Who we are

Kenan Institute Asia is a knowledge and capacity building organization implementing results-oriented, social and economic development programming on a not-for-profit basis. With our headquarters in Bangkok, we conduct activities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as regional activities in Southeast Asia

Executive Committee

Chairperson, Kenan Institute Asia
Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham, one of Thailand's leading bankers, was a founding trustee of the Kenan Institute Asia in 1996 and was appointed as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee in July 2014.

President, Kenan Institute Asia
Piyabutr Cholvijarn, President and Vice Chairman of Kenan Institute Asia, has served with distinction in the finance and banking industry and in a variety of important government posts.

Mr. W. Charles Blocker has served as a trustee and member of the Executive Committee of the Kenan Institute Asia since 2007.

John “Jack” D. Kasarda is the Director of the Center for Air Commerce at The University of North Carolina’s (UNC) Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and a longtime member of the Kenan Institute Asia Executive Committee.

Khunying Kasama Varavarn is a former Permanent Secretary of State for Education under the Thailand Ministry of Education, who has served on the Kenan Executive Committee and Board of Trustees since 2013.

Dr. Chadamas Thuvasethakul is the Executive Vice President of the National Science and Technology Development Agency and a member of the Kenan Executive Committee since 2007.

Dr. Varakorn Samakoses is a widely known economist and educator who has served as Deputy Minister of Education and as a university president.

Dr. Supavud Saicheua has served as Managing Director and Head of Research at Phatra Securities PCL since August 2002. From February to September 2001, he was an advisor to the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Pradap Pibulsonggram is currently the adviser to the ASEAN Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee for the Integration Logistics Research Project, a joint project conducted by the National Research Council (NRCT) and the Thailand Research Fund (TRF).

Executive Director, Kenan Institute Asia
As the Executive Director of Kenan Institute Asia, Richard Bernhard has over twenty years of experience in managing multi-sector programs that bring together the private sector, government, NGOs and local communities to address key development needs in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

Board of Trustees

Mr. Anand Panyarachun
Former Prime Minister of Thailand Kenan Founding and Honorary Chairman

Mr. Aidan ST. P. Walsh
Partner in Charge - International, KPMG LLP

Ms. Joan Gillings
Consultant to the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham
Chairperson, Kenan Institute Asia, Independent Director, Siam Commercial Bank

Mr. Piyabutr Cholvijarn
Kenan President, Former Deputy Minister of Industry, Thailand

Dr. Supavud Saicheua
Managing Director, Phatra Securities PCL

Mr. W. Charles Blocker

CEO, IC Partners (Thailand) Limited

Dr. Chadamas Thuvasethakul
Executive Vice President, National Science and Technology Development Agency

Mr. Owen Gwyn
Chairman, GEOCORP

Dr. Varakorn Samakoses
Former Deputy Minister of Education, Thailand

Dr. Woraphat Arthayukti
Chairman, Northern Gulf Petroleum Pte. Ltd.

Mr. M.L. Puntrik Smiti
Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour of Thailand

Dr. Peter Coclanis
Director, Global Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Khunying Kasama Varavarn
Member of the Council of State

Dr. John D. Kasarda
Director, Center for Air Commerce, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Mrs. Suphatra Srimaitreephithak (EX-OFFICIO)
Director-General, Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA)

Mr. Pradap Pibulsongkram
Adviser to National Coordinator on ASEAN Connectivity

Mr. Pala Sookawesh
Chairman, Council of Trustees
Petroleum Institute of Thailand (PTIT)

Ambassador William H. Itoh
Former U.S. Ambassador to Thailand

Mr. Richard Bernhard (EX-OFFICIO)
Executive Director, Kenan Institute Asia