Note: I wrote this feature to introduce Thirayuth Chirathivat, incoming CEO of Central Group’s Centara Hotels unit. It was included in Celebrating 30 Years, Centara’s 30th anniversary corporate history, and was published in Centara’s In Essence magazine.
The torch is passed to Centara’s new leader
Centara marked a generational milestone as Thirayuth Chirathivat, the second of Suthikiati Chirathivat’s five children, took over as the company’s new chief executive officer, following the retirement of Gerd Steeb, long-time president of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
Thirayuth has been a familiar face around Centara since 1990. His new challenge is to guide the company through the next phase of growth while preserving its unique culture — and building upon his family’s historic legacy.
Putting others first
Suthikiati has been an influential presence in Thirayuth’s life and career, teaching and leading by example. “My father always told me that in business, it’s more important to give than to take,” says Thirayuth. “If you care only about what you can get from someone else, your business won’t be around for long. If your business is to succeed, others must succeed as well.
“My father taught me why empathy for others is such an important quality to possess. He made me understand that I should treat people the way I want to be treated. But of everything he taught me, the most important lesson was this: Be honest.”
A father’s important lessons
Years of working together provided countless opportunities for Thirayuth to observe and study his father for clues on what accounts for success.
“He treats people well and never loses sight of his bigger vision,” Thirayuth explains. “And he really has an eye for detail. He notices the little things — a noise from an elevator door, the bathroom floor that’s slanted a bit too much — and then he follows up personally to make sure the problems get taken care of right away.
“He and I would be working together, reviewing different operational areas, and he would always be coaching me on what I should be looking for, and where I should be looking.”
Getting to 100
What does Centara’s future look like under the leadership of its new 46-year-old CEO?
With the current portfolio of 56 hotels in eight countries, Thirayuth has set a 2017 time frame to reach 100 properties. At present, the company owns 15 properties, with the others being managed by Centara.
More of the overall growth will continue to come from adding managed properties, given the longer lead time — four to five years — required to construct new hotels.
For growth in managed hotels, Thirayuth says: “After 30 years, we’re well positioned to make a compelling case to hotel owners. We have qualified staff, experienced senior management, and a track record that demonstrates we have the know-how to run successful hotels.”
Being Thai
Asked to explain what makes Centara different from competing companies, Thirayuth responds: “‘Being Thai’ in the service we provide is uniquely Centara. ‘Being Thai’ is about hospitality, being receptive, showing humility, and having a passion for serving others.
“Ten or 20 years from now, Centara will have gone from being Thailand’s chain-hotel leader and an industry player in Southeast Asia to become a global player. We will expand into Europe and North America, but we’ll do it with the Thai style of management.
“I believe that the level of service provided by Thais is second to none. In the future, wherever you happen to be on the globe, you’ll be able to experience the unique Thai service, so long as you choose Centara.”
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