Khunying Natthika Wattanavekin Angubolkul, MBA’77, Chairwoman and CEO of Eastern Sugar Group and President of the Federation of Business and Professional Women of Thailand took the 35-hour journey from Bangkok, Thailand, to Bloomington to be inducted into the Kelley Academy of Alumni Fellows on November 2. The academy recognizes alumni who have earned the stature of exceptional leaders by their demonstrated successes in organizations and their contributions to management philosophies and practices.
Khunying Natthika Wattanavekin Angubolkul, MBA’77 on campus for the first time since graduating.
Khunying Natthika believes to live in a good society, you must contribute to building it. With that guiding philosophy and a tireless dedication to constant improvement, she has spent much of her life championing and empowering women and children.
One of 18 children, Khunying Natthika is Chairwoman and CEO of her family’s sugar business, Eastern Sugar Group, which, in addition to producing sugar, generates electricity through a zero-waste biomass power plant that operates under the Eastern Sugar and Cane Public Company Ltd. Her family’s business interests extend to operating the Tim Hortons coffeehouse franchise in Thailand, the Grand Hyatt Erawan and JW Marriott hotels in Bangkok, and over 150 hotels across Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Khunying Natthika earned her MBA from the Kelley School, where she serves on the Global Dean’s Council.
She emerged as one of Thailand’s leading female entrepreneurs during a pivotal time when women were beginning to step into prominent roles in business and social initiatives. Her commitment to excellence quickly propelled her to success. At 29, she was awarded her first of five royal decorations given for service to the country, people, and society. At the young age of 46, she was bestowed the royal title of Khunying, similar to the title of Lady or Dame in the western world. She has also received three honorary degrees and numerous awards through the years in business, the sugar sector, the energy sector, and in the community.
Khunying Natthika is the President of the Business and Professional Women of Thailand (under the royal patronage of Her Majesty the Queen). She is also the Founder of the Young Thai Entrepreneurs Association, and Chairwoman of the Kiat Ruammitr Foundation, as well as an Advisor to the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and the former President and Honorary Chairwoman of the Thai Sugar and Bio-Energy Producers Association. She is past President to the National Council of Women of Thailand (under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen) and former chairman of the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network.
Her visit back to campus after nearly 50 years was a picturesque timing as the autumn foliage was at its peak and there was an excitement around IU Football’s historic season. Her two-day visit to the U.S. also included a Men’s Basketball game, where she saw IU beat Marian 106-64. As she walked down to the stadium floor into the halls, she exclaimed, “I think this is where I saw Elvis Presley perform.”
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