Pissawan Atchanapornkul was tapped as Shell (Thailand)’s first woman president in its history of 117 years operating in Thailand.

With 40 years of age, she is the youngest top executive ever of the Royal Dutch Shell’s unit in Thailand and only one of three Thai executives ever appointed to the position and will have 20 years to go at the company helm.

She joined Shell in 1990 as assistant business development manager, and then was rotated to position between Shell’s affiliate, including chief logistic staff at the refinery FRCT in Rayong.

A dynamic working woman, Pssawan said she does not feel the pressure being seated as chair of the company during the global economic recession.

Instead, she found it has been an honor and a precious New Year gift.

“I think it’s challenging,” she said. “I don’t have even time to celebrate the New Year. I have to prepare myself for the new role.”

Effective January 1st, Pissawan sets to ensure that the company’s management goes in four directions:

Firstly, Shell Thailand will start reengineering its organization in compliance with the mother company’s Downstream One policy by implementing IT system at all departments and branches to enhance its management and competitiveness.

“Shell Thailand will be amongst the first companies in Asia-Pacific to install the system,” she said. “Upon completion, customers and trade partners will be more convenience in doing transaction with Shell under one global standard.”

Secondly, the company will focus on ‘Operational Excellence’ by improving services at its pump stations throughout the country to ensure that customers want to return to and use its service.

Thirdly, focusing on Product Quality Excellence by offering only innovative and quality products and services, which aims to impress and reach into larger group of customer.

“We want to be the first brand in their mind when people think about gas,” Passawan said.

And lastly, the company will focus on the mother company’s policy on global warming by looking for methods and materials that produce less carbon dioxide emission in the production processes, as well as alternative energies under ‘Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050’ project.

Passawan remarked that Shell will continue expanding its investment activities, because it remains confident in the Thai economy.