MA-tek Chairman Hsieh Yung-Fen was awarded the 2023 Top 30 Female CEOs in Taiwan by Harvard Business.

"At that time, everyone told me, you are already 43 years old, so old, why start a business?" Xie Yongfen recalled that she entered the semiconductor industry in the 1990s, which was the most prosperous era. When she left her job, the stocks and cash in her hands should be worth over a hundred million, and everyone thought there was no need for her to wade through muddy waters. Xie Yongfen emphasized that there are many choices in life; it's very easy to go home and enjoy life, but it's very boring. Should she wash clothes and cook every day at home? "Actually, I am quite good at washing clothes and cooking, I just feel that those things are not challenging," she said with a smile.

In addition, the testing laboratory that Hsieh Yong-Fen wants to establish requires the use of transmission electron microscopes and secondary ion mass spectrometers, which cost tens of millions. In the past, only national-level laboratories could afford such equipment. After hearing this, friends and family felt that such an investment would be a "waste of money." However, the quality of semiconductor materials hinges on the concentration of impurities, which can only be measured using such advanced instruments. Hsieh Yong-Fen firmly believes that establishing such a testing company can significantly accelerate the development of semiconductor processes, which absolutely meets the demand of the Taiwanese and even international markets.

MA-tek's main business can be likened to a health check-up for the human body. When there are problems with the body, it first needs to be diagnosed by internal medicine, performing imaging and contrast checks on the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys to identify the problematic areas; then it moves to surgery for biopsy and component analysis, ultimately removing the lesions. However, the outside world is often curious, since the quality of materials is so important, don't high-tech companies have their own testing laboratories? "Every time people ask me how I compete with these international giants, but why should I compete with them? They are the legitimate wife, I am the mistress. The mistress has to pick up what the legitimate wife doesn't do, that's how you have performance!" Internal laboratories of semiconductor companies always have endless projects, so what they don't want to do, what is inconvenient for them to do, or what they can't finish, are all opportunities for MA-tek.

With the booming development of semiconductors, MA-tek's performance has also skyrocketed, with revenue nearing 4 billion in 2022, almost doubling compared to 2018, and an EPS of 10.12, setting a new historical high. The main reason is the accelerated overseas expansion, including locations in Xiamen and Shenzhen in mainland China, as well as Nagoya and Kumamoto in Japan. MA-tek now has 14 testing laboratories worldwide, with a goal of reaching 20 in the next 10 years. However, Xie Yongfen also lamented that the push to expand abroad is due to the limitations of the Taiwanese market, where no matter what people buy, they only ask about "price" and not "value." "Everyone is haggling, and everyone is playing the role of a purchaser, which is a serious distortion of values," she lamented. Xie Yongfen, who is intelligent, quick-witted, and has a solid technical foundation, is her subordinates under a lot of pressure when working with her? "(The pressure) is indeed unavoidable, and I sympathize with them," she admitted. She acknowledges that she is a "iron-blooded" boss and emphasizes that centralized governance is more efficient than democratic politics, which is an unchanging fact. Having gone through the early days of entrepreneurship when many looked down on her, Xie Yongfen never expected the company to reach such a scale today, proving that as long as one holds onto ideals and courage, they can achieve great success.

The above information is extracted from the Harvard Business Review.