Terry Gou must name his successor: iPhone maker Foxconn needs another CEO

At present, Gou should be implementing strategies to cope with the downturn and communicating them across his sprawling empire

Before Terry Gou received a divine message to run for Taiwan’s presidency, the Foxconn founder said that he had stayed awake at night wondering what he could do for today’s youth.

That’s an admirable sentiment, but doesn’t much help his own shareholders when they need him most. The company’s major client, accounting for half of sales, is facing the biggest challenge in more than a decade. The tech sector overall is wrestling with a slowdown. And a trade war between China and the US puts Foxconn directly in the crossfire. 

Flagship Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. reported earnings late Tuesday.