TUF launches second round of management programme
THAI Union Frozen Products has launched the second round of its Management Associates programme in a bid to attract more young talent to fill future leadership positions.
Rosanun Chankasame, TUF’s head of Corporate Human Resources Strategy, said that for the new round of the programme the company had attracted an equal number of Thai and non-Thais, compared to Thais accounting for 70 per cent of applicants in the first batch when it was introduced in 2012.
“We’re quite surprised that foreigners, which last time represented 30 per cent of all applications, have come up to 50 per cent this year,” she said.
The application period closes at the end of next month, but the timeframe is flexible because the company wants to attract the best possible talent, she said.
The MA programme fast-tracks young talent for the global seafood company, which has expanded internationally through mergers and acquisitions.
In the first MA batch, five candidates were picked from 230 applications.
These successful candidates included junior executives from leading companies like ExxonMobil, SCG and Isuzu Motor.
Rosanun said TUF would increase the number of associates picked from the current batch to six and would look for more experienced candidates this year.
“With intense competition [in today’s marketplace], we think it is better to recruit experienced candidates who have started getting to know themselves,” she said.
“Moreover, in the first batch, we focused a bit too much on supply chain [professionals]. This year, with our vision and brands that we have acquired internationally, we would like to explore more marketing and branding [candidates].”
Applicants for the new phase must have between three and five years work experience and master’s degrees in business/marketing, food science, finance and accounting, supply chain management or other related fields.
Continuous self-development
They must have attended a leading local university or foreign university and have very good English (minimum 800 TOEIC scores).
On top of that, the successful candidates will be deemed “fit for TUF’s culture”, which emphasises continuous self-development, have a “can do” attitude, are open-mind, respect and listen to the opinions of others.
Rosanun said a graduate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania applied but was screened out.
“We must admit that our business is not a kind of sexy [operation] for those who may expect to be working in a nice office. We’re looking for people who are down-to-earth and ready to roll up their sleeves,” she said.
Rosanun said TUF’s MA programme was different to similar programmes at other companies because after being taken on a 30-month comprehensive rotation across all key functions at the group’s operations in Thailand, the chosen candidates are given overseas assignments.
They were also given real work to do, not just an internship, at the group’s subsidiaries in foreign countries for up to three years before returning to work in Thailand.
Two of the associates from batch one are completing their local rotations; one will be dispatched to work for MW Brands in France and the other will join John West in the United Kingdom, she said.
The other two successful candidates will likely work in the United States.
“The programme is very customised and flexible. We have assigned one managing director to take care of each associate,” she said.
She said Thiraphong Chansiri, president and chief executive of TUF and president of the group’s shrimp business, takes turn to mentoring the associates every month.
They not only learn about production, but also about entrepreneurship first hand from the company’s chief executives, she said.
Besides grooming its future leadership, TUF expects to gain fresh ideas from these young bloods.
Rosanun said the programme had no stings attached to it, with associates expected to assume managerial positions in four-and-a-half years at the earliest, instead of 10 years normally.
