Senior executives at networking vendor D-Link have spoken of their sadness at the death of the company's founder and chief executive Ken Kao.

Kao died of natural causes on 2 April at the age of 58. He founded D-Link in 1986 and under his stewardship the Taiwanese vendor became one of the world's top networking vendors with offices in 58 countries and a yearly turnover of more than $1bn.

D-Link president J.C. Liao said: "Ken was a visionary leader who combined extraordinary intellect with boundless energy and enthusiasm. Ken’s impact and influence on the success of building D-Link into the company it is today will survive for a long time. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy of achievement and an accomplished management team that is committed to continuing his strategic vision."

A.P. Chen, chief financial officer for D-Link, said: "Ken was an exceptional friend and business partner who will be greatly missed by his friends, co-workers and family. He will be remembered by many as an extremely caring individual who strived to make life better for so many people. While we mourn Ken’s passing, we must also remember and appreciate his life’s achievements.”