from the firm, it predicted a 10 per cent decline from the previous quarter, partly blaming the re-organisation at the top.
Acer also claimed an adjustment in inventory and a "seasonal slow-down" in the market was attributable to the drop.
However, it still estimated operational margins would remain roughly the same as the first quarter of 2011.
Research from both IDC and Gartner released this month showed PC shipments had dropped globally, partially thanks to the rise of tablets.
Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.
Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.
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