A traveller with vast experiences who can balance professional and personal life

Some people may set short-term, medium-term, or even long-term goals, which may be different. Today, we would like to invite everyone to explore life goals of another capable woman from Tri Petch Group who has set her life goal to happiness and balance through the principle of living in the present and doing everything to the fullest.

--- “At present, what I am doing is already good and happy.”

--- “Other things I would like to learn would be to keep up with the trend so that I can talk to younger people without a generation gap.”

--- “We only live once. We must make the most of it and do everything”

My name is Orn Raktipakorn, Deputy General Manager of Tri Petch Isuzu Sales Co., Ltd. (TIS). I currently have the opportunity to oversee many departments, including being the head of the Public Relations Office, Industrial Policy Office, and a director of Tri Petch Isuzu Sales Laos Co., Ltd..

After graduating with my master's degree, I started working at Tri Petch as my first and only job since 2002. The position I first applied and worked for was the Marketing Communication Department. After working there for 5 years, in 2007, P’Moo (Panatda Chennavasin) persuaded me to work in public relations (PR). At first, I was quite anxious because the job demanded wit, rhetoric, and good interpersonal skills, plus I started without knowing anyone. But in the end, I approached the media with sincerity, and I think I did well.

In my career, I have had many opportunities to work on Task Forces, which I really enjoy. My first task was the “Woman Task Force”, where we had to brainstorm products, car accessories, or activities that would meet the needs of female customers. This was my first time leading a team (Team Leader). The members were a combination of juniors from various departments and it was a lot of fun. We learned that Tri Petch people were very talented, and that there were many aspects of the work that we didn’t know. It was a valuable exchange.

Next is the “Bangkokian Task Force”, when we were about to launch the All-New Isuzu D-Max in 2011, we were changing our brand image to target Bangkok's market, focusing on 2 main groups: factory workers and office workers. For factory workers, we surveyed the market and found that their favorite activity was singing, so we tried holding a contest and had factory workers as audiences. The winners would be featured in entertainment newspapers, which was quite successful. Another group was the urban office workers. We used the concept of “Isuzu D-Max… to the Max” to cover all activities that we would do with this group of customers on special holidays, such as Mother’s Day with the activity “All-New Isuzu D-Max Loves Mom… to the Max”, or Valentine’s Day with the name “All-New Isuzu D-Max Sweet… to the Max”.

Another one is the Task Force that I joined with Tri Petch Isuzu Leasing Co., Ltd. (TIL), a company within Tri Petch Group. At that time, they didn't have a marketing team, so we stepped in to help them with Corporate Identity (CI), set up a marketing team, and develop a communication strategy. It was a fun experience and I'm glad that the TIL team is now highly capable and can handle everything independently. The TIS team now only acts as a consultant.

In terms of current work, in addition to managing public relations in Thailand, I have also supported the ASEAN Project by handling public relations in Laos and Cambodia since 2016. Furthermore, I have started taking care of additional marketing in Laos since 2019.

The first memorable project was participating in the launch of all 3 generations of the “Isuzu D-Max” pickup. I witnessed the product that was considered the heart of our brand grow steadily. The first launch was in 2002, the year I just started working. Normally, when we launch a new product, we have to keep it a secret. No one discussed it to me because I was still a junior. I remember seeing my seniors putting some documents in a drawer and locking it very tightly and during the evening meeting, they would tell me to go home first. At that time, I was still a very small part of the project. I recall that the car was launched on May 22, 2002, and I had started working on May 2. I was assigned to help with some minor tasks that day. This event made me see the greatness of our company.

The second is marketing and public relations for the Lao and Cambodian markets. In Thailand, the Isuzu brand is incredibly established and impressive. However, when we started there, we had to start from scratch, beginning from the introduction because they didn't know anything about our brand. We had to figure out how to make them know more about our brand and devoted a lot of physical and mental effort. Today, things are moving in a positive direction.

