TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sep 30, 2024 -- Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., today announced the appointment of Senior Official (Chief Administrative Officer & Senior Executive Vice President), Mr. Chih-Cheng Chien as the new Chairman of the Board, succeeding Mr. Shui-Yi Kuo. Additionally, Mr. Rong-Shy Lin, Senior Official (Chief Business Officer & Senior Executive Vice President), has been appointed as the new President, succeeding Mr. Chau-Young Lin. These appointments were approved by the Board of Directors in an extraordinary board meeting convened today.
The new Chairman, Mr. Chih-Cheng Chien, holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Technology from Taiwan Institute of Industrial Technology. He has an extensive leadership background, having previously served as the President of the International Business Group, Consultant of the Overseas New Business Office, President of Chunghwa Telecom Telecommunications Training Institute, President of the Mobile Business Group, and President of the Network Technology Group.
The new President, MR. Rong-Shy Lin, holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from National Chiao Tung University. He brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as the Vice President of the Enterprise Business Group, Vice President of the Information Department of Chunghwa Telecom, Vice President and President of Telecommunication Laboratories, President of the Data Communications Business Group, as well as Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Information Security Officer of the Company.
Chairman Chien stated that he will draw on the valuable insights and business philosophies of his predecessors, collaborate closely with all colleagues, uphold the Company's mission, and continue to leverage the Company's four key assets—customers and partners, technology platforms, infrastructure, and talent—and uphold its four core values—integrity, customers’ trust, creation of value and innovation, and commitment to accountability. These pillars will guide the Company to realize its three strategic visions: to become an International Benchmark Enterprise Built Upon Sustainable Development, to emerge as a Leading Brand of Digital Co-creation Ecosystems and to establish itself as a Premier Technology Group with Trillions in Market Value. Chairman Chien emphasized the need to proactively implement three key strategic actions, summarized as “Do the right things Right,” to accelerate the achievement of our vision. These actions include: (1). Simplification (Reduction) — streamlining operations through product reduction and process simplification for greater efficiency; (2). Pragmatism – applying the 80/20 rule to focus on high-impact areas and ensure effective resource allocation, and (3). Intelligence – enhancing system architecture and processes through intelligent solutions to drive smarter operations. Together, these actions will optimize organizational talent, enhance network resilience, make technology platforms more intelligent, foster more flexible customer partnerships, and enable Chunghwa Telecom to not only pivot but also to move with greater agility, creating a brilliant future for the company.
Chairman Chien emphasized that although Chunghwa Telecom faces unprecedented operational and competitive challenges, the Chunghwa team remains fearless, will continue to hold firm beliefs, and stride forward courageously. In response to the rapid changes in industry digital transformation and the environment, Chunghwa Telecom will enhance both network resilience and cybersecurity resilience, strengthen its partnership with industry, government, and academia to bolster anti-fraud efforts, build a secure network environment, focus on the demand for renewable energy and low-carbon energy-saving products, and integrate ESG concepts into operational strategies to drive sustainable growth.
In response to the advent of the AI era, Chunghwa Telecom will continue to accelerate development in cutting-edge connectivity technologies (including fiber optics, low Earth orbit satellites, 5G/6G, IOWN), generative AI (GAI) fields, and quantum technologies such as quantum communication, post-quantum cryptography. Besides, the Chunghwa team will embrace the new vision of “Chunghwa AI Ignites the Future,” accelerating the development of various intelligent emerging applications and research, and leading the way in the AI field and its applications.
President Lin noted that, since July 1996, when Chunghwa Telecom transitioned from the Directorate General of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to a state-owned telecom company, over the past 28 years, the telecom industry has undergone a significant transformation in its service offerings and revenue structure. During this period, Chunghwa Telecom successfully transitioned from a state-owned company to a privatized enterprise. These significant changes over the past 28 years imply a shift in company resources (network equipment, information systems, operational processes, etc.), as well as a complete transformation in employee structure, marketing/technical capabilities, and even company culture. Therefore, the ability to adapt and respond appropriately is the most crucial core competency for the sustainable development of a business.
Facing future challenges, President Lin will continue to carry out systematic transformation initiatives with a proactive mindset of “addressing problems and resolving problems.” Based on the company vision outlined by Chairman Chien, he will collaborate with team partners to drive implementation. President Lin highlighted three key tasks that the company is currently prioritizing:
1. Comprehensive deepening the application of Generative AI: Beyond IT technical experts, all employees will be trained to master and apply generative AI technologies and tools to improve work efficiency.
2. Building lean service resilience: Strengthening resilience across various areas, including network resilience (via land cables, sea cables, microwave, satellite multi-network, and multi-orbit constellation plan), system resilience (cloud backup and redundancy, implementation of Business Continuity Plans drills), and cybersecurity resilience (DDoS attack defense, zero-trust architecture, multi-layer detection and monitoring). These efforts are aimed to respond effectively to geopolitical and extreme climate challenges,
3. Continuously promoting ESG environmental sustainability: Driving the adoption of technologies for carbon reduction, expanding the use of renewable energy, supporting biodiversity efforts, and implementing digital equity initiatives, among other sustainability-focused actions.
After assuming their new roles, the Chairman and President will implement the following market strategies:
1. Leverage growth momentum: The three business groups—Consumer, Enterprise, and International—will capitalize on their momentum, accelerate expansion, and collaborate to open new markets,
2. Focus on technological innovation: The three technology groups—Network, Information, and Telecommunication Laboratories—will focus on open/energy-saving/all-optical/converged networks, strengthen data governance, and proactively deploy new technologies,
3. Pursue strategic investments: The Company will continue to seek opportunities for strategic investments and reinvestments, aiming to expand the group’s fleet.
In terms of talent development, the Company will prioritize both expanding and enhancing its workforce through recruitment, retention, and training. The goal is to create an environment where employees can fully utilize their skills while maintaining harmonious labor relations. The Chairman emphasized his commitment to working closely with the President to lead the entire team in moving forward with “steadiness”. The first “steadiness” refers to ensuring stable growth in revenue and profits. The second aspect involves establishing a strong foothold in emerging markets and new technologies. Together, these efforts will drive the company towards its vision, achieving better business results, and leading the company to not only be “Always Ahead” but also “Always Amazingly Ahead”!
