Mobile-phone operator Total Access Communication (DTAC) has recruited Andrew McBean, the current managing director of Microsoft Thailand, as senior vice president.

McBean will head up DTAC's business division and the company hopes to capitalise on his experience to increase its corporate market share.

The appointment is effective from April 1. McBean's term at Microsoft Thailand ends on February 23. He joined the company in May 2003.

McBean said he had been talking with DTAC since October about joining the country's second-largest cellular operator.

DTAC chief executive Sigve Brekke said McBean's assignment was to increase the company's market share in the SME and corporate customer sectors to 50 per cent by the end of the year, up from the current 40 per cent.

There are about 5,000 major companies and 80,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand.

In the future, this sector is expected to account for between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of DTAC's revenue, Brekke added. Currently it accounts for about 10 per cent of the company's post-paid revenue, he added.

He said DTAC appoints its management based on people's attitude rather than their skills. In other words, the passion to wake up and want to change the world, respecting Thai culture, and a desire to achieve seemingly impossible things.

When asked about McBean's tenure with DTAC, he replied he hoped it would be forever.

DTAC last week said it planned to invest Bt30 billion over the next three years.

Part of the investment will be allocated to upgrading its network to provide faster data transmission. This is to better serve corporate customers.

Currently, DTAC has four teams comprising 100 staff handling its corporate customers, headed by chief customer officer Sunti Medhavikul.

They will come under McBean's responsibility.

In a separate matter, Chamnarn Maytaprechakul, executive vice president for marketing of Advanced Info Service (AIS), has resigned.

He will leave the company at the end of the month, having joined the country's biggest cellular phone operator in March last year.

AIS chief marketing officer Sanchai Tiewprasertkul said the company was targeting to sign up 2.7 million additional customers this year.

It will spend Bt1 billion on marketing activities, he added.

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation