cosy with the past and present, asM Pacific boss faces future as teacher
Patrick Lam See-pong has always had more of an air of a professor about him than a high-powered businessman, so it was no surprise to learn that the chief executive of ASM Pacific Technology was stepping down to spend the next 10 years teaching at universities and being a mentor for young entrepreneurs.
After spending the past 31 years building up his microchip-assembly equipment company, 57-year-old Mr Lam has decided to 'reorder my priorities in life' and follow in the teaching footsteps of his parents, his brother, his sister and his son Edmond, who is a professor of engineering at the University of Hong Kong.
At Monday's announcement of ASM's record interim profit, Mr Lam maintained his schoolmasterly approach by preferring to give industry forecasts for the semiconductor business rather than his own opinion.
'Sorry, I don't give projections as my chances of getting them right is only 50 per cent. I only talk about the past and present, not the future.'
Welcome to the academic world, Mr Lam.