Behind the Screens: How Dean Tsai and His Team Turned ViewSonic’s Projector Business into 9x Growth

At the heart of ViewSonic’s innovation are the people who drive it — and Behind the Screens is where we meet them. In this edition, we shine a light on our projection and LED business.

We sat down with Dean Tsai, General Manager of the Projector & LED Display Business Unit, to explore how he and his team turned a mature legacy segment into one of ViewSonic’s fastest-growing business units — achieving 9x growth in large venue projectors within just two years, securing the #1 global position in DLP projectors, and reaching #2 across all projector technologies.

But this story is about more than just numbers. It’s about a team with a shared vision — one that blends technical expertise, business acumen, and a deep focus on user needs to shape the future of display solutions. From redefining the projector experience to entering the competitive LED display space, Dean and his team offer a behind-the-scenes look at two product categories that have become part of daily life — spanning classrooms, auditoriums, meeting rooms, shopping malls, and even home entertainment.

1. How did your journey to ViewSonic begin?

I’ve been drawn to visual technology since early on, which led me to study optoelectronics and build what’s become a 25-year career in projection. I started out managing projector operations across Europe for what's now one of our competitors, gaining hands-on experience in a wide range of markets. After several years abroad, I returned to Taiwan to deepen my understanding of the APAC region and later stepped into a sales director role in consumer electronics.

That’s when ViewSonic approached me to lead their projector business. I knew the brand well and saw clear opportunities to connect its strong foundation with unmet market needs and emerging opportunities to create value. My deep experience in projection technology — paired with a passion for crafting user-centric solutions — aligned perfectly with ViewSonic’s vision. I was energized by the challenge of helping turn a respected legacy brand into a global leader in visual solutions.

2. How did you approach this transformation?

The same way my team and I approach every project: by challenging ourselves, embracing change, and constantly striving to outperform who we were yesterday.

For me, it’s always about spotting where real change can happen — not just in the tech specs, but in how people actually use the product. In projection, we recognized early that lamp-free technologies could solve a lot of the pain points that came with conventional lamp projectors: limited lifespan, lower brightness over time, and the environmental impact of mercury lightbulbs. We were early movers in this space, and that gave us a real advantage as the market evolved. Today, with regulations like the EU’s upcoming 2027 mercury lamp ban, that early decision continues to pay off.

At the same time, we didn’t want to limit ourselves to just one category. Expanding into LED displays opened up new opportunities to rethink large-scale visual solutions. We pioneered the All-in-One design, which first led to standard models, and over time evolved into foldable and customizable solutions that simplify installation, lower ownership costs, and make high-end visuals much more accessible to a wider range of customers. As demand for larger, more flexible display solutions continues to grow across industries, this has allowed us to stay ahead of the curve and keep unlocking new opportunities for growth.

3. What’s been your leadership approach in building and scaling the projector and LED business?

It’s about setting a clear direction while giving the team the space to own the work — trusting and empowering them, but staying close enough to support when needed to keep us on track. My role is to define where we’re headed — whether that’s shifting from lamp to lamp-free, or opening new channels like ProAV — and give the team the freedom to innovate and execute. Open dialogue and transparency are critical, they create the space for creativity to thrive and for real ownership to take shape. Staying agile comes from focusing on solutions, staying efficient, and creating an environment where decisions get made quickly without unnecessary layers.

4. What sets your team’s culture apart and helps you move fast in a changing market?

We have a team that brings together technical experts, market strategists, and creative thinkers — all driven by a shared passion for visual innovation. It’s a combination of deep expertise, market insight, and strong problem-solving that allows us to adapt quickly when things change. Having been in the industry for so long, I’d say our ability to pivot is actually quite unique, whether it’s anticipating new regulations like the EU’s mercury lightbulb ban or evolving our All-in-One design into customizable LED solutions to better meet actual market needs. We move with focus, always keeping the user experience at the center. It’s a supportive environment where every day brings new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow. Staying efficient and adaptable is what allows us to keep delivering as the business evolves.

