At SCG all employees have equal opportunities: Kan

Treating multinational employees from diverse cultural backgrounds and nationalities on equal basis is the key human resource strategy of the Siam Cement Group, to create a single corporate culture.

At a dinner talk on "AEC and Investment Aspects" hosted by the Technology Promotion Association (Thai-Japan), SCG president and CEO Kan Trakulhoon said that blending employees of different nationalities into the same culture is the key challenge in establishing a sustainable investment path in Asean.

Since 2007, the group has taken over more than 21 companies in Asean. Currently, more than 26 per cent of the group's total 30,000 employees are foreigners. The ratio is expected to rise in tandem with the company's business expansion.

Kan said that the group treated all its employees on an equal basis and all of them have the opportunity to become the group's management, regardless of nationality. The group last year spent Bt1.3 billion on its staff-training programme to enhance their potential and competence, grooming them to become high-ranking management.

He said the group is ready to promote competent local employees in each of the countries to be the top management of its group business network. Even foreign nationals can become the group's top management if they are capable and suitable for the posts.

Clear goal

"All of the group's employees, regardless of their nationalities, have a chance to be promoted to higher positions and even to the president and CEO positions, if they're capable. Our goal is clear - we want to keep growing in Asean and make all Asean people love us," he added.

Since 2003, the SCG group has invested Bt84.66 billion in Asean markets - Bt36.510 billion in Thailand, Bt33.15 billion in Indonesia, Bt9.35 billion in Vietnam, Bt5.5 billion in Cambodia, and Bt150 million in the Philippines. The investment was done either by starting a business on its own or through acquisition of a long-standing business there.

He noted that when investing in Asean, companies should make themselves a part of the communities of those countries. SCG has undertaken many social activities in the countries where it has a presence.