Taiwan Acer executive to replace Gateway CEO

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Ed Coleman, who joined Gateway in September 2006, would be replaced by Rudi Schmidleithner, Acer's Pan America Organization head, the company said in a statement.

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's Acer Inc <2353.TW>, the world's No.3 computer vendor, said on Friday that one of its own executives will replace the chief executive of its newly acquired Gateway unit.

Ed Coleman, who joined Gateway in September 2006, would be replaced by Rudi Schmidleithner, Acer's Pan America Organization head, the company said in a statement.

"He (Schmidleithner) will head both companies going forward, and be responsible for completing the post merger integration program within the Acer Group," the firm said.

Acer bought U.S. rival Gateway for $710 million in October to bolsters its position in North American. The purchase pushed the company, which is also in the process of buying Paris-based Packard Bell, past archrival Lenovo <0992.HK> to become the world's third largest PC seller.

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Acer and Lenovo <0992.HK> compete with larger industry rivals Dell <DELL.O> and Hewlett-Packard <HPQ.N>.

(Reporting by Sheena Lee)