Hence, I very much concur with the conference’s theme of “A Call for Action.” It takes courage to lead a transformative 2  journey into an unknown territory. The collective wisdom shared among directors here will enable all of us to make better informed decisions and lead our organizations, and more importantly, lead Thailand, onto the right path – the path which will rise above disruptions, as the IOD has eloquently put it. As Thailand embarks on the journey for digital transformation, we must focus on three key imperatives of productivity, immunity, and inclusivity. Technological advancement provides tremendous opportunity for us to uplift these three areas like never before. While policymakers and regulators can provide support at the infrastructure level and promote a stable environment conducive for innovation, it is at the firm level that actions can be and must be taken to drive meaningful changes for the country as a whole. First, on productivity: uplifting the country’s productivity is necessary to ensure continued long-term economic growth. Specifically, structural changes due to an aging workforce have hastened the need for our country to improve productivity just to maintain output level. In fact, Thailand’s labor productivity growth has been on a decline. From 2002 to 2017, our annual growth of labor productivity averaged 2.9 percent, a significant drop from an average of 5 percent during 1986 to 2001. In contrast, countries such as China and Indonesia have been experiencing rises in productivity growth.
We must strategically adapt and adopt technologies now to remain relevant and competitive and provide support for sustainable improvement in the standard of living of the Thai people. 5  In closing, I would like to congratulate the IOD once again for fittingly organizing this Call for Action conference. Actions taken at the firm level can determine the direction of our country and whether we can efficiently catch up with rapid technological changes. These changes will also inevitably affect the whole ecosystem of Thailand. Therefore, I urge you all to think on a bigger picture on how your firms can help make Thailand’s digital transformation successful and fruitful. So, think big, stay informed, and act wisely. Only then we can be certain that together we could truly rise above disruptions. Thank you for your attention. *********  6