Kao Ching-yuen

In this Chinese name, the family name is Kao.

Kao Ching-yuen (Chinese: 高清愿; pinyin: Gāo Qīngyuàn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko Chheng-gōan; 24 May 1929 – March 2016) was a Taiwanese businessman best known as the founder of Uni-President Enterprises Corporation.

Kao Ching-yuen
高清愿
Born	(1929-05-24)24 May 1929 Hokumon, Tainan, Taiwan, Empire of Japan
Died	March 2016(2016-03-00) (aged 86) Yongkang District, Tainan, Republic of China
Citizenship	Republic of China
Awards	Order of Brilliant Star (2nd Class)

Biography

Kao was born to a poor family in Gakkō Village, Hokumon District, Tainan Prefecture, Japanese-era Taiwan (modern-day Syuejia, Tainan) on 24 May 1929. In 1942, at the age of 13, Kao began working in a sandal factory. In 1946, he joined a firm owned by his cousin-in-law Wu Hsiu-chi, the Xinhexing Cloth Shop (新和興布行), as an apprentice before starting his own company, Dexing Cloth Shop (德兴布行), in 1949.^[1]

He joined Tainan Spinning (台南紡織), a textile processing company founded by Wu Hsiu-chi, in 1955 as a sales manager.^[2][3]

Kao left Tainan Spinning in 1967 to establish the Uni-President Corporation, and served as company chairman until 2013.^[3][4]

In 1997, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Management from National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU)^[5] and an Order of Brilliant Star (2nd Class) award on 23 December 1999.^[6] In 2003, he was awarded a Management Medal by the Chinese Management Association.^[7]

Kao's death was confirmed by Uni-President on 1 April 2016, and a funeral was held the same day.^[8][9]

References

1. Numazaki, Ichiro (December 1993). "The Tainanbang: The Rise and Growth of a Banana-bunch-shaped Business Group in Taiwan". The Developing Economies. 31 (4): 490–491.
2. Thain, Greg; Bradley, John (2014). FMCG: The Power of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods. First Edition Design. p. 483. ISBN 9781622876471.
3. Chen, Ted (2 April 2016). "Uni-President confirms death of founder Kao". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
4. Chen, Kevin (2013-11-13). "Uni-President chairman Kao resigns". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
5. 其他教務資料 - 國立中山大學教務處
6. "Zǒngtǒng Lìng (Huázǒng Èrróngzì dì 8810037500 hào)" 總統令（華總二榮字第8810037500號） [Presidential Order No. 8810037500]. Presidential Office Gazette. 6314. Office of the President (Taiwan): 11. 1999-12-29.
7. "Management Medal". Chinese Management Association. 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2011-01-07.
8. Tien, Yu-pin (1 April 2016). "Kao Chin-yen, founder of Uni-president Corporation, dies". Central News Agency. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
9. Yang, Sz-rue; Tien, Yu-pin; Hsu, Elizabeth (1 April 2016). "Low-key funeral held for Uni-President founder". Central News Agency. Retrieved 1 April 2016.