Life working at Kenan

Ms. Kieu Anh Phan

Program Manager, Vietnam, Kenan Foundation Asia

Time at Kenan: 4 years 7 months
Value Discussion: Inspiration

Ms. Kieu Anh Phan is the current Country Program Manager for Kenan-Vietnam. She has been working with Kenan since April 2013 and was the very first staff member to join the Vietnam team. Ms. Kieu Anh is a development professional with over 19 years of experience in project design, management, and financial governance. She has a strong passion for gender-related issues in health, education and economic aspects with a focus on women. As well, Ms. Kieu Anh is highly involved in women and children’s rights, reproductive health, the disabled community, and family planning service provisions.

Why did you join Kenan?
Before joining the social-economic development sector, I spent 10 years working for the private sector in different managerial positions and over 19 years working in the non-profit industry. As I was looking to move into a new field of work, I was introduced to Kenan; where I found that Kenan's ability to mobilize the resources of the private, civic, and public sectors with governmental support to be uniquely different and bridge together my previous work experience. I realized that by working for Kenan, I would have the potential to address critical social and economic development challenges facing Vietnam.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
Where to begin; I have several roles as the Country Program Manager of Kenan-Vietnam. To quickly summarize it, I am responsible for guaranteeing that office operations run smoothly and that all projects meet local policies and regulations and are in agreement with our Thailand office. As well, I contribute to plans and program designs in coordination with excellent staff at Kenan-Vietnam to provide well-organized and sustainable projects that address the primary needs of Vietnamese society.

What’s do you like most about your work, and what is your favorite project?
What I love most about my job is inspiring the people of Vietnam by empowering them with the confidence and skills to make positive changes in their lives and communities, and Kenan allows me to do just that! Our YSEALI Economic Engagement in ASEAN regional workshop held in August of 2017, has been one of my favorite projects. The YSEALI project brought together 80 young adults from 10 countries in South East Asia to provide them with core knowledge about the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), so they could take their knowledge and skills back to their communities to create change. This project allowed what I love most about my work to shine through.

What does Kenan’s value of inspiration mean to you?
To me inspiration means to provide opportunities to the people of Vietnam to take control of their lives and destinies. Kenan is always striving to do more by continually providing opportunities for people to create real and sustainable change in their communities and lives by inspiring them to reach higher.

Ms. Orachat Prechatanasak

Manager - Finance and Accounting – Enjoy Science Project

Time at Kenan: 20 years
Value Discussion: Integrity

Brief job description:
As the Accounting Manager of Enjoy Science Project, I am responsible for all areas relating to financial reporting, supervises accountant staffs and for managing the team to ensure that work is completed in a timely and accurate manner including maintaining generally accepted accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. This position addresses tight deadlines and a multitude of accounting activities including general ledger preparation, financial reporting, year-end audit preparation and the support of budget and forecast activities with project team.

Why did you join Kenan?
I previously worked at a Finance and Securities Company, after this I have worked with Kenan for 20 years. I saw the growth and development of projects at Kenan. By working at Kenan - a nonprofit organization, it is possible to see how our efforts positively affect people in need. We are empowering people by providing the knowledge and capacity building, access to technology, and opportunities necessary for them to achieve their goals. Those skills are necessary for a better future. It is a great place to maximize my potential and develop to support a multitude of projects.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
My knowledge in accounting can management accounting system based on good governance principles, transparency and verified by planning to spend the budget efficiently and supports the implementation of institutional quality and performance, according to the rules and objectives of the sources of funds/donors.
Although I work in back office but I work with colleagues who have the intention to work for the social service activities. Therefore I work with pleasure to support team to help social. Sometimes it so difficult to implement the project but we are willing to do for accomplish it. It is a starting point. Then it made other developments come along. I am very proud when the project success and encouraged to continue the next project.

