Background: Former vice president of tax and financial planning at Smith International.
*
Wai Szeto
Title: Vice president, corporate development
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AST Is at the Crossroads : Computers: Irvine firm's reinvention as major PC maker is leadership test for co-founder Safi U. Qureshey.
Background: Former vice president of AST engineering
*
Richard Diamond
Title: Vice president, information services
Background: Former director of management information systems at Verbatim Corp.
*
Gerald Devlin
Title: Vice president, sales, Americas
Background: Former general manager of Apple's western operations
*
Scott Smith
Title: Vice president, engineering
Background: Formerly with IBM engineering
*
Howard Elias
Title: Vice president, worldwide marketing
Background: Former head of sales and marketing at Tandy's PC division
*
Katherine Curtin Young
Title: Vice president, supply management
Background: Former vice president of corporate materials at Conner Peripherals. Also at IBM for 29 years.
*
Don Leighton
Title: Vice president, worldwide product services
Background: Former vice president of Digital's Equipment Corp.'s U.S. operations and general manager of product services
*
Stephen Stoecker
Title: Vice president, worldwide quality and process improvement
Background: Symbol Technologies, Cipher Data Products and Storage Technology Corp. quality and productivity operations.
Sources: AST Research Inc., Times reports; Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times
AST on the Fast Track
AST Research, Orange County's largest computer manufacturer, in just 13 years has broken into the ranks of the top 10 companies in terms of units shipped. It is projected to have the third-fastest growth of the top 10 in 1993. Personal computers shipped worldwide, in thousands:
Company 1992 1993* % change IBM 3,200 4,320 35% Apple 2,780 3,336 20% Compaq 1,555 2,955 90% Commodore 1,443 1,082 -25% NEC 1,345 1,426 6% Packard Bell 700 910 30% Dell 675 1,181 75% Toshiba 650 764 18% AST 594 921 55% Olivetti 550 605 10%
* Projected
Source: International Data Corp.; Researched by JANICE L. JONES / Los Angeles Times
The Founders: Where Are They Now?
The legendary threesome of immigrant entrepreneurs still reside in Orange County, each pursuing a separate dream.
Albert V. Wong: Left AST in 1988. Founded Amkly Systems, a start-up computer firm a year later, but price wars forced him to close it in 1992.
Safi U. Qureshey: AST president/CEO.
Thomas C.K. Yuen: Left AST in June, 1992. Founded Atlantis Computers Inc., a start-up company based in Irvine.
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