Another one is the “Isuzu Gives Water…for Life” project. It was a very difficult project because our company had many corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects. We had to think hard about what to do for our 55th anniversary (in 2012). At that time, someone suggested doing a water project since Isuzu was the name of a river. Ultimately, we ended up with this project. This isn't just a project the Isuzu Group is proud of, but it's one that the public admires and widely recognizes because it's genuinely sustainable, actionable, and improves people's quality of life. We received numerous awards for it, which were truly unexpected. Sometimes, we meet people who don't know much about Isuzu but are familiar with this project, and that makes us really proud.

Actually, I rarely worried about anything since I started working because I know that we have good teamwork. This means that I have a supportive supervisor and juniors in my team have diverse abilities that complement each other well. This makes me feel that there is never a day when I wake up and don't want to go to work.

Moreover, I enjoy working on new things. I may not be someone who loves challenges that much, but I feel that if we prepare thoroughly, predict what might happen, and plan how we will handle it, then it won’t be too difficult.

First of all, stay focused. Our staff are highly capable, adaptable, and ready to face any obstacle. I often tell HR that they are good at recruiting talented people. Everyone has diverse abilities, complements each other exceptionally well, and is quite flexible with all-round abilities.

For example, when we made New Year's gift baskets for the media tour in Laos, we had to order the items from Thailand and then arrange the gift baskets ourselves because there were no ready-made ones like we wanted in Laos, so we had to figure it out by ourselves.

Another key point is that if our team excels, everything else will excel too. This is the strength of Tri Petch staff.

I don't really have a motto. I just feel that when we are assigned to do something, we should give it 100% effort. I try to manage my time well because achieving success at work while everything else around me falls apart isn't my life's goal. I don't want to become a top executive of any company. I simply want to have a happy life. I prioritize my family-my father, mother, husband, and child, as well as my friends, because without them, there would not be me.

I believe the most important thing in working is communication, or information exchange, at every level. This is because sometimes what we communicate can be beneficial to others. Another crucial aspect is team building. When we communicate within our team, we don't want our younger colleagues to feel like, "This person's my boss, I can't speak freely." Instead, we encourage them to think and speak boldly. We believe that none of us are experts at everything, and we genuinely prefer to exchange ideas with each other.

Since I was young, I've always been someone who doesn't shy away from any kind of work—whether it's under the sun or in an air-conditioned room. That's just who I am. If there were tasks like organizing boards or documents, I'd do it all. I made sure to do it so that as I grew, I could answer my younger colleagues' questions about how things should be done.

I even had the opportunity to be the first female driving instructor. No matter how challenging or difficult the driving location was, I went. Eventually, my body couldn't keep up, and other new gens took over for me. It's this willingness to do any job that's truly helped me become well-rounded.

On top of that, I make an effort to stay updated on news—about the economy, automobiles, and general current events. This helps me understand how the world is evolving and if I'm keeping pace, or what our competitors are doing. When I meet diverse people, I can always find interesting topics to discuss, so conversations never get boring.

When it comes to team members, first and foremost, they need to be open-minded and accepting of new changes. For instance, I'm someone who grew up during the transition between the analog and digital eras. I have to admit there are some things I just don't grasp completely, but I'm never ashamed to ask my younger colleagues. For Example, Instagram Story. At first, I just didn't understand why people used them. My younger colleagues explained, "Oh, we just use it to share moments; the photos don't have to be perfect." And I thought, "Okay, alright, let's try it!" Now it's fun. These days, it's all about TikTok; both customers and brands are on that platform. We have to keep up with these trends so we can adapt our work to modern times.

Another crucial aspect is information sharing. As both a manager and a subordinate, especially working in this field, there's certain information we need to know. That way, when a critical situation arises, we can retrieve and use that information effectively.

I believe that having a child, coupled with my love for modernity, makes me someone who always wants to stay updated. The reason is, I don't want to get stuck in a rut. If I stay in the same place, I worry that my strategies might become stale or fall behind the current trends. If we want to meet our customers' immediate needs, we have to keep pace with the world. Sometimes, I even learn new things from the younger generation around me.

