Source of the article: Forbes Asia's Power Business-Women 2024
Edited by Rana Wehbe Watson
Businesswomen in Asia-Pacific are stepping up and taking the helm in industries with no shortage of challenges. As economic uncertainties continue to loom over businesses everywhere, these 20 women have been entrusted to lead enterprises, investment firms and family businesses to continuous growth and stability.
This list features a number of industry veterans who set precedent by becoming the first women to step into these roles at their companies. Some have taken on booming industries including EVs and server hardware production to meet growing demand, while others are running property developers and steering them through tough market conditions. The entrants this year represent a new generation of businesswomen with bold strategies, who are ready to face any difficulties head-on. They were chosen for their accomplishments and proven success as leaders in the business world.
Maggi Chen cofounded the Taiwan-listed company in 1983 with her husband, Leon Chen, and younger brother Frank. Over the next 30 years, she guided Chenbro Micom from designing computer chassis—the housing for a computer’s main parts—to manufacturing them, often taking on smaller, custom orders, and extending its manufacturing operations into China.
Chen recognized the growing demand for server chassis as the AI, 5G and cloud industries developed, and later redirected the company to focus on server chassis production. Today the company, which counts leading chipmaker Nvidia among its clients, is one of the world’s largest producers of chassis for servers. First-half revenue in 2024 jumped 53% to NT$6.4 billion ($198 million) year-on-year while net profit surged 176% to NT$833 million.
In 2020, Chen reshored some of its manufacturing to Taiwan. The company’s new NT$2.5 billion plant is in Chiayi County, next to Chen’s native Yunlin County, and is designed to resemble stacked servers. Chen, who came from a modest background in central Taiwan, served as the company’s president until 2013 and was named chairman in 2009. She graduated in 1977 from National Chengchi University’s Department of Money and Banking.
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