Liu Chuanzhi
| Liu Chuanzhi | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 柳传志 |
| Born |
29 April 1944 Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China |
| Residence | Beijing |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Alma mater | Xidian University |
| Known for | Founder of Lenovo |
| Spouse(s) | Gōng Guóxīng (龚国兴) |
| Children | 2 |
Liu Chuanzhi (simplified Chinese: 柳传志; traditional Chinese: 柳傳志; pinyin: Liǔ Chuánzhì) (Born 29 April 1944) is a Chinese businessman. Liu is the founder of Lenovo, one of the largest computer makers in the world. He remains one of the leaders of the company.
By the early 1980s, Liu had achieved relative success as a computer scientist but still felt frustrated with his career. While his work on magnetic data storage was important, it lacked direct practical applications. He said, "We were the top computer technology research organization in China. We developed the first electron-tube computer and the first transistor computer. But we only produced one of each. Then we went on to develop something else. The work was just filed away." Liu was also anxious about his economic circumstances; In 1984, Liu had a growing family but an income of only 100RMB per month.
Liu founded Lenovo (whose English name was originally Legend, in Chinese 联想 Lianxiang), in 1984 with a group of ten other engineers in Beijing with 200,000 yuan and an office roughly 20 square yards in size. Liu came up with the idea to start Lenovo in response to a lack of funding at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Liu's superior arranged for the academy to loan him and the other co-founders the afore-mentioned 200,000 yuan. Of this time, Liu said, "It wasn't easy. The lowest thing you could do in the early '80s, as a scientist, was to go into business. China had a strict planned economy and there was barely room for a freewheeling company like ours."
Liu emphasized developing an effective working relationship with his superiors at the CAS from the very start. Despite its rhetoric of market-oriented reform, the Chinese government was reluctant to relax state control of the economy. Liu feared that his company might fail due to government micro-management. Liu also worried about dealing with local government officials and party cadres. He said, "We were totally immersed in the environment of a planned economy. I didn't care that the investment was small, but I knew I must have control over finances, human resources and decision-making." Liu's superiors immediately granted his request for autonomy.
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