Lenovo personal computer brand in China since 1997. In 2001, "Business Week" named him one of Asia's rising stars in business. Yang was president and CEO of Lenovo until 2004, when Lenovo closed its acquisition of IBM's PC division, after which Yang was succeeded as Lenovo CEO by IBM's Stephen M. Ward, Jr. Ward was succeeded by Bill Amelio on 20 December 2005. In February 2009, Yang replaced Amelio as CEO and has served in that capacity ever since. Yang was chairman of Lenovo's board from 2004 to 2008, and returned as chairman in 2012 alongside his role as CEO. In
Lenovo smartphones The "Le" series of devices, including the LePhone, LePad, and the LeTV were sold under the "idea" brand outside of China. The LePhone was thus known as the "ideaphone" in other markets. The "Le" pre-fix means "happy" in Mandarin Chinese and this branding is only used in Mainland China. In early 2013, Lenovo signed an endorsement deal with Kobe Bryant. Lenovo says Bryant was selected in order to further internationalize its brand while appealing to young consumers. Bryant made numerous appearances on behalf of Lenovo and was its main smartphone marketing campaign of the year in Asia. Lenovo sold its