What does Kenan’s value of integrity mean to you?
We are honesty and truthfulness in the work that we do. We were managing money in true alignment with our organization’s mission and expectations from funders and donors. Those are the core of financial integrity. Financial statements can be verified on generally accepted principles and transparency. It’s more important than ever to be sure that our organization manages its finances responsibly and that the financial image we present is not only technically accurate but also tells the world how we use money to carry out our mission and expectations from donors. We use every dollar that maximum benefits for the beneficiaries.

What do you like most about your work at Kenan?
In addition to my accounting responsibilities, I have opportunity to attend workshops and activities to understand more about the projects. It is clear that the funding is beneficial to the project.

Mr. Nuntawut Pimpaeng

Innovative Education Consultant, Kenan Foundation Asia

Time at Kenan: 7 years
Value Discussion: Leadership

Brief job description:
I joined Kenan Foundation Asia in 2010, and I have worked extensively on learning development and teacher education projects for donors such as Chevron, Microsoft, Caltex, Merck and the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science, of the Thailand Ministry of Education. I currently serve as the Awareness and Partnership Consultant on the Kenan Foundation Asia led Chevron Enjoy Science project, a US $30 million, 5-year, public-private partnership to strengthen Thailand’s competitiveness and innovation by improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and building the public awareness and partnership for informal education learning across the country.

Why did you join Kenan?
It is not only education institutions that have a key role in developing and improving “Education”, Kenan Foundation Asia is a leader in the field of education, social and economic development. I joined because Kenan has always implemented sustainable development program innovatively which empower people and institutions to succeed in solving challenges. Kenan is pioneering changing in region and I feel grateful to be the one of members.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
I also have worked as a leader in providing consultation and collaborating with government partners on informal STEM education to implement innovative programs such as Maker Space, Maker Faire Bangkok, STEM careers travelling exhibitions, Thailand Children’s University, and etc. The most challenging aspect is leading co-creation among all partners to be on the same page of informal STEM education programs and leading all to have their achievement successfully with the same goal together.

What does Kenan’s value of leadership mean to you?
Leadership has a meaning beyond personal qualities but it should be aligned with the institution. Kenan is a leader in providing knowledge and capacity. I believe that leadership cannot succeed as a one-way direction but it comes from acceptation among people and/or partners who work together. Especially, when we need to listen and transform their challenges by empowering them to determine their own success and provide opportunities necessary for them to achieve their goals.

What do you like most about your work at Kenan?
“Social Contribution”- I have many opportunities to share my contribution back to society in a number of different ways. When I go into the field, I feel emotional touching and connecting with a kid’s dream. Our work lights up the fire in their mind, and its flame lights me up to lead and share in the right way.

Ms. Sofia Jeana

Deputy Chief of Party, Pattani Office, Kenan Foundation Asia

Time at Kenan: 5 years
Value Discussion: Inspiration

Brief job description:
As the Deputy Chief of Party for HOPE Yala project, Sofia is part of the technical team, and works to create a model and mechanism for peace through trust building between Muslims and Buddhists in Pattani and Yala province by empowering youth leaders of both religions to work together and with community and religious leaders to find workable solutions that can meet their local community needs.

Why did you join Kenan?
Kenan is a unique Non for Profit Organization that has incredibly strong backgrounds. The project that I worked with gave me a better understanding of people behaviors and reactions, as a result, I have found myself realizes in the importance of education and youth leadership. Kenan is a place that I could connect my passion for education with my desire of helping others. Kenan has fulfilled my dream to help people in my community by combining an education and a peacebuilding nicely.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
I am serving as Deputy Chief of Party for the USAID-funded HOPE Project to provide support and coordinating with local partners and stakeholders in Pattani and Yala Province, including students, professors, parents, teachers, and community and religious leaders, and building successful networks for students, professors, parents, teachers, and community and religious leaders to effectively communicate and collaborate with each other.

The main challenge is building trust with people in conflict areas namely, Pattani and Yala province. The implementing processes must be created carefully to ensure the protection and privacy of both individuals and communities along with upholding the ‘do no harm’ principle.

