I WAS BORN in Bangkok in 1971, and grew up in a family where roles were clearly defined but influence was not always where it appeared to be. My father, who ran a real-estate development business, was seen as the strategist while my mother quietly ran the engine of the family: managing finances, raising us and ensuring everything functioned seamlessly. That dynamic shaped my understanding of leadership early on; that true control often sits behind the scenes and that execution is as powerful as vision.
I HAVE A younger brother, Goff, but we didn’t see much of each other as I went to study in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States, when I was 13 years old. I was quite a nerd; I finished my studies at Pascal High a year early and then finished my undergraduate study a year early, too. After my initial degree in marketing at the University of Texas at Arlington, I took a master’s degree in international business studies at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia.
