Editorial | ThaiBev CEO Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi and his passion for social enterprise

One of the best things about being an executive editor for Elite+ is that I get to meet a lot of truly inspiring people who are not just successful in their career, but have made a positive contribution to the society and world they live in. Quite often, those are the truly great leaders who have encountered many obstacles, and yet they move forward and keep inspiring all who meet them. And I have learned that some of the most successful people in business are the most humble. That is the case with ThaiBev’s president and CEO, Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi.

It was my great honour and pleasure to interview Thapana, who has been involved with the Pracharath Policy, or people-state partnership model, a government policy initiated in 2016 to reduce inequality, enhance competitive capacity and develop human resources throughout Thailand. He is a leader of the private sector, which works closely with the public, academic, civil society and people’s sectors, to boost the rural economy through area-based social enterprise initiatives throughout Thailand. He is very active in setting up 76 social enterprises around the country and helping local communities achieve their business goals. I truly admire him as he’s one of the successful people who shares what he receives. Thapana reminds me, “When life gives you in abundance, make sure you share and help others.” I am sure you will be inspired by his story and vision to help improve people’s lives.

Apart from Thapana, we feature a lot of passionate and successful people who strive for excellence. HE Peter Prügel, German ambassador to Thailand and previously regional director for Asia and the Pacific at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shares his vision on Industry 4.0 and how Thailand will achieve its 4.0 standard. We also talked to Stefan Teuchert, president of BMW Group Thailand, about Germany’s commitment to innovation and how that will change and shape the future.

In this issue, we also feature a variety of articles, from the North Korea crisis to President Donald Trump’s first 100 days on the job. For travel stories, our award-winning travel writers take you off the beaten path to destinations waiting to be explored. I hope you enjoy reading and learning new things, and remember, don’t forget to share with others.

Warm regards,
Arthorn Techatada
Executive Editor