What does Kenan’s value of inspiration mean to you?
Kenan’s value inspires me in a way of sustainable work. To work with people in conflict areas, Kenan gives me an opportunity to work with smart, accomplished peoples who helped me grow professionally and created clear channels and interventions toward sustainable peace in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand.

What do you like most about your work at Kenan?
Kenan culture is great which made me feel comfortable working at my current job. I really enjoy giving direct support to HOPE team in a way that really makes a sustainable development for communities. Additionally, I enjoy the challenges, I enjoy the responsibility and I enjoy the methodical and precise approach which is necessary for me to deliver peace to the three southernmost communities.

Ms. Suvipha Chaladkid

Consultant, Business & Economic Development

Time at Kenan: 8 years
Value Discussion: Integrity

Brief job description:
As a consultant in Business & Economic Development, Suvipha works on a range of corporate funded development projects, with a particular focus on financial literacy. She designs and develops financial training curriculum, mobile application, and tools targeted at disadvantaged people, aiming for financial behavior change. She empowers people with financial life skills to help them make informed financial management decisions and better manage their finances in order to have a financial well-being.
Why did you join Kenan?
Working for a non-profit organization has always been my aspiration as I am ambitious to not only work for myself but create value to others. To give something back to the society is always my passion to pursue and to have a chance to help people, who lack opportunities in lives, to improve their quality of lives is very meaningful for me. Therefore, I joined Kenan to be a part of initiating and implementing an impactful program that truly helps people, community, and society to have a better future.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
Working as a consultant, I serve as a project manager, lead consultant, trainer, and facilitator, for various projects, particularly on financial literacy development for underserved populations in Thailand. I also design projects in terms of curriculum, activities, measurements, and follow-up process to ensure the beneficiaries can highly participate and are able to apply financial knowledge to their daily lives. Besides, I have an opportunity to develop proposals and work with clients professionally in order to make sure that the projects are aligned with the needs of both client and beneficiaries as well as working towards a sustainable development goal. The major challenges are helping people to change their financial attitude and behavior to have a better quality of life and scale up the impact of the programs to benefit a wider audience with limited budgets.

What’s your favorite project?
It is a difficult question to answer because I like every project that I worked with. Each project has values of their own and they gave me a chance to develop new things that matter to change people’s lives. However, if I need to choose one project, I would pick “At-Risk Women Financial Literacy” project since it was my first project that I worked with and expanded my knowledge on financial literacy. In addition, working with a variety of beneficiaries; for instance, night-life women, incarcerated women, women who live in slum areas, and vocational women, are provided me with valuable experience.

What does Kenan’s value of integrity mean to you?
Integrity to me means we are responsible for our own actions towards doing the right things. We have the courage to say no by carefully using good judgement when something wrong may arise. It also means a refusal to be compromised that would damage Kenan’s work and reputation. We insist on a value of a sustainable development work.

What do you like most about your work at Kenan?
Working at Kenan gives me an opportunity to work on various projects, diverse group of people and different roles and responsibilities. It helps me to learn both practical and professional experience, develop a lot of necessary skills, and grow as an individual in many aspects. Most importantly, Kenan staff is like a family as everyone supports each other towards the same goal.

Ms. Sunisa Satitanekchai

CSR Consultant

Time at Kenan: 1.5 years
Value Discussion: Partnership

Brief job description:
As a CSR Consultant, Sunisa works to address the community challenge through social partnership and leadership under the ThaiBev Leadership for a Better Quality of Life project in Bangkhuwat, Pathumthani province. She has achieved social and business outcomes together on a basis of Self-Sufficiency Economy Philosophy, especially on an idea of explosion from within, as evidenced by a series of community-led lotus sustainability activities. More importantly, she takes the lead on project design, which is success at forming a leader and leader how-to exchange between internal and external figures to foster the real and sustainable impact.

