Leading Transformation with Purpose: The Leadership Journey of Anusara Suthikulavet, CEO of UBE Group (Thailand)
My career began in engineering, followed by more than 35 years in sales and marketing. It taught me to view business through the customer’s perspective, anticipate market changes, and understand what people need. At UBE Group (Thailand), I am helping lead the transformation from a production-driven organization to a market-driven, customer-centric specialty chemical business. Transformation is never one person’s achievement. I set the direction and communicate a vision, while our people bring it to life daily. UBE Group’s vision has always been about finding the right people with the right mindset, regardless of gender. To future women leaders, I would say: Rising into leadership often means carrying responsibilities on multiple fronts, and I believe that this quietly builds resilience and empathy that are not easily taught. Do not wait until you feel completely ready. Step forward, build trust, and let your results speak. Gender is becoming less of a barrier to how far you can go.
As UBE Group (Thailand)’s first female CEO, what shaped your leadership journey, and what would
you share with future women leaders?
How does UBE Group (Thailand) support employee wellbeing? Employee wellbeing is part of our culture. We provide health and accident insurance, outpatient coverage, annual health checkups, and on-site first-aid facilities. Our preventive health initiatives include education on noncommunicable diseases, body composition assessments, cancer screening, mental health support, and office syndrome prevention. Through the UGT FIT Challenge, an internal program in which employees log various types of physical activity and healthy eating habits, they compete for real rewards. When colleagues start encouraging each other, this creates energy and helps them develop healthier habits through friendly competition. How do you stay healthy and balanced? After experiencing office syndrome earlier in my career, I made exercise non-negotiable. I exercise for one hour every morning and walk in the evening when possible. I also meditate during my commute, eat a balanced breakfast, and complete an annual health checkup. Most importantly, I focus on what I can control. I give each situation my best thinking in the moment, learn from it, and then let it go. This mindset helps me remain clear, balanced, and ready to show up fully the next day.
What role should businesses play in sustainability and the circular economy? Sustainability is not a trend. In the chemical industry, it is a responsibility. We follow UBE Group’s global direction on reducing environmental impact, using resources responsibly, and advancing the circular economy. Our Thailand operations have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90% compared with 2013. We are targeting zero plastic waste to landfill and aim to sell more than 10,000 metric tons of circular economy products by 2030. We rank in the top 25% on a global sustainability platform and aim to reach the top 5% by 2030.
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