On the 64th floor of Two IFC tower in Central, with its sweeping views of Victoria Harbour, Alex Jiaravanont sits in an office that is spare but enormous, wearing a tightly tailored suit over a loosely buttoned shirt. The 46-year-old executive and former architect is a third-generation member of the Bangkok-based dynasty behind one of Asia’s largest conglomerates, CP Group, and has played an important role at the company as an advisor to several investment funds from its Hong Kong offices since 2015. But he keeps a lower profile than might be expected for someone whose family has topped lists of Thailand’s richest for decades.
“I’m actually a very private person and so getting written up was not, I mean ... I don’t do it very often,” Jiaravanont says. “But a lot of people didn’t realise CP has a division in Hong Kong, so we see this as an opportunity.”
Jiaravanont might be a little shy, but he does not exactly go unnoticed. As tall and angular as a fashion model, with his head shaven clean to the scalp, he wears a heavy ring in the shape of a tiger, and when he leans forward, a considerable tattoo of an intricately coiled snake peers out from his chest. “On my side of the family, everybody thinks I’m the creative one,” he says.
“He has a lot of tattoos,” says Amy Ho, a lawyer and a business partner of Jiaravanont in, of all things, a collection of handbags called Esemblé that he designs in his spare time.
“No, not a lot,” he says. “A couple.”
This story is from the February 2021 edition of Tatler Malaysia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2021 edition of Tatler Malaysia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Tech Talk
Rami Madani of ISKL discusses how AI is impacting education
Boarding Abroad
Elizabeth Marini and Mira Rosa Marini share parentchild perspectives of life at TASIS, the American boarding school in Switzerland that shaped a confident young woman
Gateway to Greatness
Three students share how Garden International School helped them reach their desired Oxbridge institutions
Choose Your Own Ed-venture
There are many noble academic reasons for undertaking a doctorate, but does having a PhD provide any career advantages a master's degree doesn't?
The Human Advantage
Can fresh graduates thrive in an Al-driven world? The future workforce is expected to move away from mundane tasks towards positions that demand critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Here’s what you need to excel in this dynamic era of human-AI collaboration
Join the Green Revolution
Redefine your digital footprint with the Acer Chromebook Vero 514, a revolutionary device that sets the standard for sustainability and performance
Not Your Average Joe
The Chromebook unlocks a seamless computing journey that merges style with functionality
Learning Unlocked
Gamification in education represents a paradigm shift in teaching and learning. By leveraging game-like elements to enhance motivation and engagement, the learning experience is transformed into an interactive and immersive journey
The Power of
What does this mean for our children's education and how can they benefit from it?
AS ABOVE
Dont forget to look up when you stay at these five-star hotels