Lacquer Craft Furniture Appoints Daniel Liao Senior Vice President Of Finance

Furniture World News Desk on 7/21/2015

Yuang-Whang “Daniel” Liao has been appointed senior vice president of finance for Lacquer Craft Furniture, a new position for the company.

In his new role, Liao will be responsible for matters relating to corporate finance, capital markets, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate development. He also will assist with strategic planning and other financial management activities. He reports to Mohamad Amini, president of Lacquer Craft and executive director of Samson Holding Ltd.

“We are pleased to welcome Daniel back to the Lacquer Craft management team,” says Amini. “With our upcoming strategic initiatives to invest over $30 million over the next three years in our factories in China, his wealth of experience in the financial sector and deep knowledge of Lacquer Craft, Samson and the furniture industry as a whole will be a great asset. As a longtime supporter of Samson, we look forward to working with him again.”

Since 2007, Liao has served as a non-executive director of Samson Holding Ltd. and served as director of investor relations for Samson Holding and as vice president and chief financial officer of the subsidiaries of Lacquer Craft from 2003 to 2007. He also previously served as CEO of China Tianyi Holdings Ltd. He has worked for more than 12 years in the financial sector, serving in a range of positions, including executive director and CFO of China LotSynergy Holdings Ltd.; investment director of the private equity department at Citibank Hong Kong; and financial officer, risk analyst and vice president of private equity at Citibank, Taipei.

Liao obtained a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Management Science from National Chiao Tung University in 1991 and a Master’s of Philosophy degree in Management from Cambridge University in 1999.

“Daniel will play a key strategic role as we implement our ambitious program of new strategic initiatives aimed at improving productivity, enhancing service and reducing our environmental footprint,” Amini says. “He has a proven track record that will help us control costs and boost efficiencies as we move forward with the implementation of new equipment, systems and processes.”

“With the company’s aggressive initiatives and momentum, this is a very exciting time for Lacquer Craft Furniture,” says Liao. “Because of our long association, I have the greatest respect for this management team and look forward to playing a role in the next phase of our growth and development.”

In April, Lacquer Craft Furniture announced that it has launched strategic initiatives at its Dongguan and Jiashan manufacturing operations that will set new standards for the industry. The improvements will substantially expand production of wooden products for both the residential and hospitality industries, increase efficiency, and reduce emissions to bring both facilities into compliance with China’s new environmental regulations. The initiatives also will provide an additional 500 containers of production capacity per month from the two plants, which together total more than six million square feet. The new lines also will incorporate the use of new environmentally-friendly, water-based finishing processes.

About Lacquer Craft: Lacquer Craft Furniture is a vertically integrated manufacturing resource committed to providing manufacturing excellence with exceptional style, function, and durability at an affordable cost. A division of Samson Holding Ltd. (531:Hong Kong), the company produces furniture for a diversified brand portfolio that includes Universal Furniture, Smartstuff™ by Universal Furniture, Paula Deen Home, Legacy Classic Furniture, Legacy Classic Kids, Wendy Bellissimo, Craftmaster Furniture, Lacquer Craft Hospitality, Willis & Gambier (UK), Universal Furniture China and Athome. In addition, the company manufactures OEM products for other select companies globally. Products cross all furniture categories including a mix of materials and upholstery, using the most advanced manufacturing operations, global warehousing and logistics systems available. Founded in 1995 in Dongguan, China, the company also has plants in Jiashan and Bangladesh, and today is one of the top furniture producers in the world with 10,000 dedicated employees.