Thailand buzzes with talented and fascinating individuals. In Success Stories, we get up close and personal with notable, prominent, and highly successful females in Thailand. Get to know about what they are working on, how they got to where they are, and what, in their view, is the definition of success.
Vira-Anong Chiranakhorn Phutrakul
Managing Director and Head of Consumer Banking, Citi
What are you currently working on?
At Citi, we never stop offering new products and services to customers, and increasingly more in regards to digitised offerings. On that note, we are working on an enhanced mobile app that will be able to do so much more. Recently, we have also launched many new partnerships with Mercedes, Grab an Lazada — so we are working hard to ensure success.
Tell us about your greatest achievement?
I am most proud that I have worked for Citi for 25 years. I have had the opportunity to work in many different roles, be it in corporate or consumer, in different spectrums of banking products, as well as in Thailand and other countries. I believe I have been able to carry out these roles well, and to the best of my abilities. But more importantly, I have also managed to have a balanced and happy family life.
What is your definition of success?
It’s being able to achieve the goals that you have set with an open mind, and learn new things and skills that help to continually improve oneself. Another achievement that I’m proud of is being a good role model for those still in the early stages of their careers, as well as helping women feel empowered and motivated to achieve great things in life.
Tipanat Lenbury
Country Manager, Swatch Group Thailand and Malaysia
What are you currently working on?
We have a total of 18 brands, from prestige brands like Breguet and Blancpain, to premium brands such as Omega, Longines, and Swatch. Our group is the biggest watch production company in the world, and we are expanding into both markets heavily, in all segments.
What are you planning to do next?
We are planning to bring in additional brands to Thailand, such as Harry Winston.
How do you define success?
Success, for me, has to include both work and family. In terms of work, it’s to do your best and to do even better tomorrow. For family, it’s to raise my kids well, so that they grow up to be happy, kind human beings. It’s also about them growing up to be responsible, not only for themselves, but also to
the environment.
Sutida Mongkolsuthree
CEO, Synnex Thailand
We are the number one IT distributor in Thailand. We look after more than 60 brands, including Huawei, Samsung, Apple, Cisco and Microsoft, to name just a few. We not only provide products, but services as well.
What are you planning on next?
Our company’s vision is to focus on our customers; so making people’s lives easier and better with technology is our priority. We keep providing and improving products and services and would like to expand our business to new territories, such as Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
What is your definition of success?
I think the definition of success is different for everyone. For me, success is to live a happy life and also to make the people around me happy.
Pintongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong
CEO, Rende Development
What is your current work schedule like?
It involves a lot of meetings and visiting sites for our hospitality and investment projects. I think managing time is an important aspect of my life, because I have to divide my time between work and my three young children.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I think it all starts with you first; on how you intend to find balance in things you want to prioritise, be it family, work or yourself. I always try to nd a healthy balance between all these three things, and on days where I can’t and work becomes a priority, I compensate and make up for my family and myself on other days.
What is your definition of success?
For me, success is getting to live a balanced life that is truly happy. One where you don’t dread going to work because it’s not stressful or unhappy. Meetings can be fun too and it doesn’t have to be serious all the time. When you get good energy from work and come home to your kids, you’ll be able to truly play and enjoy raising them too.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra
Deputy CEO, Rende Development
Tell us about what you do?
My sister is directly my boss, and together we take care of Rende Development. We oversee real estate and hotels such as Thames Valley Khao Yai and Alpine Golf & Sports Club in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. A recent addition is to our portfolio is Rosewood Bangkok, and we want to focus on running it well.
What is it like to work with your sister?
It’s not hard at all because we have been very close since childhood. She is only four years older than me, and the gap is just right because it’s not too much or too little, and still leaves
space for us to respect each other. I value her decisions and get the same respect from her – we’re honest in our communication with each other and that positively affects our dynamics.
How do you define success?
