Yuwadee Chirathivat - Thai CEO

As the CEO of the Central Department Store Group, Yuwadee Chirathivat is defying the economic projections in Thailand. The company has been steadily growing throughout 2015, both in Thailand and abroad. In fact, Yuwadee is in charge of the retail division of the company and has continued to follow the family traditions.

The store has expanded with two more new Central stores and even three more Robinson department stores. However, the really big news was the purchase of the three German stores from the KaDeWe group located in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg, improving the company's European profile.

Last year, Central Department Store Group’s sales were over $2.75 billion, which were up 10% up from 2014. This is amazing considering the bomb that exploded in central Bangkok last year in August that almost stopped tourism.

Chirathivat takes advantage of the family business continuity, especially the sister company Central Pattana Public, which allows them to find good locations to expand. Using the history and the reputation of the retail store, they operate like a family-run businesses using the right people for the different jobs. In 2016, Yuwadee Chirathivat was named one of Asia’s 50 most powerful and influential business women by Forbes magazine.

The meaning of the name Yuwadee is not known, nor is it a commonly used name. However, the surname Chirathivat is taken from a Thai family of Chinese descent. The family migrated from Hainan to Bangkok, headed by Tiang Chirathivat. Now the family is one of the wealthiest in Thailand.