Asia most powerful women/Wallaya

Editorial staff

Wallaya Chirathivat, the first female CEO of SET-listed Central Pattana Plc, has been named one of Fortune’s 100 most powerful women of Asia.

The rankings represent a broad spectrum of sectors including finance, energy, transportation, food and beverages, and hospitality. It recognizes women who are redefining the concept of leadership by transforming companies, disrupting industries and driving growth, innovation and business excellence, whilst inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Wallaya Chirathivat

Ms Wallaya joined the company in 2005 and has since achieved remarkable success in the field of retail development, that would make Central Pattana Thailand’s No.1 retail and property development company.

A true visionary, her concept of “Imagining Better Futures For All” focuses on innovation, growth, and sustainability and has transformed the company into a “Place Maker” for its customers and the Thai economy, and a “Nurturer” committed to improving people’s quality of life while nurturing the environment.

Under Ms Wallaya’s strategic direction, Central Pattana has exceeded expectations in terms of its growth and achievements. In 2023, its revenue reached a record high of 46,790 million baht, a 26% increase from 2022, with its highest profit of 15,062 million baht, which is 46% higher than in 2022.

As a result, the company paid its highest dividend to its shareholders making it one of the top 15 companies in Thailand for sustainable return on investments, according to The Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Underscoring its global sustainable growth in 2024, Central Pattana earned multiple prestigious awards. In the inaugural Fortune Southeast Asia 500, the company secured the No.1 spot among Thailand’s real estate firms. It was also recognized among the world’s most sustainable organization in the DJSI World 2023 (Dow Jones Sustainability World Index is a global benchmark for leading companies in environmental, social, and governance performance.)

In order to provide the ultimate convenience for its customers, she fostered the idea of retail-led mixed-use development as the forefront of her strategy to create “The Ecosystem For All” seamlessly linking together the company’s business units including retail, residential, hotel, and office establishments. Her concept of “Shop-Eat-Work-Play-Stay-Live” has become a key driving force for the company resulting in the launch of 42 shopping malls nationwide as well as 15 community malls, 43 residential projects, 10 hotels, and 10 office buildings, raising its ranking as the country’s No.1 retail and property development company.

Under her unique leadership style, the company encourages a culture of diversity and maintains a gender-balanced workforce placing strong emphasis on providing potential managers, especially women, access to leadership roles. She advocates the belief that women should not have to choose between their professional and personal lives but can successfully balance both.