Tan Passakornnatee, founder and president of Oishi Group, will embark on a new business mission immediately after his resignation from Oishi Group takes effect on September 9. On that day, Tan would officially unveil his new business, built around the "Do Hundred for Hundred" concept.
"The new business will maximise my existing land assets," Tan said yesterday, as he officially announced his resignation as managing director of Oishi, which he founded in 1999.
He said he wanted to have more time for his family and his personal businesses, including the Villa Maroc Mar luxury resort hotel in Pranburi, and a flea market in Lop Buri province. Tan has also developed football pitches at Soi Thonglor and Sukhumvit 22 in Bangkok.
Tan said that it was the right time for him to leave the Oishi Group as he had already successfully carried out his responsibilities.
Tan sold his majority stake to Thai Beverage, owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, five years ago. At that time, he had promised the new owners that he would manage the company for three more years.
"The Oishi Group had only Bt4 billion in sales and 50 staff on the day I sold [my stake] to Thai Beverage five years ago. The group now employs more than 5,000 people with the expectation to achieve Bt8.4 billion in sales this year, up 20 per cent over last year," said Tan. He added the group also dominated with a 63-per cent share of Thailand's readytodrink green tea market, and about 50 per cent share of the local Japanese restaurant market.
He added that over the past seven years since their listing on the local stock market, Oishi Group's share price had jumped dramatically from Bt17 to Bt70.
"Oishi Group is quite solid in terms of administrative management, capabilities of its human resources, and technology foundation. So it is the most appropriate time for me to step down from the company so that I will be able to allocate more time to my family and personal businesses," said Tan, who will retain his 3.5per cent stake in the food and beverage company.
Tan has been the major driving force behind Oishi. Established as the first Japanese buffet restaurant, with the first branch in Soi Thonglor, Oishi branched out to become a major player in the greentea and other beverages market.
However, Tan considers the time is right for change.
"I have become the 'old wave', and my department from the Oishi Group will allow the recruitment of 'new wave' personnel, who have fresh and technologyoriented ideas. Oishi works by system, not person," Tan said.
Tan said that his greatest desire in life is to be happy more than to be successful.
Tan said he had recently opened his personal Facebook page, and had attracted over 7,000 fans within the first 10 days.
"The first mission I would like to succeed in is to share my life experience and useful hints or ideas on my Facebook. My second mission is to host my first charity talk show, entitled "Deaw Kab Tan" to be held in November at Scala Theatre. The talk show will have Udom Taepanich wellknown standup comedian as its producer," said Tan.