Published on January 18, 2006

Chairman’s tasks divided among new execs, members of firm’s executive board

The Major Cineplex Group has overhauled its organisational structure by dividing the responsibilities of its chairman among three new executives and two members of its executive board.

Major Cineplex’s chairman, Vicha Poolvaraluck, now with a significantly lighter workload, said yesterday that the overhaul was the biggest since the company’s inception. It was undertaken to strengthen and improve its performance during a large expansion push.

Major Cineplex intends to increase the number of its branches from 30 to 50 and raise the number of theatre seats from 60,000 to 100,000.

The three new executives that started this month include two recruited from Advance Info Service Plc (AIS) and one from McThai Co Ltd.

The former deputy marketing director of AIS, Kittsanan Ngamphathipong, will become Major Cineplex’s chief executive. AIS’s former marketing director, Arthorn Techatantiwong, will be deputy chief of the company’s bowling business and McThai’s former senior human resources development manager, Aorrawan Kowathana, will be deputy chief of Major Cineplex’s service operations.

As chief executive, Kittsanan will hold responsibility for creating qualified human resources and strong teamwork, as well as looking after the company’s information technology system. Arthorn will take charge of the bowling business and Aorrawan the development of services provided in Major Cineplex’s theatres.

Vicha said he would devote more time to new business investments, including California Fitness and M Picture, and would look for new strategic locations.

By overhauling its structure, the company will focus on four strategies: finding new locations, creating innovative services, creating strong teamwork, and applying information technology to enhance customers’ convenience, he said.

This year, Major Cineplex will invest between Bt700 million and Bt800 million. Bt500 million will be spent on adding six or seven new branches providing 15,000 new theatre seats, and Bt200 million on providing 100 new bowling lanes.

It has also set aside Bt30 million to adjust its IT system. The first new IT system is a booking system which will operate at Paragon Cineplex, at Siam Paragon shopping complex, opening next month. Customers wanting to make reservations will be able to book exact seats at a precise time by making payments with a team of five reservation staff.

Major Cineplex is the leader of the Thai cinema market with a 70-per-cent market share, representing 22 million tickets from a total 30 million.

Its revenue last year was Bt4 billion, of which 60 per cent came from theatres, 15 per cent each from bowling and advertising, and the rest from retail tenants within theatre complexes. It expects revenue to increase by 25 per cent to 30 per cent this year.

Vicha believes the overall movie market will grow by 15 per cent this year from the current Bt4.5 billion because many blockbuster films are expected, including “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”, “Superman Returns”, “X-Men 3”, and “Mission Impossible III”.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation

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