If you had to choose just three phrases that embody you, what would they be? Collaborative client partner, strategic problem solver, positivity and resilience as a leader are the three phrases that April Srivikorn, Google Thailand Head of Strategic Partnerships, has chosen for herself. After taking some time to sit down and talk with me about her career, her life and her job advice, it’s no wonder why April chose these words for herself. April was born in the US to Thai parents who operated hotels in Southern California. The hotel industry is constantly changing which is why April believes she learned to swerve and problem solves at a very young age. When she was 6, she moved to Thailand and skipped through 4 years of elementary school. Incredibly, she enrolled in college at just 14 years old. She completed her degree in economics from Stanford in the year 2000, where she later returned for her MBA. Fresh out of college and with the dot-com bubble bursting, the job market was extremely competitive.

April took her first job in Bangkok as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company focusing on basic materials companies in emerging markets. At the time, this niche was still new so April had a chance to make a name for herself, and she did. She shared an interesting story about her very first consulting job in Bangladesh. It was a
At that point in her career, her three phrases were: emerging market expert, quick problem solver, resilient with a can-do mindset. From this period in her professional life, April learned “…to take the risks, if you can. Be flexible and open with plans you have set

She was tasked with getting the organisation ready to scale. During her tenure, the number of malls in operation expanded from 14 to 30 and revenue had also nearly doubled. Following the growth spurt, her focus shifted towards finding efficiencies in the current operations. Ultimately this job at Central Group led her into her current role at Google because April found that the part that really excited her, much like early in her career, was the growth opportunity. Technology is obviously an area where an opportunity for growth seems almost limitless so the transition to Google was a welcome one. At Google Thailand, April is Head of Industry for three

Google Thailand continues to focus on four areas in the coming years – affordable access, education, localised content and product, and digitisation of SMEs. Google is working on a lot of really exciting projects in Thailand right now. One of which is to open a huge training facility for new grads to come and learn from Google trainers. They also have a partnership with SCB to better serve the thousands of small businesses and help them build their digital footprint. For anyone who drives a motorcycle, you may have noticed the Google maps motorcycle feature that allows you to switch your navigation to a programme that recognises small Sois and alleyways that are too small for