Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont was born in Thailand in 1939, with his ancestral home in Chenghai County, Shantou City, Guangdong Province, China. Mr. Dhanin is the Senior Chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group) in Thailand and the president of the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs.

Established in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1921 by Mr. Dhanin’s father, Mr. Chia Ek Chor, CP Group has flourished over the past century, evolving from a small seed shop known as “Chia Tai Chung” to a diversified multinational conglomerate with three core businesses: agriculture and food, wholesale and retail, and telecommunications and television. The Group also extends its reach into over 10 industries, including finance, real estate, pharmaceuticals, and machinery manufacturing. CP Group operates in over 100 countries and regions, employing more than 460,000 people globally. In 2023, it achieved a global sales revenue of US$97 billion. Mr. Dhanin set “being the kitchen of the world and the supplier of human energy” as the Group’s vision. This is being realized through a fully traceable end-to-end industrial chain from farm to table, encompassing seeds, cultivation, feed, breeding, slaughter, deep processing, logistics and distribution, commercial retail, and catering. The Group is committed to providing delicious, high-quality, safe, healthy, and affordable food products to consumers worldwide.

In 1979, right after China introduced the policy of reform and opening-up, Mr. Dhanin established the first foreign-invested enterprise in Shenzhen, which earned him the No. 0001 foreign investment approval certificate. This has been proven to significantly contribute to China’s reform and opening-up efforts.

For over 40 years, CP Group has actively introduced advanced technology, equipment, capital, models, management expertise, and talents from overseas, bolstering China’s economic development and social progress. To date, CP Group has over 600 enterprises in China, with subordinate enterprises spanning all provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, employing nearly 100,000 people. In 2023, its total turnover reached 180 billion RMB, covering fields such as agriculture, animal husbandry, food, retail, pharmaceuticals, real estate, industry, finance, and media. Among them, agriculture, husbandry, and food are the Group’s primary investment projects in China. As one of the largest foreign investors in terms of both investment scale and project numbers in China, CP Group has actively participated in, contributed to, and benefited from China’s reform and opening-up.

Under the leadership of Mr. Dhanin, CP Group first introduced the “company plus farmer” model and the “integrated farming” model to China from overseas. These models were later innovated into a “four-in-one” model that involves 4 parties—governments enterprises, banks, and agricultural cooperative organizations. In the new era, the Group has developed more new models such as “Modern Agricultural Industrial Parks” and “Rural Revitalization Partnerships”, combining the development of the agriculture, animal husbandry, and food industry with poverty alleviation and rural prosperity, contributing to China’s rural construction and revitalization. According to incomplete statistics, over the past 40 years, CP Group’s total charitable donations and poverty alleviation investments in China have surpassed 2 billion RMB, and the total investment in various poverty alleviation projects has exceeded 24.5 billion RMB.

Mr. Dhanin has put forward the principle of three benefits—benefit the country, benefit the people, and benefit the enterprise—as the value of the Group. He firmly prioritizes the interests of the country and the people above the interests of the enterprise and stays committed to promoting economic development, social progress, and the improvement of people’s livelihood in the countries where the Group invests.

In 2008, Mr. Dhanin was elected as the inaugural president of the China Association of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs and was re-elected for four consecutive terms. In 2019, the association was fully merged into the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs, and Mr. Dhanin was elected as the fifth president of the federation.

In the new era, Mr. Dhanin has repeatedly shown at major international conferences his unwavering optimism about China’s development prospects, his confidence in the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government, and the future of the country. CP Group will continue to increase its investments in China, making greater and newer contributions to China’s economic and social development and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Major Honors Received

In recognition of Mr. Dhanin Chearavanont’s significant contributions to the economy and social welfare of the countries where CP Group has invested, he has been honored with various positions and titles by governments and institutions of multiple countries:

Awarded the Royal Order of the Crown, The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, and the Order of Chula Chom Klao bestowed by the King of Thailand.

Appointed as the Counselor of the Agricultural Committee of the Thai Government and the Thai Parliament.

Awarded the St. Nicholas Award by the Russian Charity Fund.

In September 2003, he was honored as one of the “50 Most Influential Business Leaders in the World” by Fortune magazine.

In December 2008, he was awarded the “China Charity Award” by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

In September 2010, he topped the Forbes Thailand Rich List and remained at the top for multiple consecutive years.

In December 2011, Forbes Asia announced his selection as the “Forbes Businessperson of the Year 2011.”

In 2012, he was honored as a member of the Harvard University Global Advisory Council.

In 2013, he was appointed as the Counselor to the Economic Development Committee of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

In September 2017, he was included in Forbes’ list of “The 100 Greatest Living Business Minds.”

In January 2019, as an outstanding representative of overseas Chinese businessmen, he was awarded the “Special Tribute to Reform and Opening-up” award in China.

On September 11, 2023, he received the “Malcolm Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award” from Forbes.

On November 8, 2023, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, in the Autumn 2023 Ceremony in Japan.