Sudhitham Chirathivat, former Executive Chairman of Thailand’s largest retail conglomerate Central Group, has been honoured as one of the 2014 inductees into the World Retail Hall of Fame, the World Retail Congress said on Tuesday.
Sudhitham Chirathivat is currently Chairman of the Advisory Board of Central Group, having spent 40 years with the retail giant. Under his leadership, he helped grow the businesses begun by his father in Thailand to become one of the biggest family-owned business conglomerates in the country and one of the most important in the region. Central Group’s department stores, supermarkets/convenience stores, hard-line products from home decor, electrical to sporting goods, shopping malls, and 5-star hotels & resorts now operate throughout Thailand and South East Asia. The Central Group has also extended its reach into Europe with the acquisition of La Rinascente in Italy and Illum in Denmark.
Each year, the World Retail Congress consults its Advisory Board, the Grand Jury for the World Retail Awards and other retail industry peers to identify which individuals they believe should be honoured for their lifetime achievements and contribution to retailing. Aside from Sudhitham Chirathivat, the 2014 inductees also include Mike Ullman, CEO of US department store chain J.C. Penney, and Ray Kelvin, CEO of UK fashion retailer Ted Baker.
The 2014 inductees will be presented with their special awards at the World Retail Hall of Fame lunch which takes place during the World Retail Congress in Paris from 29 September to 1 October.
They will take their place alongside a roll call of over 100 names of retailers that have helped create modern retailing around the world. Last year’s congress saw Kingfisher’s Chairman Daniel Bernard; Martha Stewart Living Omnipedia’s founder Martha Stewart and The Dairy Farm Group’s former CEO Michael Kok as the 2013 inductees.
This year’s inductees will share their insights as part of a plenary session on 30 September, during the congress in Paris, where they will look back over their careers and share their thoughts on the future direction of the industry.