5. What kind of people grow and succeed in your business unit?

The people who grow here are the ones who stay curious, embrace change, and take ownership of their work. I look for people who question how things are done and actively search for ways to improve. When, during an interview, someone gets excited walking through the details of how they solved a complex challenge, or lights up when discussing user pain points, I know they’ll do well here. From a business line manager identifying new market opportunities, to a product manager digging into customer needs, an engineer turning those insights into products, a procurement specialist securing the right partnerships, or a marketer shaping the message to connect with customers — it’s that combination of initiative, collaboration, and problem-solving that keeps the team moving forward.

6. What would you say to people who might be interested in joining ViewSonic’s Projector & LED Display BU?

Joining this team means being part of something that’s constantly evolving. You’ll have the chance to work on technologies that are shaping the future of projection and LED — from more sustainable projection solutions to foldable and customizable LED displays. But more than the products, it’s about working with a team that’s collaborative, ambitious, and focused on making a real impact. My advice is simple: bring your creativity, your curiosity, and your willingness to take ownership. If you’re ready to grow, solve problems, and help us keep pushing what’s possible, you’ll find plenty of opportunity here.

7. Looking back, is there a particular team achievement that stands out?

We’ve recently hit some exciting milestones that really reflect the team’s hard work over the past few years. After entering the large venue projector market in 2023 with our first 5000+ ANSI Lumens model, we recorded 9x growth in that segment by Q1 2025. On top of that, we became the #1 DLP projector brand globally and reached #2 across all projector technologies.

These results didn’t happen overnight. They’re the outcome of staying close to customer needs, anticipating where the market is heading, and executing with speed and precision across teams.

It’s that same philosophy—the one that’s driven our success in projectors—that we brought to the All-in-One LED display category. More than expanding our portfolio, we saw clear opportunities to solve meaningful challenges with this technology—for end users, installers, and ProAV partners alike.

We launched our first model in 2021, and since then, the team has worked closely with users to refine both the technology and the design—making it simpler, faster to deploy, and more accessible. That’s what helped us reach customers who might not have considered LED before and build strong momentum in the ProAV space.

Seeing users’ reactions to our 135-inch foldable LED display was one of those moments where you could truly feel the impact of what the team had accomplished.

8. What are you most looking forward to?

What keeps me motivated is continuing to lead a team that’s not just responding to where the market is going, but actively shaping what comes next — whether that’s with lamp-free projection, All-in-One LED, or whatever new opportunity emerges. Every milestone we’ve achieved — from opening a new product category with the M1 portable projector, to introducing the first foldable LED display, to reaching the global No. 2 position across all projector categories — only reinforces that drive to keep pushing boundaries and delivering solutions that make a real difference for our customers.

Final Thoughts

That’s it for this edition of Behind the Screens. We hope this conversation with Dean Tsai offered meaningful insight into how his team is approaching the projector and LED markets — from launching new products to achieving 9x growth in just two years, and breaking into new categories along the way. At the core of it all: a user-first mindset, a strong sense of ownership, and a culture built on agility.

More stories like this are coming. Stay tuned for the next edition of Behind the Screens to meet more of the people shaping ViewSonic’s future from the inside out.

At a Glance: Dean Tsai and His Team on Expanding ViewSonic's Projector Business

• Dean Tsai leads ViewSonic’s Projector & LED Display Business Unit with a focus on user-first innovation, agility, and long-term impact.
• Under his leadership, the team achieved 9x growth in large venue projectors within two years, became the #1 DLP projector brand globally, and reached #2 across all projector technologies.
• Early investment in lamp-free technology positioned the business ahead of major environmental regulations and helped meet evolving customer needs.
• The team also pioneered the All-in-One LED display category, launching foldable and customizable solutions that simplify installation and expand accessibility in the ProAV space.
• A shared culture of ownership, curiosity, and cross-functional collaboration is at the heart of their continued momentum.
• For Dean and his team, success isn’t just about hitting milestones — it’s about shaping how people connect through visual experiences.