Why did you join Kenan?
Previously, I had worked in the private sector before experiencing a turning point when I had an opportunity to be trained as a change maker in a remoted school education in Chiang Mai. Since then, I discovered civil society projects ignites my life motivation and challenges my belief to create a sustainable development impact. And it sounds ever more challenging when talking about ‘sustainability’ in terms of an organization itself such as Kenan who are widely known as a non-profit organization that partnering with a wide range of multi-stakeholders. With Kenan, I am equipped with the effective thinking approach to balance the focus on both business and society.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
Striving for the better quality of life for Bangkhuwat community is the priority of my role. Leadership capacity building and social partnership on the basis of SEP are the two main streams that are always on top of the list. The most challenging thing is to align different aspects among different key stakeholders before turning them into the best potential of Banghkuwat while sustaining localization.

What’s your favorite project?
I have been at Bangkhuwat community since the start of my career at Kenan. The job has allowed me to engage a varied generation ranging from youths, community members, community leaders to ThaiBev executives. I would say that anything that challenges sustainable development impact would do me a favor. My favourite project with Bangkhuwat is a series of Lotus projects launched since the beginning of 2017 which rolling out a number of community development activities such as first lotus nursery learning center in Bangkhuwat, lotus bank, and Ecological learning center for youths, all of which could not make a move without partnerships among key stakeholders.

What does Kenan’s value of partnership mean to you?
Partnership means appreciating strength within one's self and from other people. Through this, one is capable of professionally collaborating with others through aligning everyone’s views before mobilizing as a team which would lead to a win-win outcome, and work towards a sustainable impact.

What do you like most about your work at Kenan?
Working at Kenan challenges me in the sense that I will have to respond social objectives while considering corporate clients as well. Personally, I am motivated by looking for a balance between these two objectives and making sure that an appropriate approach towards sustainability is implemented on track.

Mr. Wichai Limpitikranon

Manager - Business and Economic Development

Time at Kenan: 16 years
Value Discussion: Leadership

As the Technical manager, Wichai provides business consulting services that support and enhance the development of sustainable competitiveness for SMEs and non-profit organizations in Thailand, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. He takes the lead on forming public and private partnerships to increase business opportunities through customized approaches. Area of services include innovative financial literacy, value chain development, and entrepreneurship.

Why did you join Kenan?
I previously worked as an engineer at an oil company. I decided to change my career using my MBA background assisting SMEs and CSOs for their competitiveness and sustainability. It is a very exciting job that changed my perspective. We didn’t work or serve only the company but, at Kenan, we serve the government, beneficiaries and improve the well-being of society.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
Working to manage two types of services. For direct service, we matched corporate needs on their CSR with real needs of grass root beneficiaries by provide inclusive program-from training to mentoring. We need to improve beneficiaries’ quality of life. For policy recommendation, we provide research and policy recommendation to Thai government agencies in areas of agricultural, tourism and businesses. The most challenging is managing projects with time and budget constraints, while need to prove donors on the sustainable outcome.

What’s your favorite project?
I worked here almost 16 years. It is difficult to pick. So, I have picked three projects. For the government project, we assisted more than 20 Thai franchise on their operations and selling their franchises in oversea market under the budget from Ministry of commerce. For grass root people, we are the strategic partner of CITI foundation to assist more than 5,000 people improving their financial literacy knowledge and, finally, their quality life. For NGO, almost 4 years that we worked in Lao PDR to increase capacity of 60 CSOs to advocate on behalf of their 25,000 beneficiaries.

What does Kenan’s value of leadership mean to you?
To me, it means we take the lead in new content or new project implementation providing to society. We learn new business models, management techniques and apply these to our beneficiaries. We hope they can be sustainable in their businesses or personal life. We want to elevate the well-being of Thai society.

What do you like most about your work at Kenan?
As is the nature of business, I have come across many obstacles to meet client needs, beneficiary challenges and to adapt to new scopes of work. At Kenan, you are required to continuously improve your competency. Furthermore, working here, you have the opportunity to demonstrate new ideas, trying new things and share openly.

Mr. John DaSilva

Director of Corporate Engagement

Time at Kenan: 11 years
Value Discussion: Partnership

As the Director of Corporate Engagement, John works to leverage the private sector in order to address key social and economic development challenges in the region. He takes the lead on forming private sector partnerships that engage the government and other key stakeholders to ensure that real impact for public health and education outcomes, and fostering inclusive, sustainable communities, is achieved.

