{"id":24899,"date":"2025-03-12T10:50:01","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T03:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trueblog.info\/blog\/?p=24899"},"modified":"2025-03-21T10:54:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T03:54:43","slug":"a-woman-in-tech-the-tough-journey-of-true-digital-groups-tithirat-siripattanalert-her-roles-as-pioneer-executive-and-mother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.true.th\/blog\/en\/a-woman-in-tech-the-tough-journey-of-true-digital-groups-tithirat-siripattanalert-her-roles-as-pioneer-executive-and-mother\/","title":{"rendered":"A Woman in Tech: The \u201cTough\u201d Journey of True Digital Group\u2019s \u201cTithirat Siripattanalert\u201d & Her Roles as Pioneer, Executive and Mother"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do space advancements, computer programming, and household appliances have in common?<\/em><\/p>\n

The answer is \u201cwomen\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The progress that has shaped modern civilization\u2014allowing us to enjoy more comfortable and better lives\u2014can be traced back to these pioneering women: Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine Johnson, and Mary Jackson. These women have laid the foundation for today\u2019s rapidly advancing computer technology. The names of the last three figures may ring a bell among many, because they appear in Hidden Figures. This biographical film highlights the invaluable contributions of these three women to the space industry during an era when gender discrimination was deeply entrenched in American society.<\/p>\n

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With the world taking a big leap from algorithm to AI, it has left behind the days when women were just mere followers. This is because women have proven their leadership, ready to be at the forefront and overcome all obstacles. One such women is \u201cTithirat Siripattanalert,\u201d Head of Cybersecurity <\/strong>of True<\/strong> Digital Group. On the occasion of International Women\u2019s Day 2025, True Blog<\/em> interviewed this female executive to hear how she has been doing as a woman in tech.<\/p>\n

Her Story<\/strong>: <\/strong>Challenges Facing Women in Tech<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tithirat was born in Chumphon, the gateway to Thailand\u2019s South. This southern province had been her home until she moved to Bangkok to further her study at the country\u2019s prestigious high school, Triam Udom Suksa in Phya Thai area.<\/p>\n

With constant thirst for new knowledge, Tithirat believes she has been heavily influenced by two family members. Her father and his elder brother work in the engineering field. Her uncle, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kosol Petchsuwan, is also a prominent figure. Not only that he is the first president of the King Mongkut\u2019s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), but he also makes huge contributions to Thailand\u2019s infrastructural development.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad and my uncle have been my role models. During my childhood, I often saw my uncle on TV explaining about the pros and cons of each infrastructure project or transport mode. Back to when Thailand was still laying the groundwork for its engineering systems, he was a key figure in shaping the nation\u2019s development\u2014both in tangible aspects, like today\u2019s mass transit systems, and in visionary contributions, such as pioneering KMITL. Seeing him on television was a source of inspiration for a little girl like me. It sparked a dream\u2014that one day I would achieve at least half of what he had accomplished,\u201d Tithirat recounted.<\/p>\n

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With that inspiration, Tithirat chose to study electronic engineering at KMITL. Although she then had to spend most of her time among men, she never felt out of place, different, or any less capable than her peers. She always believed in her capabilities, unfazed by gender-based challenges or traditional societal norms. Though forging a path as a woman in tech\u2014especially in its early days\u2014was far from easy, she remained undeterred.<\/p>\n

A Pioneer in Thailand\u2019s Cybersecurity Landscape<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After proving her tech learning abilities, Tithirat began her career at the Telephone Organization of Thailand. It was around the time the global IT and communications industry started recognizing cyberthreats, which would soon pose a major challenge to the sector.<\/p>\n

Tithirat received a scholarship to study Management Information System (MIS) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the United States. This aligned perfectly with her growing interest in cybersecurity\u2014a new interdisciplinary field that blends science and art, covering management, law, and business. As MIS requires a holistic understanding, it is quite different from applied sciences and technical engineering. Backed by this educational background, Tithirat would finally rank herself among Thailand\u2019s first 30 Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSP). It is widely known that CISSP certification, one of the most globally recognized credentials in the field, is granted only to those passing rigorous exam especially in light of its time constraints.<\/p>\n

When financial transactions later transitioned to card-based systems, Tithirat recognized new cybersecurity challenges emerging in the industry. This led her to shift into the financial sector, where she played a key role in establishing cybersecurity infrastructure for Siam Commercial Bank (SCB). Her expertise soon caught the attention of AXA, the French multinational insurance company, which recruited her as Regional Director for Asia. In this role, she was responsible for implementing cybersecurity frameworks across AXA\u2019s operations in numerous Asian countries including Thailand where she also served as Head of Information Security for Krungthai-AXA.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDuring my first days in cybersecurity field, almost all colleagues were male. So, it\u2019s quite a pressure. I had to put in extra efforts to prove myself. Being a petite Asian woman in an international setting could create trust issues at the beginning. But I knew that the only way to overcome this was to let my work speak for itself and earn recognition through my performance. Being a woman in a male-dominated field is challenging, and climbing up to a leadership position is even harder in spite of the fact that gender was not itself an obstacle to the performance of duties,\u201d Tithirat reflected.<\/p>\n

Balancing Motherhood and Leadership <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tithirat refused to let negative perceptions toward women in male-dominated industries hold her back. Instead of allowing these biases to limit her, she used them as a driving force toward success\u2014marking a turning point in her life and career.<\/p>\n

Beyond the gender biases women face in professional settings, motherhood presents yet another challenge to career advancement. According to the Global Gender Gap Report 2024<\/a>, the technology sector ranks among the lowest in female workforce representation\u2014especially in leadership roles. One significant reason for this gap is the burden of childrearing that falls on women\u2019s shoulders as soon as they became mothers. Tithirat, a mother of two, has so far managed to juggle her duties as a mother and a working woman well thanks to the following three factors:<\/p>\n