C.C. Lee was born in Pingtung, Donggang in 1948. After his graduation from the Department of Pharmacy at the Kaohsiung Medical University and the completion of his National Service as a Reserved Officer, he was admitted as a Sales Representative to the Western Medicine Department of the American Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in Taiwan. His down-to-earth attitude and hard work delivered outstanding results, and he was quickly promoted to the position of Regional Manager within just one year and three months. In 1976, at the age of 28, he used a Youth Business Startup Loan granted by the National Youth Commission, Executive Yuan, to setup Taiwan Maywufa (the predecessor of the Maywufa Healthcare Group).
The company started out as an agent for the US VO5 shampoo. It subsequently set up a factory in Taoyuan Youth Industrial Park that later produced and successfully developed a self-owned brand – Maywufa®, which included products such as hair dyes, shampoos, and hair care products.The Maywufa Biopharma Group is currently comprised of Maywufa Co, Ltd (a stock exchange listed company),PhytoHealth Co, Ltd(a stock exchange listed company), AmCad Biomed Co, Ltd (an OTC listed company), Taiwan Incubator SME Co., and Maywufa Cosmetics(Shanghai) Co. Ltd, etc. Since its inception, the Group has continuously innovated and expanded its business scope under the strategy of “Evolving with the changing times via steady innovation”. Meanwhile, Group Chairperson C.C. Lee has received numerous awards in recognition of his outstanding achievements, such as the "1st Youth Model Entrepreneur Award", "National Top 10 Outstanding Youths Award", "K.T. Lee Administration Medal", "Kaohsiung Medical University Outstanding Alumni Award" and the "National Taipei University of Technology's Honorary Doctorate".
Under the leadership of Group Chairperson C.C. Lee, Maywufa Healthcare Group has expanded its business scope to include Maywufa® hairdressing products, new drug research and development, AI oriented innovative medical device, the pharmacy franchise, health food, etc. He attaches great importance to product quality and believes that "a Trademark is a responsibility and a Brand is the raison d'être (of the company)". In line with this spirit, the Maywufa Healthcare Group will continue to invest in product innovation and R&D to provide quality products and services.
In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, the Ministry of Economic Affairs hosted a selection of the Top 100 Taiwan brands from across all industries to represent Taiwan. Thanks to its successful brand management, industry leadership status, and financial stability, Maywufa® emerged from the competition to win recognition as the “TOP 100 Taiwan Brand Award”, becoming the only hair product brand in Taiwan to receive the award. The “Pharmacy Franchise” is the nation's largest professional dispensing pharmacy and has won the "Outstanding Innovative Enterprise Award" and the “Golden Quality Pharmacy Franchise Award” from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.PhytoHealth Co, Ltd. is Taiwan’s first stock exchange listed company for the research and development of new drugs and has won honors such as the prestigious “National Innovation Award” and the “Bio Taipei Award”. PhytoHealth’s “PG2 Injection” is the first new drug to obtain approval from the TFDA under the Ministry of Health and Welfare and is currently the world’s only new drug to alleviate “cancer-related fatigue”. “AmCad Biomed” combines artificial intelligence (AI) with early cancer diagnosis technology and has successfully developed several world-firsts in AI oriented innovative medical devices. In addition to winning the National Innovation Award, AmCad Biomed also owns the world's first computer-aided thyroid ultrasound detection system. Its medical devices have met the standards required by the USFDA, CE Marking, and CFDA for commercial release, making it the pride of Taiwan.
In 1982, C.C. Lee served as the Chairperson of the “National Association of Young Entrepreneurs”. During his term, he founded a mentorship program called “Business Teacher Chang” to help youth entrepreneurs overcome many startup-related issues. The program proved highly effective and C.C. Lee received the “Social Education Public Service Award” by the Ministry of Education. Since 1985, C.C. Lee served as a Committee Member of the “Ministry of Economic Affairs Industrial Development Advisory Committee” for over 20 years, providing advice to the Ministry on behalf of the business community.
