Women Take Pole Position at the Fastest Moving Tech-Driven Companies

CP Group champions gender equality through female leadership in technology.

As rapid technological advances bring continuous revolution to almost every aspect of the global economy with no apparent end in sight, we seem to have reached a critical juncture. What is becoming increasingly clear is that much of the visionary thinking, strategic innovation and problem solving required to shape our common future and steer us toward growth and sustainability will come from women in leadership roles at tech-driven companies.

This year has seen a record 55 female CEOs helming Fortune 500 companies, and although constituting just 11% overall probably makes gender parity seem as remote a prospect as ever, it signifies that the proportion of women is continuing to grow at an exponential rate. This steep upward trend stretches back to the turn of the century when there were only two women holding such positions. Moreover, many of the private sector’s most notable success stories in recent times have concerned the achievements of women in charge at technology-oriented businesses. These are the more forward-facing and future-defining companies listed on the Fortune 500, many of which are the most prominent disruptor-turned-behemoths of the new tech landscape. These range from Oracle, at which Safra Catz’s 11-year tenure as CEO (until her elevation to a new role earlier this month) coincided with the most successful period of the cloud computing giant’s 50-year history, to semiconductor manufacturers AMD, which continues to prosper under Lisa Su’s guidance. Women are also overseeing the successful comebacks being staged by titans of yesteryear Citi and General Motors having pivoted to adopt emergent technologies.

Keeping pace with multinational peers at which it is sacrosanct to accord equal leadership opportunities to women and men is Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, one of Thailand’s leading conglomerates. Amidst entering a second century of operations by implementing a comprehensive transformation into a technology-driven company, CP Group has consistently been ahead of the curve in terms of societal progress in Thailand. Its championing of gender equality is a textbook case of how a rising tide lifts all boats, with the benefits that result from shattering a glass ceiling being felt not only by the employer but by society as a whole, such is the influence exerted by a large organization serving as an exemplar.

The CP Group’s commitment to gender balance is borne out by the makeup of its 500,000-strong workforce, of whom 51% are female. Furthermore, this equilibrium is maintained when the focus narrows to consider only those CP employees in executive roles. This is in stark contrast with many corporate hierarchies around the world, the upper echelons of which continue to retain a predominantly male composition.

In addition to the inviolable right of its employees to be considered for career advancement regardless of gender, it also significant that women now constitute 52% of those enrolled on future leader development programs being run by CP Group, indicating how the support being provided in this area extends to an investment in subsequent generations of female leaders.

Recognizing the importance of any considered exploration of this topic featuring the actual voices and real-life experiences of some of those women bringing about change on both an organizational and societal scale, we talked to some of the brightest talents to join the CP Group’s leadership team in recent years. We asked them to reflect on their achievements and identify any aspects of their working environments that have proven particularly conducive to success.

The Advocate for Trust and Fairness

Pimonrat Reephattanavijitkul

Chief People Officer, CP and CPF

In a role that oversees staffing across the CP Group, Pimonrat has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. She cites clear systems and policies as being fundamental to such an undertaking:

“It’s all about systematic implementation; from setting policy and making employees fully aware of any changes, to ensuring that managers apply it with consistency and fairness.”

She added that this commitment extends beyond policy, being equally applicable to staff benefits and terms of employment. These include the entitlement of up to 180 days of maternity leave to True Corporation employees, and the provision of breastfeeding spaces at Makro and CPF premises.

The Examiner of Stereotypes

Monsinee Nakapanant

Co-President, Ascend Money

Monsinee is living proof of the absurdity inherent in any notion of the fintech sector being a domain where leaders are exclusively men.

“More than 50% of Ascend Money’s senior executives are women, which is a reflection of our inclusive corporate culture.”

This is success that Monsinee ascribes to the value placed on having a “flexible mindset”, something she says is considered an essential source of innovation. She believes that CP Group’s promotion of equal opportunities to all genders has allowed a working culture to evolve in which innovative contributions are welcomed from all parts of its workforce. This is something, she adds, that will spur the organization’s progress as a world-beating tech company of the future.

The Champion of an Equitable Workspace

Paphitchaya Suwandee

President, CP Future City Development Corp.

The approach taken by Paphitchaya is informed by a slightly different outlook, in which she perceives her “femininity” as one of the tools at her disposal for the promotion of equality.

“Our organization never uses gender as a dividing line,” she attests, outlining a series of simple yet powerful innovations that have helped foster greater inclusivity at CP Future City. She advocates for non-segregated workspaces, which help counter the formation of cliques; the active promotion of open communication between all colleagues regardless of pay grade, and employees are all expected to contribute to a sustaining a workplace atmosphere of trust and goodwill in which nobody feels unable to freely express their view.

CP Group’s efforts in support of human rights and equality have won it international acclaim. For example, it was presented with the gold prize for Best Sustainability Report (Human Rights) at the most recent Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA). This served as recognition for the company’s commitment to addressing vital people-related issues like gender equality, not only within its own workforce but also along its supply chain and its customer base. Moreover, the honor provided further evidence of how a willingness within the private sector to assume the responsibilities of an exemplar or paragon can generate a level of attention capable of transforming issues which had formerly been confined to subject matter for policy documents into the topic of widespread discussion and re-evaluation, leaving a lasting impact on cultural norms.

Under the banner "Make 2025 count for feminism", the United Nations department tasked with advancing women’s rights and closing the gender gap, UN Women has called for this year to see greater urgency shown to addressing these issues. CP Group fully supports the prioritization of gender equality, considering it to be something more tangible than just an ideal worthy of our aspirations; it is in fact a crucial means towards driving long-term sustainable growth around the world.

The above reflections from three of the female leaders helping to shape the futures of the CP Group, Thailand and the world beyond have given us a snapshot of some of the multifarious dimensions that constitute effective leadership: the importance of deploying systematic approaches, of being receptive to new ways of thinking, and of creating workspaces conducive to inclusiveness. Given the accelerating pace of change around the world, the present-day organizations best placed to retain their relevance and continue enjoying successes in the future will be those at which equality, inclusion and diversity are genuinely valued. By remaining true to its longstanding vision and core values, CP Group continues to lead by example as a proud proponent of diversity. We maintain that by mutually celebrating the things that make us different – including those expressions and behaviors that inform our gender identities – we identify commonalities upon which to build bridges and nurture perceptions of those around us which unify rather than divide.