I am very excited to be doing my Cultural Research project on Cher Wang.
Cher Wang is the CEO and chairwoman of HTC Corp., the Taiwanese tech giant and maker of tablets and smartphones (like the HTC Incredible, Thunderbolt, and Evo 4G) (Entrepreneur). Cher founded this company in 1997 (All Things Digital), and since then the company has grown immensely. Currently, HTC has partnerships with Google and Microsoft to produce mobile devices utilizing the partners’ mobile operating systems (Android and Windows Phone, respectively) (Entrepreneur).
Cher got her start in selling computer chips, but became tired of lugging around large computer systems to show customers the performance of her products (All Things Digital). Instead, she dreamed of mobile devices that could do all the things computers do but in the palm of the consumer’s hand. Cher says the one thing that helped her the most in breaking through the technology business was a relentless focus on meeting the needs of the customers (Entrepreneur). She says, “Since the beginning, HTC has focused on developing strong research and development capabilities and keeping a close eye on consumer, market, and technology trends” (Entrepreneur).
In her native Taiwan, the Wang family is considered a “technology dynasty” (New York Times). Her late father, Wan Yung-Ching, founded Formosa Plastics Group, which focused on petrochemicals and plastics (New York Times). According to Forbes magazine, he was the second richest man in Taiwan (New York Times). Cher Wang is also chairwoman of VIA Technologies, which develops silicon chip technology; her husband, Wen Chi Chen, has been chief executive there since 1992 (New York Times). Even though she came from a rich background, Cher has decided not to let her wealth (either her family’s or her own accumulated riches) define who she is. She came from a strict upbringing, and was encouraged by her father to study abroad (New York Times). This is how she came to Silicon Valley and received her Masters in economics at Berkeley (New York Times).
I originally decided to do my cultural research project on Cher Wang because she’s the chairwoman of HTC, and I’ve had an HTC cellphone for quite a while. Despite pursuing chemical engineering, electronics design and engineering has always fascinated me. The more I learn about Cher Wang, the more I realize she could be such a great role model. I’m excited to learn more about her personal life and her philanthropic ventures.
