In Thailand’s Changbir dynasty, daughters could also sit at the table.

For Tapani Techajaleonvikuru, the belief that women should hold top leadership roles was not new.

Her late mother, Wana Sirivadanabhakdi, was instrumental in building TCC Group, which owns Chan Beer and Singapore-listed companies, into a multibillion-dollar empire spanning beverages, real estate, retail and manufacturing. Fraser & Neave.

Her father, Charon Sirivadanabhakdi, ensured that his two sons and three daughters had equal opportunities within the family business. Each brother now oversees a different region of the empire.

Tapany, the couple’s fourth child and youngest daughter, will become CEO and President of Berli-Jücker PCL in 2023, becoming the first female CEO of the prestigious retail and packaging company.

The company’s portfolio includes Big C, Thailand’s second largest hypermarket chain with operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Hong Kong.

“When I became a female leader, I didn’t feel any nervousness,” she said during a special taping of CNBC Meets: Legacies held at the UOB Private Banking Event in Singapore.

“I always saw my mom with my dad at a long table,” the MIT and Harvard Business School graduate told CNBC’s Tania Breyer.

Tapany and her siblings grew up observing their parents’ actions, often accompanying them to business meetings. Watching how they make decisions and navigate relationships became what she described as “the greatest lesson” a person can receive.

Both parents emphasized hard work and humility as keys to unlocking opportunities. They were also keen to ensure that any venture benefited all stakeholders.

“My father always valued partnerships. He wanted win-win situations for everyone involved,” she said.

Her mother served as a balancer, an important counterbalance to the risk-taking of her father, who rarely proceeded without his wife’s blessing.

Although TCC is a vast conglomerate, Tapany said the group’s expansion through mergers and acquisitions has long been driven by strategic fit.

He said the group acquired Berli-Uecker in 2001 primarily for the company’s glass bottle production, complementing its beer and spirits business.

The group’s liquor assets were subsequently integrated into a Singapore-listed company. Thai Beverage PCLled by his elder brother Tapana, who heads the second generation of the Sirivadanabhakdi family.

The vast real estate portfolio is divided into several units. Her younger sister Valapa Traisorat heads Thailand’s Asset World Corp PLC, while her younger brother Panote Sirivadanabhakdi is at the helm of a Singapore-listed company. frazers property.

His eldest son, Atinanth Vijananda, is the vice chairman of the board of Thai Group Holdings, an investment holding company under the TCC Group.

Forbes estimates the Sirivadana Bakdi family’s wealth at $10.5 billion, ranking them fourth on Thailand’s latest richest list.

For Tapany, his parents remain the ultimate role models for spouses working in the family business.

“My mom and dad always told their guests and friends that they had never been apart day or night for 51 years,” she said. “So they are true partners in life and in business.”

Asked about his management style, Tapany said he was influenced by his parents, who focused on listening to, respecting, and fostering a sense of belonging in their employees.

“I want a family business to be very professional, but a professional organization must also feel connected to the family,” she said of Berli Uecker, which employs about 61,000 people. Notably, approximately 60% of our employees and half of our senior management positions are women.

She works closely with her husband, Aswin Techajaleonvikr, former head of Berli Jücker. He currently leads Big C, which is preparing to go public, and is Executive Vice Chairman of the Berli-Jücker Management Board.

Among the company’s near-term priorities are integrating and expanding MM Mega Market, a Vietnamese consumer goods wholesaler that it recently acquired from TCC for about $720 million, and expanding its use of artificial intelligence.

Tapany said AI is already being used at the group’s manufacturing plants to optimize delivery schedules and reduce energy consumption.

Despite their busy schedules running their respective businesses, Tapani and her siblings regularly get together for family gatherings.

Previously, meetings were mainly social, but that changed last year when the father transferred his shares in the TCC Group holding company to his five children. The brothers now meet regularly to discuss issues related to the conglomerate.

Although she and her siblings were expected to join the family business, Ms Tapani, who worked at Merrill Lynch in Singapore before joining the group, said the next generation would be given greater freedom to chart their own path.

One of her three children was in the audience during the interview when Ms. Tapani spoke about her family’s future.

“We will be bringing them along (into the business) along the way, and they will be able to choose what best suits their expertise and preferences going forward,” she said.

Some members of the third generation have already begun to identify areas of interest. One of his nephews, a graduate student, has expressed an interest in his family’s real estate business.

As more families become involved in the business, Tapany said their shared values ​​and sense of belonging will help sustain TCC Group for future generations.