Chatchaval Jiaravanon is a Thai entrepreneur and investor, and a member of the Chearavanont family, which controls the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP Group). He serves as Chairman of Velo Labs and Lightnet Group and is the owner of Fortune magazine.

Early Life & Family

Jiaravanon was born in 1962 into the Chearavanont family. According to Feature Asia, he is a nephew of Dhanin Chearavanont, the senior chairman of CP Group and, as of 2018 reporting, the richest person in Thailand. The extended Chearavanont family's net worth was estimated at $36 billion, ranking fourth among Asia's wealthiest clans in Forbes' 2017 calculation.

Education

Jiaravanon holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Southern California, according to Forbes 2018. Additionally, he has completed various professional courses:

• Director Accreditation Program (DAP), Thai Institute of Directors, Class 71/2008
• Corporate Governance for Capital Market Intermediaries (CGI) Class 13/2016, Thai Institute of Directors
• National Defence Course, National Defence College, Class 51/2008–2009
• Top Executive Program in Commerce and Trade (TEPCoT) 5/2012, Commerce Academy

These trainings are attributed to Equilar ExecAtlas and Beryl 8 Plus corporate disclosures.

Career

Career within CP Group

Per Forbes, Jiaravanon served as executive director of C.P. Pokphand Group and was chairman and founder of Charoen Energy and Water Asia. He held the role of CEO of Charoen Pokphand Indonesia as of the 2018 report. He was also a member of INSEAD's South-East Asia Council and served as chairman of Finansia Syrus Securities.

Board and Corporate Positions

Jiaravanon has held numerous board and corporate positions:

• Independent Director and Member of the Audit Committee, Frasers Property (Thailand) Public Company Limited, since 2003/2004, with corporate filings differing on the exact start date (Equilar).
• Member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Frasers Property (Thailand) (Equilar).
• Chairman of the Risk Management Committee and Director, WP Energy Public Company Limited, since 2017 (WP Energy disclosure).
• Chairman of the Board, Beryl 8 Plus Public Company Limited from 2021 to present, having previously been with its predecessor entity (Beryl 8 Plus corporate disclosure).
• Chairman of the Board / Director, IFCG Public Company Limited, since 2023 (Equilar, Beryl 8 Plus).
• Director and Managing Director, True Corporation Public Company Limited (SVI shareholder filing, 2018).
• Historical directorship at AEON Thana Sinsap (Thailand) Public Company Limited (SVI filing).
• Director and Member of the Audit Committee, TICON Industrial (PitchBook).

Media: Fortune Magazine Acquisition

In November 2018, Jiaravanon acquired the Fortune media brand from Meredith Corporation for $150 million in cash, through his personal investment vehicle Fortune Media Group Holdings Limited, structured independently of CP Group's family businesses per Forbes.

Investment Activity

Jiaravanon led CMAG Funds, a $100 million investment pool targeting Southeast Asian luxury real estate, as reported by Feature Asia. He also invested in Aspen Digital (Hong Kong) and MoneyTable (PitchBook) and serves as chairman of venVelo (PitchBook).

Velo Labs and Lightnet Group

Chatchaval Jiaravanon serves as Chairman of both Velo Labs and Lightnet Group. Velo Labs focuses on a blockchain-enabled cross-border settlement network, aimed at reducing transaction costs and providing an alternative to traditional remittance services for migrant workers in Southeast Asia. Following a 2021 merger with Interstellar, he remained as Chairman of the combined entity. In a 2019 statement, Jiaravanon said Velo was created to give migrant workers "a convenient remittance payment solution with fees that do not eat into their daily wages." ^[1] Lightnet's Series A round, completed in January 2020, raised $31.2 million from investors including UOB Venture Management and Hanwha Investment and Securities. ^{[2] [4]}​

Contributions to Crypto & Web3

Jiaravanon has been involved in projects that utilize blockchain technology for cross-border payments and remittances. He has emphasized creating payment solutions that limit fees for users such as migrant workers. Through Velo Labs, he has been involved in efforts to reduce transaction fees and speed transfers within Southeast Asia. ^[1] Velo Labs' merger with Interstellar aims to expand its blockchain capabilities. ^[3]​

Public Presence and Media

Jiaravanon's ownership of Fortune magazine is part of his public profile in the media landscape.