JANUARY 26, 2024
Exclusive With Pavin Chayavivatkul: Joining His Multimillion Dollar Family Business After His Studies At Harvard And Stanford I t is a voyage that very few in the world are able to make but for Pavin Chayavivat- kul, it became a reality. The young man from Bangkok ventured to the United States and attended not only one, but two of the most prestigious universities in the world, Stanford and Harvard. On completion of his Masters Degree at Harvard, he now finds himself as Vice President of his family business, Thai Beverage Can (TBC)
How did your education at these universities prepare you for your current role in the family business? Education at Harvard and Stanford pushes your thinking in all facets of your life. Whether that is what to do with your career, who to surround yourself with, how to measure your success and of course on academic topics such as what would be the appropriate way to record digital assets on your company’s balance sheet. Although most of what you learn is not applicable, the mindset and type of thinking has really allowed me to think outside the traditional box that the current family business operators are currently focused on. It enables me to push the boundaries of how to optimize current processes and expand into new markets. But obviously, the learning you gain from these institutions is not sufficient to operate in a family operated business. I have had to learn a lot in this role. The delicate balance of pursuing your objectives for the business and stakeholder management is especially important and sadly it really is not possible to learn this in an academic setting. Moreover, cultural differences between a leading research university and a family business are quite stark, which makes the stakeholder management component an even more important component in working in my current role. Can you describe your experience studying at Stanford and Harvard and how they differ from one another? I get this question a lot and part of the difference in my experience is undoubtedly driven by the differences between the programs I was a part of. The undergraduate experience and MBA experience are very different. However, from what I have experienced, I can say that the people are exceptional from both universities. On average, Stanford students seem to be less worried about financial success. They tend to focus on what they are passionate about, value a balanced life more
and look to make an impact on the world. While at Harvard, I felt there was more of an emphasis on ‘making it’ in the world which meant having a fancy corporate title and a high paying job even if that meant less time to go to the gym or hangout with friends. Another difference I have found is that Stanford students seem to be less competitive and focused on the greater good of society while Harvard students perhaps look more inward and make sure that they can become the greatest versions of themselves. At the end of the day, the two universities are absolutely great
Could you describe your personal background? My background is a mixture of exposure to Thailand and primarily the US. I am currently the Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Thai Beverage Can, which is a joint venture between Berli Jucker Public Company and my own family. This however, is a very new role for me. I was born and raised in Bangkok and attended NIST International School from kindergarten all the way to high school graduation. After NIST, I attended Stanford university for my undergraduate degree. At Stanford, I majored in Economics with course work primarily in Finance. I also had the opportunity to take significant coursework in digital and analog photography in the process. I graduated from Stanford’s honors program in 2018 and moved back to Thailand. I later joined McKinsey H is passion for learning seems never ending and Thailand One caught up with Pavin to discuss his remarkable journey so far in our exclusive interview Interview by Colin White Photographs by AX Media TH
equivalent aluminum can and turn it back into an aluminum can that we sell. To date we have collected and fully recycled over four hundred million cans in Thailand and hope to reach one billion cans next year. Aluminium Loop has really allowed me to achieve my own personal aspirations as well as finding avenues for growth for Thai Beverage Can. How has working for TBC influenced your perspective on business in Thailand? My business perspective has always been influenced largely by the US. I think business here is more focused on relationships. This means that business dealings have to be financially beneficial to all parties but must also be established on a significant amount of trust. As a result, to me it seems like there is more emphasis on softer skills and a strong reputation as opposed to taking firm stances and pushing for short-term gains. Personally, I really prefer this type of business – built on trust and reputation. It pushes our society more toward merit and makes individuals more accountable for their actions moving forward.
institutions that really opened my eyes to new topics, industries and afforded me the opportunity to meeting some truly remarkable people. How do you balance your responsibilities with the family business and your personal aspirations? It is definitely tricky and the adjustment from school to work is difficult enough but transitioning to family business takes that transition to a different state completely. I think it is all about trade-offs and many times you will have to prioritize one of another. However, what I have tried to do is move away from this mindset by creating more situations where you can achieve two targets through one initiative. Let me give you an example, I have been looking to work in the sustainability space and prior to joining Thai Beverage Can we simply did not have this focus. Since joining Thai Beverage Can, I have launched Aluminium Loop which is our new product where for every can we sell with this emblem we promise to completely recycle the
I have been really lucky to have had great role models in my life. My grandparents both attained their PhD’s from the US and my parents were both US educated. So, it really is not a surprise that I followed in their footsteps. Perhaps just as important, pursuing higher education abroad was the main path of choice at NIST International School. This provided me with the right surroundings to pursue US education and role models who were upperclassmen. With the right surroundings and role models, I saw the value of a strong higher education. I saw firsthand how it could develop more cutting- edge thinking, quality relationships with leading professors and, perhaps most importantly, allow you to meet truly remarkable individuals. For me, seeing this firsthand inspired me to attend Stanford and Harvard.
and Company where I worked as the first member of the Bangkok office’s Strategy and Corporate Finance team. This was a lot of fun and although it was definitely a demanding job, it really opened my eyes to the world of management. After a few years at McKinsey, I left for my MBA. I recently graduated from Harvard Business School’s MBA program in May of 2023. Upon graduation, I became the first Thai student in Harvard Business School’s history to graduate with High Distinction. Since then, I moved back to Thailand, tried to find my golf swing again and have now completed the transition to Thai Beverage Can.
What inspired you to pursue a higher education at such prestigious universities like Harvard and Stanford?
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