by Dr. Iain
Corness
The managing director of Garden Farm wine suppliers is
a small Thai woman, Pranom Lousrisupachai. She was born with a silver
spoon in her mouth, but threw it away to follow her own star. She
explained this simply as, “I have to live with myself for the rest of my
life.”
Pranom
was the second of eight children born in Bangkok to very wealthy parents
in the construction industry. “We had seven servants and four chauffeurs
and I went to the best high school in Thailand.”
When she finished high school she was sent to
Chulalongkorn University to study accountancy, a career path she did not
choose for herself. “My father wanted an accountant (in the family), as
my brother was the architect.” After four years she emerged as a
qualified accountant, but also emerged with a unique fighting spirit for
someone from such a family heritage.
“From a little girl I wanted to work for NASA, to
command a satellite. I didn’t want to be famous, just work behind the
scenes and do something important.” However, “rebellious” thoughts
such as these, and a university romantic attachment, did not meet paternal
approval, “So I ran away to America to pursue my engineering idea.”
This was not a step to be taken lightly. “I was
(thought of as) a bad daughter so I received no funding.” She went to
California and ended up working in a garment “sweat shop”. She had to
support herself, and that was the only work that was readily available for
someone who could truly have been described as a “poor little rich
girl” who had never worked a day in her life.
Next she took a job in a restaurant across the street
from Universal Studios in L.A. and enrolled at night school to study
electrical engineering (it was too early in the world’s history for
computer science courses). While still studying at night she then took a
position as a waitress in an ice cream parlour - a drudge job she held
down for four years, just to make money to continue her studies.
Pranom lived frugally too, despite her previous
background, and saved enough money to go into the trucking business. She
bought two 18 wheelers and this tiny Thai girl hauled herself into the
drivers seat of one of them, pulled the air horn and saw America hauling
furniture. In the first two years she saw 48 states. The pint-sized pilot
did it so well she even won awards. “Whatever I touch, I try to do the
best,” she said modestly.
After 4 years in the Smokey and the Bandit convoy mode
she abandoned thoughts of electrical engineering, and sold her trucks to
go back to school to study computers. Moving to West Virginia she enrolled
at Marshall University and 4 years later had a Bachelor’s degree in
Computer Science.
Now she was getting closer to her dreams. Landing a job
with AT&T in 1987 as a systems engineer, she moved up to the technical
staff, writing software applications and doing testing and project studies
for telecom companies. Her ability there was also noticed and she was
awarded a scholarship to Cornell University where she enrolled and later
received her Masters degree in Computer Science.
After 13 years with AT&T, Pranom went to Lucent
Technologies, who had an opening in Singapore. One main reason for the
shift was to be closer to her family in Thailand, since her mother was now
getting on in years, and her father had already passed away. She also made
an investment in Thailand by taking a shareholding in a relatively new
wine distribution company in Pattaya - Garden Farm.
The year was 2000, and Pranom did not realise just what
a step investing in a local company was to be. During 2001, following some
management “differences” a meeting of shareholders was held. The
upshot was Pranom’s appointment as managing director. The woman who
drank two bottles of wine a year was now running a wine company! However,
the fighting character that had supported her while driving 18 wheelers
was still there. “I listen to advice and I must learn quickly.” And I
am sure she will.
I asked her what was her definition of success and it
is, “I must accomplish what I am working towards at any time. My success
will be this business (Garden Farm) running well, and the customers happy.
This must be done with honesty - it is important.”
Being someone who kicked over the family traces many
years ago, the advice that she offered for today’s young females caught
in the same “family” trap today was very interesting and surprising.
“If she leaves, she will have to live the rest of her life by herself.
The ‘family’ has a good intention. She must say (to herself), ‘Is
this what I want?’ She should do things gently, not the drastic way I
did. I did it; I was fortunate I got what I wanted. I do not suggest any
youngster should follow me. There is more than one way of doing things.”
So have the years produced a mellowing in Pranom’s
attitude? I do not believe so. The pint sized lady still has enough
personal get up and go to drive her new enterprise, and make it succeed. I
got the feeling that her advice was more tempered by what she knew to be
the price of such actions, the cost in personal terms and her desire that
others would not have to suffer the same angst.
However, I am also sure that Pranom Lousrisupachai,
would do it all again. She mentioned, in passing, that if she had toed the
family line she would be living these days in a mansion with multiple
servants too, but that would have denied her opening remarks, “I have to
live with myself for the rest of my life.” A remarkable woman, who will
make any project work, mark my words.