Why did you join Kenan?
I previously worked in both government and the private sector. While I loved my work for the government in terms of giving back to society, and found it deeply rewarding, I found it challenging to make significant change. The private sector provided a great deal of flexibility, but I found very little personal motivation for myself. Kenan provided a bridge between those two points, by giving me an ability to make a real impact in people’s lives, while trying new approaches and strategies. For me, it’s the best of both worlds.

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
Working to design projects that align corporate needs with government development priorities is the mainstay of my work. Not all companies look for these win-win opportunities, some just want to simply give back to society. However, such programing, no matter how well intentioned, cannot be sustainable if there is no proven business value. At Kenan, bridging this gap, in order to help people, is something we do best.

What’s your favorite project?
There are too many to pick just one! I have been at Kenan for over a decade, so I have designed over 40 projects and worked on about 20 as a consultant. I would say that anything that really does something unique and fills a gap not being met by current activities will rank highly. If about sheer scale and impact, then Chevron Enjoy Science would be my favorite. If about exciting approaches, our work in Thailand to help bring peace and reconciliation to communities in the deep South through youth leadership.

What does Kenan’s value of partnership mean to you?
To me it means we take everyone’s needs into consideration and make sure we collaborate with them, taking their needs seriously when we do our work. It means making sure we align the interests of all stakeholders before moving forward. This does not mean doing what they say, but rather applying your expertise to their situation and looking for win-win opportunities.

Mr. Alex Duke

Senior Manager – International Programs

Time at Kenan: 2 years
Value Discussion: Leadership

Alex is a Senior Manager for International Partnerships at Kenan responsible for managing relationships between Kenan and our bilateral and multilateral clients, and developing projects that are responsive to development priorities in the client sector. He focuses particularly on building Kenan's programs and profile in Vietnam, representing Kenan's identity as a leading regional organization that delivers locally relevant solutions to development challenges adapted from international best practices.

Why did you join Kenan?
I feel fortunate to have worked in Southeast Asia over the past 15 years and experienced the economic success in the region. I am acutely aware however of the importance of balanced growth and the need to consider non-economic factors in ensuring that the region’s development is both sustained and does not increase inequalities, especially for marginalized populations. I value Kenan's approach to work in the region and the opportunity my role at Kenan offers me to be involved in designing and overseeing exciting projects across multiple sectors that are responsive to pressing development needs. I'm continually learning how to evolve our models for implementing activities, identifying innovative and impactful approaches through our projects – what a great job to have!

What’s your role at Kenan, and what’s most challenging about it?
Developing projects for multilateral and bilateral clients that build on Kenan's expertise and that align with national or regional level government and donor priorities. I'm often challenged by balancing what I would like our projects to achieve with what we can reasonably deliver with available resources. However in our work, it is important to be focused, to identify the right program scale where we can achieve and measure program impact, rather than trying to do everything.

What’s your favorite project?
I really enjoyed seeing what the Women Improving Lives and Leadership project in Vietnam achieved, particularly the transformation that took place with more than 20 civil society organizations that we partnered with through the project. We introduced to our partners new approaches to issue identification, networking and advocating with policy makers for changes through a hands-on mentoring model of support, which took time for the partners to get familiar with. As it was a project of more than two years this longer period enabled the partners to increase their involvement and ownership over the project period and I was so pleased to see leaders of these organizations stand up and represent the rights of women and girls with the government of Vietnam and Embassies at the second national forum that we held under the project.

What does Kenan’s value of leadership mean to you?
We operate in a complex and changing world. Kenan is focused on being at the forefront of models of development that are relevant to the countries that we work in. We strive to be a leader in implementing responsive projects in the Southeast Asia region, recognizing and building on what we do well having a clear understanding of the challenges in the program areas where we work and identifying how we can adapt and evolving our approach and creating new and impactful solutions to development challenges in the region.

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