Since 2021, I've been overseeing the Industrial Policy Office, which has been a major challenge and a significant step out of my comfort zone. It marked a shift from sales and marketing to shaping various industrial policies in collaboration with the government. Even though the work is different, I feel like we've had a great exchange of ideas with my team members. While I bring my team management knowledge to the table, they help me build my understanding of the core subject matter. The period when I took on this role coincided with a critical transition in the automotive industry – moving from the era of internal combustion engines to new-generation vehicles. This is a truly challenging and fascinating issue to follow closely. The knowledge I've gained from industrial policy can also be applied effectively to our public relations work.

I firmly believe that my team will mirror me, both in mindset and in how they perform their work. That's why I always strive to lead by example in my operations and continuously instill in them the idea that I won't be here forever. If I'm not around, someone else must be able to do my job. There will be no holding back information; I tell my team everything. Because everyone needs to grow, right? Are we just going to stay here forever? No, that's not the case. In the future, we'll retire, or perhaps something unexpected happens before then. If it's a gradual retirement, there's time to transfer work, but what if I suddenly leave? Then others would be left saying, 'I can't do this.' That's not how it should be. Everyone needs to be ready at all times.

I love exploring new things in both my personal life and at work, and that includes both the worldly and the spiritual. You might not expect it, but I'm also someone who seeks out dharma and spiritual understanding. My family taught me to live life to the fullest in every aspect. So, while I might seem a certain way, I can also meditate and chant. And if you follow me on social media, you'll see I also enjoy partying, eating, and traveling. These activities are another way for me to discover new experiences and spend time with the people I love.

Every year, we've seen Tri Petch Group continuously evolve, much like how we ourselves grow. But what truly stands out is the increasing collaboration, whether between different departments or even different companies within the group. This has allowed everyone to develop themselves and achieve their goals together.

Regarding the work atmosphere, my friends are very curious why I've worked here for so long since marketers tend to get bored easily. Honestly, it's simply because I love the environment here. We work like a family, like siblings, which makes us feel comfortable and allows us to give our best without holding back. The way we exchange ideas in meetings is always based on reason and logic, never mixed with emotion. This means we can leave the room without carrying any anger or resentment towards each other. And our organizational culture is all about teamwork. It truly helps our work flow smoothly, because if everyone just went their own way, we'd never be able to move in the same direction.

We've navigated every crisis, every storm, and every transition – be it financial crisis, COVID-19, or the changes in the automotive industry. I'm extremely confident that our company is strong, our executives have broad vision, our direction is clear, and our team is always ready to move forward together. With the Tri Petch Group's potential, including the knowledge and capabilities of our employees, our agile adaptability to situations, strong financials, and openness to new business opportunities, I'm confident that our Tri Petch Group will endure for hundreds more years.

Right now, my feelings are incredibly complete. I don't feel the need or desire for anything special. I truly feel that my current life and what I'm doing right now are good and bring me happiness. In every dimension, my life right now is a "Happy Life."

As for other things I want to learn, it's really about keeping up with the times. I want to be able to connect with the younger generation and avoid a generation gap. I want everyone who comes to talk to me to feel like they're talking to a friend, just as we all want to be able to talk about anything with our mentors or older colleagues.

Since I started working at Tri Petch, I've truly seen this place as a "Land of Opportunity." This place offers everyone the chance to learn and grow, through things like job rotations and various Task Forces. I really encourage everyone not to be afraid to step out of your "safe zone." By doing so, you'll be able to learn about a world with diverse knowledge and perspectives. The modern world truly values a wide range of skills and knowledge.

I teach my kid this same thing: If there are ten people standing in a line, why should they choose you? It's because you need to have something that sets you apart from everyone else. And if one person truly has everything – all the skills the company needs – then it's only natural that the company will choose that person.

You don't need to go to any business school or intern anywhere. While you are here, Tri Petch Group has it all, providing us with the real-world experience we need.

Finally, I want to emphasize that we are all like individual puzzle pieces that come together to form a complete picture. Everyone must work together for a bright future for the Tri Petch Group.

By Orn Raktiprakorn