SINGAPORE — Thapanee Techajareonvikul became CEO and President of Berli Jucker PCL in 2023, leading the Thailand-based retail and packaging firm whose portfolio includes Big C, the country’s second-largest hypermarket chain. Big C operates across Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Hong Kong, employing approximately 61,000 people, about 60% of whom are women.

Techajareonvikul, the youngest daughter of Charoen and Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi, is the fourth of five siblings, each overseeing a distinct segment of the family’s TCC Group empire. The conglomerate, valued by Forbes at $10.5 billion, spans beverages, property, retail, and manufacturing, with holdings including Chang beer, Singapore-listed Fraser & Neave, and Thai Beverage PCL. Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi transferred shares in the group’s holding company to his children last year, prompting regular meetings among the siblings to discuss conglomerate matters.

A graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School, Techajareonvikul previously worked at Merrill Lynch in Singapore before joining the family business. Her husband, Aswin Techajareonvikul, formerly headed Berli Jucker and now serves as executive vice chairman of its management board while leading Big C through preparations for a public listing.

During a CNBC Meets: Legacies recording at a UOB private banking event in Singapore, Techajareonvikul reflected on her upbringing, noting that her parents emphasized hard work and humility. "When I became a female leader, I didn't feel any nervousness," she said. "I always saw Mom right there with Dad, at the front of the long table."

She described observing her parents’ business approach as "Watching how they reached decisions and navigated relationships became what I described as the 'greatest teaching' a person could receive." Her mother, Wanna, provided balance to her father’s risk-taking and was integral to major decisions.

Techajareonvikul aims to maintain professionalism at Berli Jucker while preserving its familial character. The company recently acquired MM Mega Market, a Vietnamese wholesale distributor, from TCC Group for around $720 million. Near-term priorities include integrating the new asset and expanding artificial intelligence applications, which are already used to optimize delivery schedules and reduce energy consumption at manufacturing plants.