HTC CMO Pushed Out as Company Focuses on "Resurgence" Of Brand

HTC’s chief marketing officer Ben Ho has reportedly offered his resignation and will depart the firm by the end of the year, according to Bloomberg. Additionally, another HTC executive, president of engineering and operations Fred Liu, is retiring. The news outlet suggested Ho’s move may have followed chairwoman Cher Wang’s more hands-on approach with products and marketing.

The departure comes ahead of the launch of HTC’s first wearable device, which is expected by the end of this year. It also follows HTC’s promise to make a bigger effort in marketing its products around the world, particularly its flagship phones like the HTC One (M8) which faces increased competition from LG, Samsung and Apple. HTC suggested in a response to TechnoBuffalo that perhaps Ho was pushed out in an attempt to refresh its marketing department in general.

“HTC’s dedication to innovation drives us to pursue our goals,” an HTC spokesperson told TechnoBuffalo . “We are taking the necessary steps to create a resurgence of the HTC brand. As a company, we will continue to push forward, making the hard decisions needed to continue growing as a global presence. We are confident that the business steps we have taken, and continue to take, are the right ones to lead to a strong resurgence of the HTC brand. HTC continues to invest in talent and recruitment as part of our broader human resources strategy to ensure the continued strength of our company’s organizational structure.”

In April, two other HTC executives announced that they were leaving the firm, including senior director Ford Davidson and design lead Scott Croyle, both of which departed to pursue other ambitions.