Tasked with development of growth strategies and branding in the country, Ruey-Bin Kao has accepted the role of country president of Applied Materials China, effective from December 5, 2011. The role will also involve Mr. Kao’s working to develop the company’s relationship with the Chinese government and customers, building on his experience in the technology industry garnered from former roles, including his most recent as managing director for Hewlett Packard (HP) China.
At HP, Mr. Kao also served as vice president of enterprise business, where he was responsible for identification of potential growth opportunities as well as increasing revenue and profitability for the company. He has also held roles as chairman of the Motorola Asia-Pacific Business Council and chairman of Motorola (China) Electronics Ltd. He is also a director for the Shenhua Group as well as Want-Want China Holdings.
Mr. Kao has a B.Sc. in computer science from Tam-Kang University in Taiwan, China; an M.Sc. in computer and information science from the University of Delaware; and a doctorate of business administration from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
“Ruey-Bin brings a wealth of industry and technology experience to the team, as well as effective cross-cultural management skills developed in the US and Asia for more than 25 years,” said Mike Splinter, chairman and CEO of Applied Materials. “I believe he will provide the leadership and vision needed to deliver a strong country strategy for our continued growth and success in China, which is one of our top priority markets.”
