Chris Tsai

General manager, Taipei Fubon Braves Basketball Team

 

Chris Tsai is the current vice chairman of Fubon Life Insurance, who has also achieved remarkable success in the sports industry over the past decade, managing professional basketball and baseball teams, contributing to the development of Taiwan's sports culture and embodying Fubon's brand spirit of 'Be positive All possible'

Chris Tsai joined the Fubon Group in 2014, serving as the General Manager of Fubon Sports & Entertainment, where he began his involvement with the Taipei Fubon Braves basketball team. Under his leadership, the team achieved its first-ever Super Basketball League (SBL) championship in 2019. In the same year, he led the Taipei Fubon Braves to join the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), expanding the team's reach into Asia. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he played a pivotal role in establishing the P. LEAGUE+, the Taiwan Professional Basketball League, and has guided the Taipei Fubon Braves to win the P. LEAGUE+ championship for three consecutive years since 2020. During his tenure as the team's leader, the Taipei Fubon Braves secured four total championships, establishing themselves as a dominant force in Taiwanese basketball.

Besides his remarkable achievements on the court, Tsai introduced the home-court operation business model to Taiwanese basketball. From team logo design and merchandise to in-game floor projections, lighting, sound, and artist performances, he not only improved the fan experience but also promoted a new business operation model in Taiwanese basketball, rekindling the sport's popularity in Taiwan.

During his time as the General Manager of Fubon Sports & Entertainment, Chris Tsai also established the Fubon Guardians baseball team in 2016. The team also secured the operation rights to the Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City the year after, transforming the stadium into a beloved venue for baseball fans, significantly improving the overall viewing experience. Fubon's efforts have invigorated the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), leading to the addition of two new teams and further fostering the development of professional baseball in Taiwan.

Tsai has also actively promoted a green transformation for domestic sports events. He pioneered the use of a professional basketball ticketing app, integrating digital technology into the sports industry, resulting in an average reduction of 6,000 paper tickets per game. The Fubon Guardians also integrated the ticketing app with e-tickets, saving nearly one hundred thousand paper tickets per year. They developed a Guardians Marketing App, reducing the need for printed schedules and promotional materials. Through collaborations with textile manufacturers, they introduced eco-friendly themed jerseys made from recycled PET bottles and coffee yarn. They also recycled player-worn jerseys, broken bats, damaged helmets, and cleats into green products, giving sports equipment a second life.

Fubon has backed Tsai’s efforts as he tirelessly promotes baseball and basketball, such as arranging annual visits by Fubon Guardians players and mascots to schools in New Taipei City to promote baseball among students. They also invite Little League teams and underprivileged groups to watch games for free. The Fubon Braves, in collaboration with the Fubon Charity Foundation, visit schools in rural areas to hold basketball events, promoting the sport to rural and underprivileged students. To establish the roots of basketball, they work together with local home venues and invite approximately one thousand elementary and junior high school students to watch games each season.