Remembering Gianfranco Lanci

Today, in Piedmont, Italy, the birthplace of Gianfranco Lanci, I had the privilege and honor to attend his funeral and bid farewell to my long-time comrade-in-arms and dear friend.

I still can’t quite believe that Gianfranco has left this world he loves so much forever. A year and a half ago I flew to Milan to celebrate his retirement and presented him with an embroidered portrait – his surprise at my visit and trademark smile matching the picture perfectly. When we said goodbye, we made an appointment to meet in Beijing again when the pandemic travel restrictions were lifted. Before Christmas last year, he wrote to me with excitement saying that he was planning to come to Beijing this February, and I invited him to come to my house for a reunion. Unexpectedly, instead of seeing him again, I have had to say goodbye to him forever today.

Inviting Gianfranco into the Lenovo family was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I vividly remember the first time we met in a restaurant more than 10 years ago, and although at first his Italian English and my Chinese English made it hard for us to understand each other, it did not prevent us knowing immediately that our friendship and partnership was set to be something special. We soon discovered that we had a shared passion – to reach the top of the world's PC market.

Over the next ten years, with his insight into the industry and his outstanding leadership, Gianfranco led Lenovo's personal computer business, navigating all and any challenges to become the undisputed global market champion. Everyone that worked with him will remember his famous mantra - "We can do more." And that’s not just what he said but what he did too. After winning the PC championship, Gianfranco knew we could do more. He expanded the smart devices business and spared no effort to support Lenovo’s service-led transformation, all the while committed to pursuing what he knew made a difference – operational excellence. Gianfranco was a huge fan of the Chinese culture. He actively promoted cross-cultural integration inside and outside the company and was essential in establishing our unique competitiveness with a "Global Sourcing, Local Delivery" model. After his retirement, we continue to benefit from his contributions. All this has also won him the respect of countless peers and even competitors.

For me personally, Gianfranco was not only a comrade-in-arms, but an advisor who inspired me, and a friend who made me laugh. He may not have been the loudest voice in the room, but when Gianfranco spoke, we all listened.

In those ten years, we often chatted over a glass of wine in between intense business trips. After retiring, Gianfranco invested further in his favorite wine business in Italy. I told him that when I retire, I’d love to partner with him again in the wine business, for at least we can now understand each other’s English perfectly after working together for a decade.

As we say in China, you can accompany a friend a thousand miles, and yet there is bound to be a parting in the end. I will always hold the memories of all those extraordinary years dear to my heart.