He's the Live Wire chief executive officer of premier Thailand real estate developer Raimon Land. He joined the organisation in 1996 – right before the currency crunch – and has since guided it through SARS, bird flu and the military coup last year.
Never one to curtail his enthusiasm, Cornick and Raimon Land continue to forge ahead and he still manages to travel – when necessary – to spread the word about Thailand’s real-estate investment potential. Mark Armsden catches up with a dynamo.
When you travel for business, where do you try to catch a weekend break in?
I live in one of the best and most diverse cities in the world so I tend to try and get back as quickly as possible. If I were in Europe or the UK, I would tend to try and stay a few days for some extra relaxation.
Where is your least favourite destination to travel for business?
I have to say there are very few places I don’t enjoy going, if pushed I would say Hongkong or Tokyo just because of the amount of time you spend in immigration queues, but once through they are great cities. I am more of a “dis-liker” of airports, rather than places.
When you travel for pleasure, where is your preferred destination?
I enjoy going back to the UK or Europe, but don’t get there often enough. Living in Asia there are so many wonderful places to get to as well.
What do you like to do when you’re back in the UK?
I love catching up with family first and foremost, and then going around town to check out if all the places I used to frequent are still there. I left in 1982 and the UK seems to be constantly changing.
What is one item, apart from your passport and credit card, you can’t do without when travelling?
My mobile. It is not a BlackBerry, but can do everything I need, including email. BlackBerries are too big for my liking.
What are some places you haven’t travelled to, but would love to visit?
Russia for a start, but I hope to change that later this year when I am scheduled to attend a property exhibition. And then, I’ll head for Hawaii to check out some of the high-end resorts there.
Do you have a routine for long-haul travel that you like to follow?
Whenever possible, I would take a night-time flight for long-haul travel, and I always try to get to the airport early.
Thailand is going through some interesting changes right now, how do you see the business landscape for the next 12 to 18 months?
Confidence is definitely low in terms of the local community and the international investment community. It seems we will have elections later this year and a government operating with a mandate from the people would inspire a lot more confidence in Thailand again.
Raimon Land has a very visible presence around Bangkok, do you find you get recognised a lot?
To some extent, yes, but that’s more because of our projects. I enjoy talking to people anyway.
Is there one particular person who has a substantial influence on you?
It is not one person but two – Sir Norman Foster and Richard Rogers. I would hope that I have been able to bring to the Thailand skyline some buildings that have been developed with their influence.
Finally, can you share a personal tip to make constant travelling easier?
In these days with the technology we have at our disposal, I don’t believe you need to travel as much as we did even two years ago.
