Central Group elevates Wallaya Jiradhiwat to President following 40+ years with the conglomerate, as leadership restructures to navigate AI-driven change and consumer behaviour shifts. The move targets operational coordination across Central's 18-country footprint; Wallaya brings track record of scaling Central Pattana from 10 to 45 locations and generating record B53bn revenue (FY2024). Significance for Thai SMEs: signals how large conglomerates are centralising strategic functions and investing in domestic talent for international expansion amid tech disruption.