Yang Yuanqing

But the chairman of Lenovo, Liu Chuanzhi did not let him go away as he thought that the company really needed him. So he stayed. Shortly after that, he was appointed by Liu to head the personal computers business at Lenovo only when 29 years old.

Yang then leaped to the position of a CEO in the year 2001 when Liu Chanzhi retired. Lenovo wasn’t as big as it is today, but thanks to his excellent managerial and sales skills, the brand went on to become huge and began to compete with companies like Microsoft by the year 2005. By 2013, Lenovo was the world’s largest producer of personal computers still under the chairman ship of Yan Yuan Qing.The ambitious Yang Yuanqing however has bigger dreams. He wants Lenovo to grow in PC plus, mobile phones and tablets as well, which is what the team is focusing on at the moment.

Lenovo CEO

Yang joined Lenovo, then known as Legend, in 1989 as a sales representative. His technical expertise and strategic vision led to rapid promotions, and by 2001, he became CEO. He played a pivotal role in Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's PC division in 2005, a move that significantly expanded Lenovo's global presence.

In 2009, Yang resumed the CEO role after a brief period as Chairman, steering the company through the global financial crisis. He led further strategic acquisitions, including IBM's x86 server business and Motorola Mobility in 2014, diversifying Lenovo's product portfolio.

Yang is recognized for his inclusive leadership style. Notably, he redistributed his personal bonuses to thousands of Lenovo employees in 2012 and 2013, acknowledging their contributions to the company's success.

Under Yang's guidance, Lenovo has become the world's largest PC vendor and a key player in smartphones and data center solutions. His leadership exemplifies a blend of strategic foresight and a commitment to fostering innovation and growth within the company.

Philanthropy

Yang Yuanqing, Chairman and CEO of Lenovo, has demonstrated a strong commitment to philanthropy, focusing on education, scientific research, and social welfare. In 2021, he donated ¥100 million (approximately $15.5 million) to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, his alma mater, to establish a state-of-the-art green liquid-cooling high-performance computing center. This facility aims to enhance the university's research capabilities and promote innovation.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yang contributed ¥10 million ($1.45 million) to the University of Science and Technology of China to support research efforts. Additionally, he donated another ¥10 million to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and the Beijing Lenovo Charity Foundation for the "Yi Xuetang" charity project, which provides educational resources to underprivileged areas in Hubei Province.

Yang's philanthropic endeavors also extend to the United States. In 2015, he donated $1 million to the University of North Carolina to fund biomedical research, supporting scholars in genetics, pediatrics, microbiology, and immunology.

Achievements

YuanQing’s inspiring journey from a salesman to the CEO has a lot of lessons for all the younger entrepreneurs and businessmen. He had been aggressive and smart at work in every field that he took up, be it sales or heading the PC department or later as the CEO. It is this that led the then CEO to trust in Yang’s abilities to take the company several notches higher. And under Yang’s leadership, Lenovo can only get bigger with each passing day.

Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing Interview