Liu Chuanzhi

Liu Chuanzhi in 2019

Liu Chuanzhi (born April 29, 1944) is a Chinese businessman and the founder of Lenovo, the largest computer maker in the world.

Quotes

• We are lucky that Steve Jobs has such a bad temper and doesn't care about China. If Apple were to spend the same effort on the Chinese consumer as we do, we would be in trouble.
  • Lenovo: Apple is losing out in China in Financial Times Tech Hub (4 July 2010)

• A strong, healthy man won’t be hit easily by the flu. It is the same with business: A healthy business will not be hit easily by a crisis.
  • Lenovo Group’s Liu Chuanzhi on ‘Building a Healthy Company’ in Knowledge @ Wharton (8 July 2009)

• At that time, most local Chinese companies were not thinking about cost structures and supply chain issues as actively as we were. They were thinking more about how to lower the import tariff or how to counteract foreign exchange risks and so on. But we really spent a lot of effort on our supply system.
  • Lenovo Group’s Liu Chuanzhi on ‘Building a Healthy Company’ in Knowledge @ Wharton (8 July 2009)

• A company should have a vision. But vision alone is not enough; you also have to set a mid-term target. After that, the most important thing will be [to determine] the strategies for reaching this target.
  • Lenovo Group’s Liu Chuanzhi on ‘Building a Healthy Company’ in Knowledge @ Wharton (8 July 2009)

• The key to implementation is people. In a war, even you have a good fighting strategy, history tells us that having soldiers who are brave enough, with skills in shooting and fighting, is what makes the difference.
  • Lenovo Group’s Liu Chuanzhi on ‘Building a Healthy Company’ in Knowledge @ Wharton (8 July 2009)

• With the current unprecedented uncertainties in global markets, I suggest that entrepreneurs should observe these uncertainties and act before them, do what they must do to move the business forward.
  • Liu Chuanzhi wins Lifetime Achievement Award at CNBC’s Asia Business Leaders Awards in CNBC (23 November 2016)

• The biggest advantage is China's enormous potential market. Our government actively supports the local computer industry. We have lower production costs than foreign competitors. On the other hand, we are technologically far behind the West. Another disadvantage is that there is a very shallow understanding of market principles in this country. This seriously undermines the growth of the PC industry.
  • The Scientist Who Could in Asiaweek (2000)

• I think it's good that older leaders have made room for the younger generation. When we started, we worked very hard for very little money. Now we give employees very attractive wages. Other state-owned enterprises should follow our example.
  • The Scientist Who Could in Asiaweek (2000)

• When Lenovo suffered a difficulty, I returned in spite of getting older because this is the business I created with my colleagues.
  • Liu Chuanzhi: Responsibility and Perseverance in Leader's Gene (23 May 2013)