Issara Vongkusolkit, the first vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, was selected as the new chairman of the chamber on Thursday, replacing Phongsak Assakul.
Mr Issara pledged to enhance competency particularly of Thai small-and-medium-sized enterprises. (Bangkok Post file photo)
Mr Issara won a unanimous 76 votes from members of the Thai Chamber of Commerce at a meeting on Thursday.
Mr Issara is chairman of Mitr Phol Group, Thailand's leading company in the sugarcane business that has been operating for more than half a century.
During his time as the chamber's first vice chairman, Mr Issara was responsible for increasing Thailand's potential in competitive markets.
He also champions the "1 Rai earns 100,000 baht" and "1 Company 1 Community" projects started by Dusit Nontanakorn, former chairman of the chamber, which is aimed at decreasing economic disparity in society.
Mr Issara graduated with a bachelor's degree in management from North Carolina University, Greensboro, USA, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in science (agribusiness) by Khon Kaen University in 2008 and an honorary doctorate in post-harvest and processing engineering by Rajamangala University of Technology Isan in 2010.
Mr Issara pledged to improve the competency of Thai small and medium-sized enterprises in particular and get them well prepared for regional economic integration in 2015.
He is also committed to developing networking and underlining cooperation between the public and private sectors at a domestic, regional and global level, and to promote good corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.