From Legacy to Agility Through Digital Transformation

Athikon Rerksopon is the Executive Vice President of Digital & Technology Transformation at Mitr Phol Group, leading enterprise-wide innovation, cybersecurity and digital strategy.

Apac CIOOutlook | Thursday, June 26, 2025

Athikom Kanchanavibhu is the Executive Vice President of Digital & Technology Transformation at Mitr Phol Group, leading enterprise-wide innovation, cybersecurity and digital strategy. His work focuses on driving sustainable growth through data-driven solutions, agile transformation and cross-functional collaboration aligned with business purpose and long-term impact.

Steering Enterprise Change with Visionary Digital Leadership

As Executive Vice President of Digital & Technology Transformation at Mitr Phol Group, I am responsible for shaping and executing the company’s digital vision to support long-term business growth and resilience. My leadership spans a broad portfolio that includes business transformation, enterprise architecture, digital platforms, data and AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure and governance-related functions.

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Innovation and security are not opposing forces—they are partners in progress. Our approach is to move fast, but with clarity, governance and responsibility

The role sits at the intersection of technology and business. I work closely with executive stakeholders to ensure that digital investments align with strategic objectives while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration and accountability. A key focus is enabling the organization to evolve from traditional operational models toward more agile, data-driven and customer-centric working methods—without compromising security, compliance or trust. Ultimately, I aim to empower the business through technology while ensuring we remain responsible, sustainable and forward-looking.

Integrating Cybersecurity by Design into Every Innovation Sprint

Balancing innovation and cybersecurity is not about trade-offs—it’s about integration. At Mitr Phol, cybersecurity is a foundational enabler of digital transformation, not a constraint. We embed security-by-design principles from the early stages of any digital initiative, ensuring that risk management and compliance evolve alongside innovation.

We’ve established a Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Committee (DXCC) comprising business leaders and functional heads to foster alignment across the organization. This cross-functional governance body is key in prioritizing initiatives, reviewing risks and ensuring that innovation efforts are aligned with business needs and protected by strong security foundations. It creates a forum where technology, risk and value creation are discussed simultaneously.

In short, innovation and security are not opposing forces—they are partners in progress. Our approach is to move quickly, with clarity, governance and responsibility.

Turning Resistance into Momentum During Large-Scale Transformation

Implementing large-scale change inevitably involves navigating a complex mix of legacy systems, entrenched processes and diverse stakeholder perspectives. One of the most persistent challenges is ensuring that transformation efforts resonate with business realities while overcoming the natural resistance that comes with uncertainty.

In our experience, resistance is rarely about opposition—it’s more often a reflection of fear of the unknown or concerns over disruption. To address this, we position transformation as a business-led, not IT-driven, journey. This means involving key stakeholders early in the process, building joint ownership and clearly articulating the “why” behind each initiative.

We’ve found that co-creating roadmaps with business leaders helps foster alignment and shared accountability. Ultimately, change becomes sustainable when people see themselves in the journey. Our focus is on technology enablement and cultivating a culture that embraces continuous improvement, agility and collaboration.

Leveraging ASEAN Collaboration to Accelerate Sustainable Growth

Regional collaboration plays a vital role in shaping and accelerating our transformation agenda. It offers a platform to exchange knowledge, benchmark with peers and co-create innovative and relevant solutions to local contexts. We stay connected with a broader ecosystem of forward-thinking leaders and emerging talent through engagements with platforms such as the IDC CIO100 ASEAN Awards, the ASEAN Innovation Business Platform (AIBP) and university-led innovation and hackathon programs.

Southeast Asia’s diversity presents a unique opportunity: different markets are at various stages of digital maturity, yet there is a shared urgency to leapfrog traditional models using agile, technology-enabled approaches. Participating in these networks ensures our strategies are informed by regional best practices while sharing our experiences to help shape the collective path forward.

A Playbook for CIOs Driving Purpose-Led Digital Journeys

Sustainable transformation requires more than deploying the latest technologies—it demands a clear vision, strong alignment with business purpose and a deep understanding of human dynamics. My first advice is to view transformation not as a project but as a continuous journey rooted in your organization’s core values and long-term aspirations.

Technology leaders must position themselves as business partners and change agents capable of bridging strategy and execution. This means listening actively to business needs, translating them into scalable solutions and delivering outcomes that build trust and momentum. Encourage experimentation but provide the governance needed to manage risk. Most importantly, invest in people—building digital fluency across all levels, fostering cross-functional collaboration and cultivating a mindset open to change.

Transformation is ultimately about enabling your organization to thrive in uncertainty. It’s less about being the most advanced and more about being agile, resilient and aligned with a shared purpose.

Linking Digital Innovation to Sustainability and Shared Value

At Mitr Phol, our digital transformation is not solely focused on operational excellence—it is deeply intertwined with our long-term sustainability ambitions. We see digital technology as a critical enabler in reimagining how we create value for the business, the environment and society.

Our efforts in renewable energy, bio-based products and circular economy initiatives are increasingly powered by data and digital intelligence. From real-time sustainability tracking to more innovative resource management, technology allows us to monitor our environmental footprint and continuously improve.

We believe digital leaders' role today extends beyond driving efficiency or innovation—it includes shaping responsible growth, supporting climate goals and fostering inclusive progress. In that sense, transformation becomes most meaningful when it drives performance and positive impact.

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