NEWSMAKER: Stan Shih ready to represent Taiwan at APEC

Shih retired from Acer in 2004 and established iD SoftCapital Group (智融集團) to offer expertise in asset and fund management and consulting services.

But his influence has not abated, with Time magazine profiling him in their "60 Years of Asian Heroes" feature last year.

Shih's willingness to be different was on display once more when he retired as he chose a professional, rather than a family member, to take the helm of Acer. Gianfranco Lanci, then president of Acer's International Operations Business Group, became president, while former president JT Wang (王振堂) replaced Shih as chairman and chief executive officer.

A man of humble origins who transformed a small enterprise into a multinational conglomerate, Shih is a leading example of the entrepreneurs who created Taiwan's economic miracle, Wu said.