Acer CEO resigns over stance on future

The CEO of computer maker Acer has stepped down after disagreeing with the company's board of directors over the future of the company, Acer said in a statement today.

Gianfranco Lanci, who had been chief executive at Acer since 2008, disagreed with the board over the company's ongoing strategy, according to the statement from the Taiwan-based company.

"On the company's future development, Lanci held different views from a majority of the board members and could not reach a consensus following several months' of dialogue," the statement read." [Both sides] placed different levels of importance on scale, growth, customer value creation, brand position enhancement, resource allocation and methods of implementation."

JT Wang, chairman of the board of directors, will take over as CEO until a permanent replacement can be found.

"The personal computer remains the core of our business," Wang said in a statement. "We have built up a strong foundation and will continue to expand within, especially in the commercial PC segment. In addition, we are stepping into the new mobile device market, where we will invest cautiously and aim to become one of the leading players."

Wang's statement may offer some insight into the disagreement Lanci had with the rest of the board. Lanci has been a strong proponent of Acer delving more aggressively into the mobile market with handsets and tablets.

Tablets in particular represent a product category with high-growth potential. Companies such as Samsung, Motorola, and Apple are already in the market with products of their own. Acer also introduced its first tablet PCs last month. The company is expected to launch several new models later this year.

Acer recently reported that sales had fallen 10 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Analysts had expected the company's sale to drop only 3 percent, according to the BBC.