Patchara in as KBank president
Kasikornbank’s board of directors has appointed insider Patchara Samalapa as KBank’s new president, effective from April 4, giving the bank four presidents at once, according to a statement released yesterday.
Mr Patchara, 47, started his career at Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Securities in Britain before working at Phatra Securities, Merrill Lynch Australia and Merrill Lynch Thailand.
Mr Patchara was managing director of Kasikorn Asset Management Co Ltd and joined KBank in 2012 as executive vicepresident overseeing SME business and acting head of corporate business.
He was later named senior executive vice-president for SME, corporate and retail business.
Mr Patchara earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Before his appointment, KBank had three presidents: Predee Daochai, Kattiya Indaravijaya and Pipat Aneaknithi.
The board has also named former tourism and sports minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul as vice-chairwoman of the board, chairwoman of the independent directors committee and chairwoman of the human resources and
remuneration committee.
Ms Kobkarn is currently on the special advisory committee to the prime minister.
KBANK shares extended losses for a third straight session yesterday and closed at 192 baht, down 3.50 baht, in trade worth 4.23 billion baht, weighed by anxiety over the fee-waiving bandwagon for digital transactions.