Believe in yourself that you can do it, this will be your super hidden power!
Interview with Waralee Wongsri
Assistant Brand Manager (White Spirit) – Pernod Ricard Thailand
Hi Waralee, Thank you for joining the interview with us today. Please kindly introduce yourself.
Hi DBWT fellows, Thanks for inviting me to be a part of this community. My name is Waralee Wongsri or in short “Khun Earth”. I’m working as an Assistant Brand Manager at Pernod Ricard Thailand. Brands like Absolut, Beefeater, Malfy, and many others are under my responsibility to increase brand awareness and become market leaders.
Referring to your academic background, you graduated in Computer Graphic Design. What is the most enjoyable aspect of studying and working in this field, and what brought you to pursue your career in the food and beverage industries?
I know it seems strange that people like me with an academic background in Computer Graphic Design work in a business role, but I would say there is a link between. Imagine that you have fabulous masterpiece artwork, but you lack marketing to promote and present it. This is what I see myself shifting from arts into marketing focus.
Also, my first job at Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce (TICC) was one of the inspirations that shifted me into F&B industry – I started in the production of their publications focusing on Italian food and beverage, and I found this industry charming and challenging. It pushed me into the representative of one of the Italian Mineral water brands afterward.
In your opinion, what would be the challenge for a young woman to succeed in a career in Food and beverage, and how would she overcome it?
As a young woman, other people might think that you are not suitable for F&B industry which is a high challenge on market movement. I would recommend you to be yourself, be confident and believe you can do it with all your attention. Even if there were some mistakes that happened in the past, take them as your experiences to make the best results on your own career.
Not every Thai people are fluent in English. As you work for a foreign organization, what would be other valuable contributions we can provide to the company to make us be the outstanding employee besides improving the language skills?
Based on my experiences, I believe being an outstanding employee, you need great communication skills with other people around you. It does not mean only about the languages, but also to be a good listener, try to understand what people want from you or what are the goals of these tasks that you have been assigned before start to do it. Also, do not be afraid to ask if you do not understand.
What is your advice to encourage the leader of the future or young professional who is lacking self-confidence and afraid to express own thoughts?
It is ok to be unsure of your abilities, but do not let this limit your potential. You may have more capability than you thought. Just focus on your strengths and be ambitious to achieve it.
In your role as "Assistant Brand Manager”, what are your responsibilities and what skills are required to succeed?
As an Assistant Brand Manager – I am responsible for overall brand development, which includes brand performance review, brand activations and budget allocation. And to succeed in these duties, I need to perform the skillset of data analyst, creativity, negotiation, management, and cross-functional working with other teams.
What have been your most memorable experiences lately at Pernod Ricard?
The warm welcome from the company, people here are eager to support each other. The activities such as Sport Day and Company outing provided by the company were also memorable. It has also included the other benefits that help me to find work-life balance here.
Suggest one drink for someone who is ambitious and unstoppable!
“Vodka Soda & Lime” – it sounds boring, but you won’t stop at one drink for this simple one!
What are your inspiring messages to DBWT?
Believe in yourself that you can do it, this will be your super hidden power!
How do people follow or connect with you on Social Media?
- LinkedIn: Waralee Wongsri
- Facebook: Waralee Wongsri
- Instagram: Waralee.W
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