While Thailand has some very successful women business leaders, there is significant potential to expand this representation. To illustrate, only 19 percent of board seats are held by women in Thailand, compared with the European average of 30 to 40 percent. According to Kearney and Egon Zehnder’s study Empowering women: a collection of thoughts from women leaders to advance the workplace, which includes a survey of more than 200 Southeast Asian women, mentorship and coaching are among the most valued forms of professional development. Many say they are looking for mentors to build a strong network outside their corporate organizations. Yet, many women still face barriers to participation, with 27 percent citing challenges in carving out time for leadership development programs and 22 percent pointing to the absence of organizational buy-in.
The launch event, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok, in October last year, brought together the advisory board and over 30 mentors and mentees. This power-packed audience represented the Thailand of today and tomorrow, bringing together women leaders from leading Thai and multinational companies across sectors.
Opening the launch event, Janewit Kraprayoon, senior advisor at Kearney Thailand, led a silent prayer honoring the late Queen Mother, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, whose lifelong dedication to advancing Thai women continues to inspire the nation.
Wallaya Chirathivat, advisory board member at IGNITE Thailand and president and CEO of Central Pattana, shared the vision behind the program: “IGNITE Thailand was created to empower and connect women leaders across industries. More than just a program, it is a platform to unlock the next generation of women leaders. When women advance, society advance.”
IGNITE Thailand is guided by 13 advisory board members: Nualphan Lamsam, Wallaya Chirathivat, Pitiporn Phanaphat, Maneerut Anulomsombut, Gloyta Nathalang, Panchalee Weeratammawat, Tongjai Thanachanan, Sarinra Wongsuppaluk, Susanne Migchels, Reetima Rakyan, Dr. Lisa Patvivatsiri, Chompan Kulnides, and Voraphak Banlengchit.
The inaugural gathering of IGNITE Thailand also brought together 16 mentors and 22 mentees from Thailand’s leading Thai and multinational companies across industries such as Central Group, CP Group, Siam Commercial Bank, SEA Group, Bangchak Corporation, MBK, Coca-Cola, ThaiBev, Osotspa, Asian Development Bank, FrieslandCampina, King Power, Minor International, Microsoft, Agoda, Betagro, PTT, AIS, and Unilever.
“This program enhances leadership development and supports the advancement of women into C-level positions in Thailand,” said Nualphan Lamsam, advisory board member at IGNITE Thailand and CEO of Muang Thai Insurance. “I am honored to be part of this important women’s empowerment effort.”
Leona Manoonpong, coordinating lead for IGNITE Thailand and principal at Kearney, elaborated on the foundation of the program: “IGNITE Thailand is built on the five pillars of R.A.I.S.E.: Recognize and celebrate achievements. Advocate for positive change. Share Insights on advancing career growth. Support through mentorship and meaningful connections. And Empower for continued career growth through capability building.”
Henny Purnamawati, partner at Egon Zehnder, facilitated the panel discussion with the IGNITE advisory board to draw on their inspiration stories and their reflections on common hindrances faced by women in their professional career journey.
The program’s mentors and mentees embody this spirit of shared growth. Vorawan Phianlikhitwong, chief marketing officer and transformation officer at CP Axtra, reflected on her role as one of the first mentors, noting that mentorship is a reciprocal process. “Mentorship is a two-way exchange: as mentors, we grow as much as the mentees. IGNITE creates a safe space for leaders to share experiences, challenges, and lessons that help shape future leadership journeys.”
Siddharth Pathak, partner at Kearney, closed the session by highlighting Kearney’s commitment to IGNITE Thailand and sharing the plan for 2026.
For more information, please visit: IGNITE: Thailand | Kearney.
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About Kearney
For 100 years, Kearney has been a leading management consulting firm and trusted partner to three quarters of the Fortune Global 500 and governments around the world. With a presence across more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We work impact first, tackling your toughest challenges with original thinking and a commitment to making change happen together. By your side, we deliver—value, results, impact. To learn more about Kearney, please visit 
www.kearney.com.
About Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder is the world’s leadership advisory firm, whose purpose is to improve careers and business strategies across the world.
