Daughters of some of Southeast Asia’s biggest tycoons are now running the family’s flagship companies. Their recent appointments show how education, early experience and strategic choices shape leadership in family businesses.

Ana Maria Aboitiz Delgado took charge of UnionBank of the Philippines as president and CEO in January 2025. She is a fifth‑generation member of the Aboitiz family and earned a bachelor’s degree in Art History/Painting from Boston College and an MBA from NYU Stern. Delgado began her career at the bank as a management trainee in 2003, later leading its consumer‑finance and SME divisions and driving a digital transformation. UnionBank’s net profit fell 17 % to PHP10 billion, then rebounded 53 % in the first nine months of 2026.

Naruechon Dhumrongpiyawut became chief executive of Gunkul Engineering in March 2025, succeeding her father who founded the company in 1982. She holds an engineering degree from Chulalongkorn University, a master’s in management from Harvard University and an MBA from Boston University. After joining Gunkul full‑time in 2012, she led the firm’s expansion abroad, including a 2014 entry into Japan. Under her leadership the company has installed 1,629 MW of wind and solar capacity and plans to invest between US$1.2 billion and US$1.5 billion by 2030.

Nerine Tan Sheik Ping was appointed sole CEO of Berjaya Corp in 2024, taking over from a co‑CEO arrangement. She is the daughter of founder Vincent Tan and entered the group in 1999 after graduating with a B.Sc. in management from the London School of Economics. Over two decades she worked across sales, operations and corporate strategy, gaining a broad view of the conglomerate. Tan is now restructuring Berjaya to lower debt after two consecutive years of net losses, including selling a 50 % stake in a loss‑making franchise for a nominal RM1.

Thapanee Techajareonvikul, the youngest daughter of billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, became CEO and president of Berli Jucker in 2023. She studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University before joining the firm as an executive director two decades ago. Retail now generates almost 70 % of the company’s 2025 revenue of 166.6 billion baht. Thapanee aims to lift the share of overseas revenue from 10 % to 30 % by 2030, with Vietnam singled out as a key market.

These four women illustrate a common roadmap: elite education, early immersion in the family firm, and a focus on transformation or expansion. Their stories suggest that deliberate career steps can prepare the next generation to steer large family businesses successfully.