On July 9, 2026, Kaizen Institute Thailand had the privilege of welcoming a group of senior business leaders in Bangkok for an Executive Lunch titled “Winning Beyond Borders – Building Profitable Growth across Global Markets.” The event brought together executives from various industries for an afternoon of candid conversation about one of the most pressing challenges facing companies today: how to grow profitably beyond a single home market.
Lessons from Singha’s international journey
International growth is often described in terms of opportunity, such as new markets, new customers, new revenue streams. However, the discussion made clear that opportunity alone is never enough. The leaders in the room agreed that successful international growth depends on a combination of several factors working together: a clear and well-defined strategy, disciplined execution on the ground, a genuine understanding of local market realities, strong and trusted partnerships, and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to keep adapting as markets shift and evolve.
None of these factors guarantees success on its own. It’s the discipline of maintaining all of these factors over time that distinguishes companies that scale sustainably from those that stall.
The discipline behind sustainable international growth
A highlight of the session was the contribution of Lluis Ferre Nadal, Managing Director of Singha International at Boon Rawd Brewery Co., Ltd., who shared insights from Singha’s international business transformation journey. Rather than presenting a polished success story, Lluis offered the room an honest account of what that journey actually looked like in practice: the early challenges that had to be confronted, the structural changes required to support growth across multiple markets, and the recalibrations that came from lessons learned along the way. His account underscored a theme that resonated throughout the lunch: growth strategies are never static. They need to be revisited, tested against reality, and adjusted as circumstances change — while staying anchored to a clear long-term direction.
The format of the lunch encouraged genuine dialogue rather than one-way presentation. Attendees engaged actively, drawing parallels to their own experiences expanding across Southeast Asia and beyond, and raising questions about how to balance global consistency with local relevance, a tension that came up repeatedly throughout the discussion.
Why these conversations matter
For Kaizen Institute, conversations like this one reflect exactly why events such as this matter: growth challenges rarely have simple answers, and some of the most valuable insights come not from theory, but from leaders who have lived through the process of scaling a business internationally and are willing to share what they learned along the way.
Kaizen Institute Thailand would like to thank all attendees for their participation and openness in sharing ideas, and Lluis Ferre Nadal for his generosity in sharing his journey with the group. We look forward to continuing these conversations and supporting organizations across the region on their own growth journeys.