Kongkiat Opaswongkarn

Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, Ph.D. (Thai: ดร.ก้องเกียรติ โอภาสวงการ) is the founder and CEO of Asia Plus Group Holdings PCLwww.asiaplusgroup.co.th www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/TH/XBKK/ASP/company-people. He is often referred to by media as “the financial guru of Thailand” as a result of his career as an investor banker that soared in correlation with the significant bull run of the Stock Exchange of Thailand during the late 1980s to early 1990shttps://forbesthailand.com/people/cover-story/%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%A3-%E0%B8%81%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B4.html www.eliteplusmagazine.com/home/content/26/2#gsc.tab=0. He is also known for being an avid collector of Thai and international arts https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/898638 http://www.rama9art.org/artisan/c_2019/9th_asia_plus/index.html https://mgronline.com/celebonline/detail/9540000031864 as well as watches https://th.hellomagazine.com/watches-jewellery/doctor-kongkiat-opaswongkarn/. 
Dr. Kongkiat received a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering with First Class Honours from Chulalongkorn University in 1978. He then spent six years at The Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, first attaining an MBA with Distinction in 1980 followed by a Master of Science in 1982, and then a Ph.D. in 1984www.whartonbangkok15.com/2014/10/10/dr-kongkiat-opaswongkarn-wg80. 
At the mid-point of his career, he completed The National Defence Course for the Joint State-Private Sectors Course (Class 14) at The National Defence College of Thailand www.thaindc.org in 2002, and the Capital Market Academy Leadership Program (Class I) in 2005.
Dr. Kongkiat started his career in the Thai financial industry at Kasikornbank PCL in 1984 (then Thai Farmer’s Bank PCL) www.kasikornbank.com in its retail department. He rose quickly through different roles to become Head of Investment Banking Division, and also a Member of the bank’s IT Committee. He departed the bank to establish and lead the Bangkok research department for Baring Securities, the British stockbroking firm, in 1988, which became highly regarded by international institutional investors for its quality research on the Thai stock market. 
Having cemented his reputation as a skilled investment banker during the bull run of the Thai stock market during that period, he left Barings Securities in 1992 to found his own company, Asset Plus Securities, specialising in investment banking and private equity investment. In 2002 he took the company public, and in 2004 he merged Asset Plus Securities PCL with ABN Amro Asia Securities PCL to form Asia Plus Securities PCLwww.wsj.com/articles/SB106564081744264600 . In 2015 he transformed Asia Plus Securities PCL into the current group holding company.
Dr. Kongkiat has been a prominent figure in Thailand’s capital markets over the decades, and has previously served as CEO of the Export-Import Bank of Thailandwww.exim.go.th/en/Home.aspx , Chairman of the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organizationwww.set.or.th/en/products/resource/files/setnewsletter_may2007.pdf , and Chairman of the Securities Analysts Association.
Dr. Kongkiat currently holds the position of CEO at Asia Plus Group Holdings PCLwww.asiaplusgroup.co.th/about-inside.php?id=186 , which is the parent company of Asia Plus Securities Co. Ltd.www.inv4.asiaplus.co.th/asps/index.php?lang=en , Asia Plus Advisory Co. Ltd.www.asiaplusadvisory.co.th/index.php , and Asset Plus Fund Management Co. Ltd.www.assetfund.co.th/home/default.aspx?lang=en. The group’s scope of activities covers securities brokerage, asset management, investment banking, private banking and direct investment in listed and non-listed companies www.prbuffet.com/lalamove-attracts-thai-investor-confidence-10-m-usd-3rd-round-investment-within-18-months-to-pay-off-by-the-end-of-2016 (private equity, venture capital, start-ups).
He is highly regarded for his deal-making experience that has spanned different industries including property www.pacedev.com/images/uploads/20160726_PACE_PP_Release_ENG_FINAL.pdf www.cbre.co.th/propertynews/thais-gobble-up-london-real-estate/ , food and beveragewww.forbes.com/sites/naazneenkarmali/2017/05/30/the-little-boss-who-reaped-a-bounty-from-flavoured-seaweed/#6fab38e4bb43 , retail, and entertainment, and includes leading over 50 initial public offerings and 40 M&A transactions, and advising business-owners on other investment banking www.asiaplusadvisory.co.th/portfolio.php and financial matters. His is often referred to as “the financial guru of Thailand” by media, who regularly seek his opinion.
These include: 
•	1995 A “Global Leaders of Tomorrow”, World Economic Forum, Davos, Switzerland.
•	1996 A “Top Fifty Financial Leaders of the 21st Century”, Euromoneywww.euromoney.com/article/b1320b5g19p23w/the-euromoney-top-fifty-financial-leaders-for-the-21st-century .
•	2013 “Asia Award for Advisory Broker of the Year”, The European www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGg72YoYyg.
•	2014 “The Best CEO of Listed Company in SET”, the Stock Exchange of Thailand, and Money and Banking Magazine www.thaipr.net/general/586624 www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/620155
Dr. Kongkiat has served as a Board Member or Director at numerous institutions, including:
•	Board Member, the Wharton Asian Executive Board
•	Advisory Board Member, Martin de Tours School of Management and Economics, Assumption Universitywww.msme.au.edu/index.php/about-msme/leadership/advisory-board/102-dr-kongkiat-opaswongkarn
•	Board Member, Bangkok Art and Culture Centrehttps://issuu.com/bacc.or.th/docs/bacc_annualreport2561_
•	Director, Bangkok Symphony Orchestra Foundation
•	Director, Rama IX Art Museum Foundationhttp://www.rama9art.org/artisan/founda/board.html
He remains in demand as a guest speaker at business forums and business schools, and as a coach e.g. for Fintech accelerators such as Krungsri RISEwww.krungsrifinnovate.com/en/accelerator/krungsri-rise.html, Money Talk Channel https://stock2morrow.com/discuss/room/1/topic/22035 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3ELSN6rUjY . An avid art collector, he has also sponsored numerous local budding artists during the past decades.
==In the media==
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Category:Thai businesspeople
Category:Thai businesspeople by industry
Category:Thai people by occupation