As we continue to navigate a dynamic global market, our regional leaders are executing strategies designed to build enduring resilience. Following insights from our Global and Group leaders last month, the leaders across our specific business units now share their blueprints for driving sustainability, cross-functional synergy, and market dominance throughout 2026.
Championing Sustainability and Agile Leadership
For Prapan Sirichotdumrong, President of Nippon Paint Thailand, the core focus this year is empowering values for sustainability to ensure stakeholders view the brand as an undeniable first-choice partner. Prapan believes that business sustainability is no longer optional but a critical compliance agenda that requires close, start-to-end engagement with key clients on projects such as carbon-neutral paint and coating solutions. To navigate a highly unpredictable global environment defined by volatility and complexity, he is actively championing the development of a new generation of agile leaders through systematic training programmes and internationalised work experience.
Shifting away from traditional product sales, Prapan is moving the division towards offering total consultative solutions that deliver holistic benefits to partners. Internally, he is focused on creating a worry-free workplace environment built on individual respect and honesty, leveraging transparent Town Halls and coaching to bridge leadership gaps. Furthermore, he is breaking down departmental walls by promoting a unified “LFG Spirit” that aligns back-office functions directly with customer success metrics, ensuring that every team member adopts an outside-in approach and always says “WE”.
Driving Execution Through Core Values and Dual Core Synergy
Viewing financial targets simply as the outputs of empowered people, Watchara Siriritthichai, General Manager of Nippon Paint Decorative Coatings Thailand, emphasises that true competitive advantage comes from developing and engaging talents to outperform the competition. This mission is made even more critical by the soft market demand anticipated for 2026. He believes that success relies heavily on how leadership and staff authentically live the LFG’s “VITALS” core values in their day-to-day work, viewing this alignment as a perpetual commitment rather than a single-year initiative.
To secure sustainable dominance, Watchara is championing deep market insightfulness, prioritising a thorough understanding of customer needs and competitor weaknesses to determine winning strategies. He is pushing his teams to leverage the NIPSEA “spider map” principle to quickly share and replicate regional successes, thereby shortening the time to market without reinventing the wheel. Furthermore, Watchara views the Dual Core platform as a vital tool to permanently break historical silo paradigms, ensuring massive teamwork and cross-regional collaboration that competitors simply cannot match.
Prioritising Digitalisation and Technical Alignment
Firmly on a new growth trajectory, Nippon Paint Marine Korea is building incredible momentum for the year ahead. Managing Director Sean Kim Seong Min is prioritising long-term sustainability and resilient business practices to secure this progress. He is personally championing the development of the Universal Epoxy CR version, an initiative deemed critical for improving profitability, expanding market share, and securing a competitive edge in the marine coatings sector, with certification targeted by the end of the year.
To stay ahead of evolving customer needs, Sean is shifting the company’s strategy away from traditional methods toward robust digitalisation initiatives powered by advanced AI tools for customer and project management. Recognising that success cannot happen in isolation, he introduced the Technical Alignment Meeting initiative. This crucial platform brings Research and Development, Sales, and Supply Chain teams together regularly to discuss market trends and competitor developments, ensuring that technical direction is set collectively and cross-functional collaboration becomes a core driver of success. He is also actively enhancing employee engagement through the Voice of Employee Committee so that ideas are actively incorporated into company policies.
Advancing Health-Safe Building Solutions and Scalable Innovation
Dedicating 2026 to guiding the market forward with safer and healthier building solutions, Cheong Chee Leong, Managing Director of Vital Technical, is championing the continued advancement of next-generation green adhesive and sealant technologies. By responding to evolving regulatory needs and closing system gaps, he ensures the brand meets stringent international compliance standards while moving beyond individual products to deliver complete, practical solution systems.
To stay relevant, Vital Technical is evolving from transactional sales to building consultative partnerships based on data and proven performance, while simultaneously transitioning from traditional research methods to AI-accelerated development. Internally, Cheong is focusing on creating a transparent working environment, strengthening the Product Development Team, and heavily mentoring talent to ensure everyone feels aligned and connected. He also plans to integrate execution strategies seamlessly across Vital and the wider NPX network, sharing market intelligence and aligning commercial and technical teams to accelerate scalable innovation.
Cultivating Best-in-Class Product Excellence and Collaborative Culture
For Chen Lee Siong, General Manager of Nippon Paint Coatings Philippines, differentiating the brand through unparalleled product quality and a Best-in-Class product range is the ultimate priority for the year. Chen is a strong advocate for the M Group PDT Work Standard, viewing this disciplined framework as absolutely critical for accelerating strategic market growth and consistently maximising shareholder value.
To remain highly relevant in a shifting landscape, his strategy is evolving from simply introducing products based on technical features to deeply understanding consumer insights and directly addressing their specific pain points. Internally, Chen is drawing strength from every single team member to achieve ambitious company goals. He is working closely with the Human Resources department to actively dismantle bureaucratic structures and silos, fostering a highly collaborative and positive working culture across the entire organisation.
