Chou has led HTC through some difficult times and has turned the company around in recent years with successful sales figures for its flagship Android smartphones in the One M series.
It hasn’t been enough to prevent the company’s revenue from flatlining after a gradual two-year slide though. Some executives have reported him as a demanding manager though, leading to lower morale at the smartphone manufacturer.
Cher Wang (R) is replacing Peter Chou as HTC CEO
GSMArena
Chou has shown himself to be focused on research and development throughout his reign at HTC so his new position should suit him in that respect. New CEO Cher Wang, a co-founder of HTC, has become increasingly involved in running various aspects of the business.
HTC posted its first quarterly revenue growth in over three years in January. This has been partly attributed to new Wang who began taking an active role in customer service, marketing and personnel in 2013. She said:
“The last two years have been very challenging for HTC, and HTC is getting much better. I don’t really think a year ago would have been the right time [for HTC to get a new CEO].”
In a press release, HTC said that Chou will be taking an executive role as Head of HTC Future Development Lab. He will be “instrumental” in identifying new growth opportunities for the company.
Wang said of her new role:
“As an entrepreneur at heart, I am excited to see so many new opportunities, and I am honoured to accept this opportunity to help shape the next stage of HTC’s development.”
HTC will be looking for strong sales of its new Android One M9 flagship when it launches soon to help the company continue to resurrect itself. Despite its strong specifications and highly praised design, the One M9 will have to fend off intense competition from Apple, Samsung and new Chinese rivals like Xiaomi who have proven they can significantly undercut the large manufacturers on price while still delivering a high-end phone.
