BizBuzz

Alexander Paufler, a former chief executive officer and president of Mercedes-Benz Thailand, keeps himself busy in his post-retirement life with various activities and engagements. When time allows, Paufler usually swims two kilometres every morning before going for his lecture at Sasin. He also sometimes enjoys watching an orchestra at Mahidol University where his good friend Ajarn Sugree Charoensook is a teacher.

Paufler said he is also writing another book on creativity and innovations – this time in the German language – while taking a Chinese-language course after his recent appointment as a guest professor at the Yunnan University of Finance and Economics in China.

“I’m now looking forward to teaching in Berlin as well,” Paufler said. He has a habit of finding jobs as a lecturer in the country where he publishes a book in its local language – beginning with Thailand and now in China.

And don’t envy him: Paufler said he planned to finish his latest book some time next year at his beach-front home in Hawaii, which he bought when he was working in Japan several years before being posted in Bangkok.

“It is a good investment,” he said, adding that he earns a rental income when not using it.

But here is the biggest surprise: Paufler, once the boss at Mercedes-Benz, is enjoying his post-retirement life in Bangkok without a car. “I use BTS and taxis to travel,” he said.

Looking on the bright side

Amid all the bad news surrounding Thailand, sometimes it is nice to get some positive feedback from someone with credibility, such as Ajarn Dipak Jain, the dean of Sasin, who pointed out many positives and strengths of the country and its people. At a seminar last week held by the Marketing Association of Thailand, the world famous marketing professor also floated a lot of ideas, including an intra-regional Asean visa to allow a “seamless” experience for foreign travellers.

was Chadchart piqued by minister’s remarks?

Even though the Thailand Management Association conference has been on the same topic of national competitiveness every year, and it has had the same group of speakers (IMD, PTT, SCG, and so on), the turnout at its latest conference could still fill the large ballroom of the Plaza Athenee Hotel. Among the top executives attending the recent seminar was Chadchart Sittipunt, the former transport minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra government. Chadchart is currently serving as the chief executive of Quality Houses. Interestingly, Chadchart left the seminar almost immediately after Arkham Termpittayapaisith, the current deputy transport minister, a panelist at the conference, spoke about his government’s ability to achieve more things during the past one year, than what had been done during the previous 2-3 years.

Contributed by Pichaya Changsorn