Biz Buzz

 

Michael David Selby, an experienced businessman, has become one of the first foreigners to be appointed as adviser to a Thai minister. The Cabinet last week approved the appointment of Selby, 61, as adviser to Deputy Education Minister Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin. 

According to the Education Ministry’s official website, Selby currently holds various positions including CEO of the Crown Property Bureau’s subsidiaries CPB Equity and CPB Property. He is also chairman of Kempinski AG. 

He has worked in a variety of capacities in the course of his career, from being an adviser to Brunei’s Prince Jefri Bolkiah, to being chairman, chief executive and director of dozens of firms such as Hotel Plaza Athenee, New York Palace Hotel, PTT Natural Gas Distribution, Minor International, MDX Lao, SCB New York Life Insurance and Aon Risk Services (Thailand). 

Selby is considered an expert in rehabilitating ailing companies. 

It remains to be seen if he can work his magic on the Education Ministry, which has just had a change of management and will be hard pressed to live up to public expectations and rejuvenate the Thai education system, which has rated poorly compared with some of its least-developed neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile, Teerakiat, a child psychiatrist by training, found his way into the reshuffled Cabinet after he was promoted from a vice minister position .

 

Contributed by Pichaya Changsorn