Meet MIT Sloan’s MBA Class of 2018

Salute Wonghiriwat

MIT, Sloan School of Management

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Passionate and innovative entrepreneur with engineering logic and the will to drive positive impact

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Fun Fact About Yourself: Overly sensitive and emotional to saying good bye or parting with someone or something

Undergraduate School and Major: Chulalongkorn University, Automotive Design and Manufacturing Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

• Business Development Analyst, PTT Public Company Limited (scholarship granted)
• Co-Founder & CEO, AG Specs (the biggest online sunglasses retailer in Thailand, www.facebook.com/agspecs)
• Co-Founder & CEO, Watches Up Co.,ltd (A leading online watch retailer in Thailand, www.watchesup-store.com)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It has been success in balancing my corporate and entrepreneurial goals. I am very proud that I am able to successfully establish my own e-commerce sunglasses and watch business while also able to enact change in Thailand’s largest organization. At PTT, I led the company to diversify its petroleum business into aluminum trading, the company’s first ever non-petroleum trading business. The ability to balance these two aspects of my life is very valuable to me.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? Be prepared and know what you want. Start preparing for your MBA application early, including GMAT, essays and interview preparations. Know what you would like to get out of MBA and how it can benefit your future career. This will help you choose the right program, courses and motivate you to work hard towards it.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I would like to return to PTT company to continue working towards my dream of revolutionizing Thailand’s energy sector by introducing electric vehicles to lower the country’s dependency on petroleum. In addition, my dream job is to continue leading my e-commerce business and starting new businesses to advance my career as an entrepreneur.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program?  “Salute has revolutionary business ideas that can bring positive impact to the society around him. He works hard for his team and always bring more than 100% to the table for both academic and personal matters.”