Page 65 - The Ethics of ASEAN

The Rise of Corporate Ethics in ASEAN

Dr Wit Soontaranun: “business-social”
organisations operate ethically while
maintaining business success

Dr Wit is currently the Executive Vice President at DTGO in its
Social Contribution Office. He initially began his career with an
academic and chemical engineering background, receiving his
doctorate from Imperial College London in 1997 and teaching
at Chulalongkorn University for 10 years. He would later take
on a senior management position at Banpu Public Company
Limited, with his responsibilities surrounding occupational
health and safety. In 2013, he joined Thai Union Frozen Products
PCL, with focus on sustainable development and stakeholder
engagement. He would join the Executive Committee of
DTGO two years later, focusing on social contribution. Dr Wit Figure 1: Dr Wit
professed his gratitude to be in such a role, saying “I don’t have Soontaranun, Executive Vice
President at the Thai-based
to get a headache about running the business but rather to company DTGO and head of
think more about creating the impact.” its Social Contribution Office
DTGO was founded in 1993 as a “business-social”
organisation, with the goal of operating ethically while
maintaining business success. From its beginnings in
philanthropy and rural land and properties, it has now
expanded into several industries like property development,
technology, design and construction, finance and investment,
and entertainment and communication. The company’s
mission involves being ethical and socially responsible while
contributing to good causes, a goal incorporated into its
business model through dedicating 2% of top line revenue to
social causes. Dr Wit adds that this model is so important to
the company that it contributes to charity even in periods of
downturn.
The company has made numerous efforts to maintain
its ethical practices, not only from a societal but also a global
standard. It is a participant in the UN Global Compact and
maintains its principles of human rights, labour, anti-corruption,
and sustainability. This “business social” enterprise has also
won numerous awards for its ethical practices. In 2019 and
2022, DTGO was recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, a US-
based firm measuring corporate ethical standards as one of the
World’s Most Ethical Companies. It is recognised for Excellence
in Corporate Social Responsibility by Amcham Thailand, and
has various Special Recognition awards from Thailand Property,
notably in Sustainable Development and CSR.

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