This time last summer, Fred Liu and Ben Ho were still stepping up to higher ranks within HTC to fill the void left by departing top-level executives. Liu had been HTCs President of Engineering and Operations since replacing Matthew Costello in June 2013 whereas Ben Ho managed the companys marketing efforts since late 2012. Ho, in particular, has been prominent in communicating HTCs long-term plans to worried investors and analysts, and his job hasnt been made easy by a continuous exodus of high-ranking HTC officials. Although Ho was placed in a tough situation by HTCs shrinking sales and protracted malaise, the companys greatest weakness during his tenure remained its marketing.