Industry group elects chairman and assistants

The Chinese National Federation of Industries (工總) yesterday elected Ho Jen-shyong (侯貞雄) as the business group's new chairman, replacing outgoing chairman Lin Kun-chung (林坤鐘), who promised to step down in mid-March.

Lin had previously said that he hoped that his dropping out of a re-election bid would set a good example for future chairman, encouraging them to only serve one term.

Ho, 63, is chairman of Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corp (東鋼). He garnered full support from the federation's 45-member board yesterday. Ho vowed to put aside his family business and focus on reforming the business group to better serve its 143 members during his three-year term.

Before heading Tung Ho, Ho served as chairman of the government-funded Taiwan Aerospace Corp (台翔航太).

Two new vice chairmen were also elected yesterday to assist Ho. They are Chen Wu-hsiung (陳武雄), chairman of the Petrochemical Industry Association of Taiwan and Pan Chun-jung (潘俊榮), former chairman of the Chinese National Association of General Contractors (營造公會), with 44 and 36 votes, respectively.

Before the election, both Chen and Pan participated in an ad-hoc coordination task force and successfully sought reconciliation and negotiated for a final choice among several possible candidates competing for the chairmanship. However, they were not expected to take up the posts of vice chairman. Instead, Ho's former rivals Lin Por-fong (林伯豐), president of Taiwan Glass Industry Corp (台玻), and Rock Hsu (許勝雄), chairman of Compal electronics Inc (仁寶) and Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association (電電公會) were expected to be appointed as vice chairmen.

Hsu will serve as a standing board member while Lin will head the supervisory board.

The business group also reshuffled half of its 45-member board and its 15-member supervisory board.