SURASAK SUTHONGWAN SUCCESS IS WHEN YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN

SURASAK SUTHONGWAN SUCCESS IS WHEN YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN
IT IS EASY TO SAY NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE PHRASE REMAINS A SET OF WORDS WHEN NOT ENVISIONED. BUT WHEN YOU SEE SO MUCH SUCCESS IN SOMEONE AND SO MUCH IMPACT HE OR SHE HAS, YOU START TO FEEL CONVINCED THAT IT IS TRUE.

The seemingly impossible made possible defines the career of
Mr. Surasak Suthongwan, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. to-date.

A newly minted engineering graduate, he set off on his long career journey at Toyota in 1988. Since then, he has done it all.

Here’s how he pinpointed the reasons behind his productive career:
“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is to believe in the seemingly impossible. Everything is possible, but it requires you to embrace change and step out of your comfort zone to keep rising above.”

His extensive work experience suggests that he really puts this principle into practice.

Starting as a research engineer, he quickly rose up to be a high-tech engineering instructor after three years at Toyota. Later, when an opportunity arose, he took the challenge to tap into the marketing world, rotating to a marketing position responsible for several divisions, from post-sales marketing to retail development to PR and branding.

“At the time, I felt the need to upgrade my skills and brace myself for new challenges,” Mr. Surasak recounted.

“Asa retail developer and hybrid vehicle brand manager, I had to take charge of the development of the whole value chain, from logo to standard establishment.”

“That is why I applied for an MBA programme to learn various sides of business and gain the perspective of an owner.”
Due to his constant self-improvement, he was promoted Vice President – Corporate Planning. His can-do attitude led to many ground-breaking projects. For example, he initiated “Toyota Social Innovation” campaign where the team went to local communities to share production innovations and business know-how to increase productivity.

“We went to the people and listened, trying to understand their way of life instead of dictating what they should do,” Mr. Surasak said referring to a visit to a sewing community “Hart Otop” in Kanchanaburi. “Then, with innovations from Toyota, we empowered the people and showed them that improvement is possible. They used to spend days to make a shirt. Now, it takes them only about twenty minutes.”

He went on to create many well known campaigns, including Toyota Sure, Toyota Finance & Insurance, and Toyota: The White Road. These new projects all “We went to the people and listened, trying to understand their way of life instead of dictating what they should do,” Mr. Surasak said referring to a visit to a sewing community “Hart Otop” in Kanchanaburi. “Then, with innovations from Toyota, we empowered the people and showed them that improvement is possible. They used to spend days to make a shirt. Now, it takes them only about twenty minutes.”

He went on to create many well known campaigns, including Toyota Sure, Toyota Finance & Insurance, and Toyota: The White Road.

These new projects all confirm the fact that he never lets any obstacle stand in his way.

WE WENT TO THE PEOPLE AND LISTENED, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THEIR WAY OF LIFE INSTEAD OF DICTATING WHAT THEY SHOULD DO.
Mr. Surasak Suthongwan Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd.

When asked about his most challenging project, he hesitated: “Many of our projects have been about pioneering a new territory of work, so it is hard to pick one.”

This truly encapsulates his can-do attitude and his belief in limitless opportunities, which eventually landed him an Executive Vice President position.

It is true that he gained some insights from his MBA studies and years of work at Toyota, but the additional responsibilities require him once again to step out of his comfort zone.

“To avoid the success trap, we need to keep developing. Today, if you remain unchanged, you not only lose market share, but you risk losing business.”

This time, he aims to become a knowledge creator as he believes that knowledge is a way to contribute new key insights to businesses and society at large.

“Business research has now become more important than ever, especially with a bigger scale of work that requires accurate assessments and appropriate strategies.”

He decided to apply for a Doctorate of Philosophy Program in Business Administration at the Faculty of Business Administration, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT).

“The doctorate programme has taught me many practical things, from statistics to logistics. However, I would say that the best part is research and dissertation. My research is about brand engagement. The insights that I have learned deal directly with my work at Toyota. What I like about the programme is that everything can be applied to the real world.”

“Moreover, at RMUTT, the programme is taught on weekends, allowing me to both study and pursue my career at the same time even though I have to spend some of my evenings working on the materials. Plus, the faculty has a great team of professors who teach about research step by step for people like me who are not familiar with the academic terminologies and practices.

The consultation really facilities learners to reap the full benefits of the time in the programme.”

The Executive Vice President ended on a light note about work-life balance. With a lot on his plate, he says it is important to have some down time as well. He laughed spontaneously when the term “time management” came up, explaining: “It’s a busy schedule juggling work, study, and personal life but I still have time for golf with my friends. It’s been good fun so far.”

For more information on the programmes at the Faculty of Business Administration, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi (RMUTT),

visit http://www. bus.rmutt.ac.th/phd.

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