Stan Shih, one of the biggest names in the computer industry, returned to take control of Acer after J.T. Wang stepped down. Shih founded Acer, originally called Multitech, in 1976, and the Taiwanese company became one of the largest PC manufacturers in the world. He served as CEO and chairman of Acer for many years before retiring in 2004. Shih came out of retirement in November when Acer's board tapped him to take over as chairman and interim president; the company later named Jason Chen as full-time president and CEO, while Shih remains as chairman.