Yuwadee among most powerful businesswomen

 Yuwadee, 58, chief of Central Department Store, said in the interview that so many women balance the roles they have to play in business and at home.
“It may sound like the same rallying call among successful businesswomen, but it is true that we are rarely one person in any given profession. We are usually business executive, wife, mother and daughter all rolled into one.
“Do what you love. When you have passion, you can do well. There is no job in the world that does not come with problems and conflicts. And there’s always a way out. You have to focus and you have to persevere. Never give up.”
Yuwadee was honoured for guiding the department store operator to the top. A mother of three, she became president of Central in 1996, 15 years after she joined the family firm. Launched by her grandfather 65 years ago with a single general store, Central has three store brands, and Yuwadee runs the namesake as well as the chic Zen chain.
She took Central overseas in 2010 with the first store in China and plans more expansion there and around Asia.
Central’s biggest advantage is its customer base, as 80 per cent of sales come from these loyalty-card members, she said. This helped it weather political instability, besides expansion plans to major provinces as well as overseas. Central has three overseas stores, a Central and a Zen in Shenyang and a Central in Hangzhou.
“It has been hard, but we are determined to succeed in China. We are going to be there for the long haul. We used to plan more aggressively, thinking maybe we would open three stores a year. We found the market very competitive, so we are moving more cautiously. We are looking at first- and second-tier cities and maybe will open one to two stores per year.
“But we will continue to expand in China, and we’re looking at other countries, especially in Southeast Asia. Places like Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam,” she said in the interview.
The inaugural list of Asia’s 50 Power Businesswomen aims to honour women who shape a significant part of their business environment as founder-entrepreneurs, business owners, leaders of family enterprises and professional managers who have scaled through executive ranks.
The list reflects Asia’s remarkable economic rise and the diverse and dynamic ways in which women are wielding power and influence in a region that has become a hotbed for entrepreneurship, investment, corporate expansion and economic opportunity.
On the list, women from Greater China (mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau) dominate the list with 21, or 42 per cent of the 50 listees.
India accounts for eight women on the list (16 per cent), Singapore for five (10 per cent) and South Korea and Indonesia each for four (8 per cent). Japan sees three women on the list (6 per cent) and Australia two (4 per cent).
The list also features one woman each from the Philippines and Vietnam.
Women on the list were chosen for their hands-on management of profit-seeking companies, and many of them have overcome significant barriers to get where they are today.
“Since Forbes’ debut issue in 1917, Forbes has remained dedicated to inspiring and empowering the success of women in business,” said Moira Forbes, president and publisher of ForbesWoman. |