Clear goals and thorough execution

Charles, who comes from a financial background, credits his business philosophy with enabling him to lead ZDT in keeping up with key technologies and successfully turn ZDT into a global PCB leader. He explains, “My role is like that of a band conductor. I must have a deep understanding of music theory, but I don't necessarily have to play the instruments. The key is, in Chinese idioms: 'select and arrange the combatants, and map out a strategy.' I find the right people to execute the right strategy. I also attach great importance to the rules of business, so that employees can clearly know our directions, blueprint and goals. I did have a plan with multiple steps for ZDT to become the world’s largest PCB company and we executed it step by step. Now all my employees trust that I am a man of my words.”

Setting milestones and creating common vision and goals is crucial to ZDT’s success. Charles adds, “In 2014, I set the business plan to reach a revenue scale of NT$155 billion in 2022, and in fact, our 2021 revenue was NT$155 billion, reaching the target one year ahead of schedule. We now have a business plan for ZDT through 2035, and while I cannot disclose the details, we will continue our aggressive growth trajectory. Our business plan is very clear, so my employees do not have to guess what I am thinking, and I have kept the company free of factions and internal rivalries so that the whole company can move forward toward a common goal.”

In addition, Charles spent most of his time being present in ZDT’s manufacturing sites in China and is on the front line of everything. This allows the company to make quicker decisions than peers and capture business opportunities. Charles says, “Business is as fierce as war, and speed is everything in business. Making quick decisions allows us to win. Our decisions are not made randomly but based on a large amount of data and industry analysis. For example, when it comes to purchase equipment, if six of the top ten players adopt a certain equipment, I will use that equipment. This demonstrates how we use data analysis to support our decision making.”

Moreover, when ZDT started to build a new plant in 2006, Charles insisted on investing in environmental protection with the highest standards in the industry. Voices of doubt arose at that time. Charles recalls, “A business leader often struggles with loneliness. At the time when I took over the role of Chairman of ZDT, the company even did not have a manufacturing plant. When planning to build up our first plant, I decided to invest a considerable amount of money in environmental protection. Some people questioned: ‘Charles, you are too wasteful. You should just focus on business operation instead of investing in environmental protection.’ It took a lot of perseverance along the way, and I persevered because my goal was clear. I firmly believed that, to become the world’s number one, I had to build up a solid foundation for ZDT, and environmental protection was one of the key elements. That is why until today, ZDT has continued to lead the industry in environmental protection and has been highly recognized by top-tier global customers. This has become one of our strongest competitive advantages."