In 1989, he served as Chairperson of the “National Association of Small & Medium Enterprises R.O.C.”, and in 1992 he organized and hosted the first ever “National Award for Outstanding SMEs” to confer the highest recognition upon outstanding SMEs that have made significant contributions to the nation’s economy and society. In 2008, he initiated the founding of the “Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation, Taiwan” in order to safeguard SMEs’ interests and promote economic development. In 2009, he established the “National SME Development Award” to recognize individuals who have made major contributions to the development of Taiwan SMEs.
Furthermore, C.C. Lee also served as a Director and Supervisor of the “Straits Exchange Foundation” since its establishment in 1990, investing both time and money in promoting cross-strait industrial and commercial exchange. In 1996, he was elected as the 3rd Representative-at-large of the National Assembly to promote the inclusion of legislation that protects SMEs into the Constitution. In 1997, he served as the first Chairperson of the “R.O.C. Non-Profit Organization Service Association” and organized the first “National Public Service Award” to recognize talented and charitable individuals from all walks of life. During his term as the Chairperson of the “Taiwan Federation of Industry” and the “Taiwan Province Industry Association” in 2001, he served the industrial associations of all counties and cities across the country, actively reflecting the opinions of grassroots industries and offering suggestions on policies conducive to Taiwan's trade and economic development.
While running the business, C.C. Lee also plays an active role in serving businesses, constantly putting forth practical suggestions in a timely and appropriate manner while acting as an important bridge of communication between the government and the business community. His outstanding contributions are widely recognized by all sectors of society. In addition to being awarded the “Economic Professional Award” - the highest accolade conferred by the Ministry of Economic Affairs - he also represented the industrial and business sector as the National Policy Advisor for the Presidential Office and the Political Advisor for the Executive Yuan. C.C. Lee is also the first person to have held the post of Chairperson of two of the six largest industrial and commercial organizations (the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, Taiwan, the Chinese National Federation of Industries, the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China, the National Association of Small & Medium Enterprises R.O.C., the Taiwan Federation of Industry, and the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association).
As the head of an organization, C.C. Lee adheres to lifelong learning and continued education, absorbing new knowledge from time to time while keeping abreast of global and social trends. He attended the 1st EMBA course held by the NTU College of Management, the 1st Entrepreneurship class by the NCCU Department of Business Administration, and even the UCLA EMBA course in America. He practices “learning while doing and doing while learning” and “practice makes perfect”. He believes that self-investment, learning new things, expanding his network, and increasing his knowledge and skills will better prepare him for the future.
"Other people's viewpoints are mirrors for self-reflection". Despite his high position, C.C. Lee always "observes others and reflects upon himself" - he has witnessed the ups and downs of the corporate world, and seen countless people losing themselves in applause and becoming blinded by their success. He always remembers to “return to the basics and take each day as a fresh new start”, and to keep his emotions from being affected by success or failure. He believes that life is not a bed of roses, but corporate managers do not have the right to be pessimistic. Leaders should always be optimistic. “Always maintain a positive mindset, constantly keep your emotions in balance, keep redefining yourself along the way and embrace the road ahead.”
C.C. Lee has a strong desire for success in his career and the pursuit of excellence, but he also understands that the stable development of a business is more important than its accelerated expansion. A famous of his quote is "It only takes one loss to undo nine wins”. Therefore, he believes in finding the optimal scale, doing things efficiently, setting targets and priorities, and following through the execution of each step, in order to reach the goal. In addition to his career, he also values the balanced development of his health, career, family and community activities. C.C. Lee applies the “A Little More Philosophy” to his work and everyday life - he shares, “Do things a little earlier, put in a little more effort, have a little more patience, share a little more. Do not underestimate the power of ‘A Little More’, for it will have a profound effect on the future."
He encourages youths by saying that opportunities can be found everywhere, and there is a unique calling for everyone. There are always people who are willing to help, and there is always a silver lining in the most desolate of situations. He reminds youths to be grateful for what they have in life, for blessings come more readily to people who are thankful. He says life is like a drama and we are all actors with unique roles to play, “Do what you were meant to do, and do it well”. Decades of experience has taught him that there is no shortcut to success - it is only earned through continuous learning and lots of hard work, remaining firm to one’s beliefs, and keeping one’s feet on the ground. It is never too late to start, as long as youths are willing to be industrious, they will never experience a lack of opportunities in life.