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Published on December 11, 2007

There is a powerful driving force behind the life and work of Patara Yongvanich: he wants to bring in new technology, innovation and knowledge transfer to benefit Thailand - and particularly Thai businesses.

At only 32, he has returned to his home country as managing director of SAP Thailand - country head for the world's largest business-software company. He is one of the youngest managing directors of an international-brand office in Thailand.

He brings with him a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in business administration from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and a master's degree in engineering management from Stanford University in California.

After graduating from Stanford in 1998, he began working for SAP (originally Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing) at SAP Labs in California's Silicon Valley, one of the focal points of the US information-technology industry.

While there, he was responsible for guiding technology-based customers in the use of SAP's software solutions to achieve sustainable competitive business advantages. He oversaw the roll-out of new solutions and roll-in of customer requirements.

"Joining SAP allowed me to use my expertise in business-process re-engineering and supply-chain optimisation. SAP was a fun and exciting place to work," Patara recalls.

He has very high expectations of himself and his team at SAP Thailand. He believes a critical challenge in living up to those expectations is the ability to mange the tension between short- and long-term goals. What is important, he says, is having the right type and level of information to manage decisions into win-win outcomes.

"I'm proud to say I have the best of both worlds in my life: Thai culture; and business-process management from SAP. I would like to use my experience to motivate and increase Thailand's adoption of SAP solutions, because this will help [local businesses achieve] continuous process efficiencies and global expansion," he says.

Before he was appointed managing director of SAP Thailand, he was vice president of global accounts for SAP America's western region and responsible for overall leadership and management of the company's global-accounts programme. It covered the region's largest strategic accounts, including Chevron, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Microsoft and Nike.

"I've been working in the United States for more than 10 years," Patara says. "I recognise that business in Thailand can be very challenging, but with every challenge there is an opportunity to improve and succeed. Thailand is a rapidly developing country, with companies of all sizes in many industries looking to expand."

As a leader, he is a strong believer in mutual respect and treats the members of his team in the same way he expects to be treated. Empowerment of the team to take risks also encourages creativity and continuous improvement, he says.

Patara believes there are key success factors for his life, including setting clear goals for both himself and his team and having the discipline to execute decisions with precision and accuracy, in order to realise goals more quickly and shorten the time to success.

He emphasises one golden rule: "Say what you want to do and do what you have said."

"Open and honest communication with your team, customers and partners helps build trust. Living up to your commitments is even more important, as you build upon that trust to create strong working relationships," he says.

Patara has always believed in working very hard, but at the same time he never forgets the need to maintain a proper "work-life balance" and give something back to his community.

"After a while, I'd like to use my spare time to lead a university programme in helping groom a new generation of Thai students to excel in today's global business environment. I would find this very fulfilling, and it would allow me to give something back to Thai society," he says.

Among SAP Thailand's business goals, Patara plans to expand the company's business into the small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, which is crucial for Thailand's economic strength. He hopes the company's revenue from SMEs will grow from 30 per cent now to 50 per cent within the next three years.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation