Chi Mei Group Chairman Frank Liao passes away on Sunday at 85

奇美集團董事長廖錦祥於週日辭世，享年85歲

Chi Mei Group founder Hsu Wen-lung said Liao took good care of employees and was a very humble person


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Chi Mei Group Chairman Frank Liao (廖錦祥) died of natural causes on Sunday (Sept. 25) at the age of 85, according to a press release issued by the group on Monday.

The release said that Liao had worked for Chi Mei Group for 60 years, beginning in 1962. During his time there, he participated in and witnessed the globalization of the group and made outstanding contributions through his dedication to the two fields of art, culture, and medical care.

Chairman Liao's family will follow the chairman's last wishes and keep everything about the funeral simple: no obituaries, no public memorial ceremonies, no mourning halls, and no bouquets accepted.

Liao, who was Chi Mei Group founder Hsu Wen-lung’s (許文龍) wife’s brother and 10 years younger than the founder, joined the company when he was young, and started from the lowest level of warehouse management, CNA reported. The two were in-laws and partners.

In 2004, he took over the chairmanship of Chi Mei Corporation from Hsu until 2012, when it was handed over to Hsu Chun-hua (許春華), Hsu Wen-lung’s younger male cousin.

Hsu Wen-lung said in his biography that Liao is not very smart, but he has done everything, so he takes good care of employees, understands where the difficulties are, and is a very humble person.

After retiring from the business field, Liao, like Hsu Wen-lung, devoted himself to the public fields of art, culture, and medical care. He continued to serve as the chairman of Chi Mei Medical Center and the Chi Mei Museum Foundation.

After Liao resigned as the chairman of the Chi Mei Museum Foundation in 2020, he rarely appeared in public. Recently, it had been reported that his health was poor, per CNA.