I feel that work and success should all start from passion. If you work without passion, it’s hard to be successful both in reality and in your mind. If you have passion, I feel like you are already halfway successful. My passion is not just work, but also people I work with. I’m very lucky to work with my sister Aim, and a team that shares the same work ethic as I do.
Charita Leelayudth
CEO, Thai Smile
What does your job entail?
Thai Smile is a subsidiary of Thai Airways and as a CEO, my job is to mobilise our strategies. One of the most important things we are working on now is digital transformation – online sales points and integrating with Thai Airways in all aspects.
Is there any one such area you are most passionate about?
Personally, I am doing a lot of CSR with my group of friends, where we are looking to help the three border provinces in the south by helping them to develop OTOP products in order to create more opportunities for their children and the community as a whole.
How do you define success?
Success for me is about the happiness of people around me, and to see the people in my family smile. Work-wise, it’s about being able to pass on happiness to my team, so they can be ready to pass on the happiness to their colleagues and customers too.
Naphaporn Bodiratnangkura
Managing Director, Nai Lert Group
Tell us about the new ventures you working on now?
This December, Park of Nai Lert will be launching our two new dining venues: a caviar restaurant called Caviar Café, and Samantao, which will serve old-fashioned coffee on a floating raft.
What are your future plans?
We have just signed with Aman hotels, and in the next three years Aman Nai Lert will be coming up. Beyond that, I’d like to someday get into politics and run for Bangkok governor. I want Bangkok to be better than this. I’m probably not cut out for it though, because I don’t have a poker face and just say what’s on my mind out loud!
What does success mean to you?
Success is when you wake up every day and can still smile. You feel content and fulfilled. I do feel like I am there for the time being, and with what I’m doing for now.
Vachira Jitsakdanont
Board of Director, Union Pan Exhibition
What are you currently working on?
We organise exhibitions and big events such as Furniture Expo and Food Expo, as well as events for supercars. However, our exhibitions are not only in Bangkok. We will have other big events in Pattaya and Khon Kaen at the end of this year.
Is there anything is particular that you would like to achieve?
We would like to have different kinds of exhibitions and big events, not only in Thailand, but also across Southeast Asia and Asia – such as consumer fairs in Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia.
What is your definition of success?
I think everyone can be successful in life, it just depends on what you expect from it. For me, if you are happy with everything in your work and family, it means that you are already successful in life.
Supavanit Eiamsakulrat
CEO, K.E. Group
Is there anything exciting you are working on right now?
We are doing a property development project called Crystal Solana, which is the most luxurious housing project on Pradit Manutham Road. It will be launched in the next couple of months.
What are your plans for the future?
Besides housing projects, we are working on our upcoming REIT – which is a real estate investment trust with assets of over 11 billion Baht, and an expected growth of 20
to 30 percent. We are the first to work with Bualuang, and of all the 10 investments, three are our own.
Define success?
Success if different for everyone, but in my view, success is in creating projects that are admired by customers, as well as the community and by our own staff.
Sutapa Amornvivat
CEO, SCB Abacus
Tell us about what you do?
I have set up a data-tech company under Siam Commercial Bank called SCB Abacus. We are focusing on using IA (Intelligence Augmentation) and big data technologies to help with nancial inclusion, because when we look at the economy, we see that a lot of the marginalised groups have trouble accessing nances, especially with lending.
What are you planning to do next?
We know that Thai people have adopted mobile technology and are major users of social media, but what we don’t see is that despite the mobile penetration, it doesn’t necessarily translate to digital literacy. I would like to contribute in some way to creating digital literacy for Thai people, because the biggest change in this environment is the digital privacy concern.
What is your definition of success?
I think success comes in bits and pieces rather than a huge achievement at the end of the rainbow. You can always de ne success as small things – such as, do you smile as much as you should
every day? That’s also a success, even more so on rainy days.
Videographer: Prach “Mega” Khananurak
Watch: Breguet
Location: Rosewood Bangkok
