Businessperson of the Year

Rank
14
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Morris Chang

Morris Chang, chairman and founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC), attends the company's annual general meeting in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Tuesday, June 9, 2015. Chang expects sales to rise at least 10 percent this year. Photographer: Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images
MORRIS CHANG, CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER OF TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD ALIX COLOW. PIC UP. Photographer: Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty ImagesPhotograph by Billy H.C. Kwok — Getty Images
  • Title
    Chairman
  • Company
    Taiwan Semiconductor

The world’s largest contract manufacturer for chips, Taiwan Semiconductor has been managing an impressive feat under founder Chang: spending big on R&D and still managing healthy (35%) net income margins. The formula has led to 60% cumulative revenue and earnings growth over the past three years. The company’s mobile business has stood out as it secured a contract to produce some A9 chips for Apple’s iPhone. Still, the outlook for 2016 is sobering, and Taiwan Semiconductor will have to fend off the likes of Samsung to compete to make the next-generation A10 chip. But its breadth of customers—Qualcomm, Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD, and many others—should help it defend its position.