Dusit Thani – Leadership at the Heart of Transformation
The revival of Dusit Thani Bangkok was more than a business transformation—it reflected leadership rooted in trust, empathy, and engagement. How did CEO Suphajee, “Super G”, inspire people to embrace change amid the challenge of letting go of the familiar?
At a glance
Year Founded
1970
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
Current CEO
Suphajee Suthumpun
(Since December 2015)
Number of Employees
7,000+
Abstract
Dusit Thani Bangkok’s transformation under CEO Suphajee “Tam” Suthumpun marked a significant moment in the evolution of one of Thailand’s most iconic hotel brands. Appointed in 2015, Suphajee recognized the urgent need to modernize a business rooted in heritage but struggling with a stagnant model. Her leadership focused not only on business diversification but also on guiding people through deep organizational change. This case study explores how Suphajee applied empathy, trust, and strategic clarity to align internal stakeholders and employees and shift their mindsets during a high-stakes transformation.
The methodology employed a two-phase change model – beginning with an “outside-in” strategy to set clear business goals and followed by an “inside-out” approach to drive stakeholder alignment and employee engagement. This case invites learners to examine leadership strategies for cultural transformation and innovation within traditional service businesses navigating complex change.
All rights reserved. © 2025 Nikkei Business Lab Asia. No part of this publication may be copied, stored, or transmitted in any form. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright.
Disclaimers:
(1) Regarding Case Study Content: This case study is based mainly on secondary data and analysis of publicly available information unless otherwise stated, and is intended solely for educational purposes. Any opinions expressed by the author(s) are designed to facilitate learning discussion and do not serve to illustrate the effectiveness of the company. Additionally, banner images and logos used in the case study are intended for visualization in an educational setting and it is not used to represent or brand the company. For any dispute regarding the content and usage of images and logos, please contact the team.
(2) Regarding University Affiliation and Titles of Authors: The university affiliation and titles of author(s) seen in the case study is based on their affiliation and title during the time of publication. It may or may not represent the current status of said author(s).
