About Silk Road International
Your Branch Office in Asia
David A. Dayton, MBA, PhD
Founder & Managing Partner
David works with Chinese companies operating in Thailand and Southeast Asia, and with the Western and Thai firms doing business alongside them, to close the gaps that culture and expectations create before they become expensive. He has spent more than 30 years living and working in China, Taiwan, and Thailand, managing QA, supply chain, logistics, and HR for his own companies and others, and consulting for banks, airlines, factories, SMEs, MNCs, universities, and governments across the region.
Speaking & Recognition
David is a business coach and a sought-after speaker and consultant on Thai and Chinese corporate cultures — a keynote speaker with hundreds of presentations in Chinese, Thai, and English across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the EU, UAE, and the United States. He has been published in academic and professional journals and interviewed by CNN, CBS, BBC, 60 Minutes, EuroBiz, and others.
Education & Credentials
David speaks Thai and Mandarin. His academic background was built for exactly this work: a BA in International Relations (BYU), an MA in Southeast Asian Cultural Anthropology (Northern Illinois University, thesis on Thai corporate culture), an MA in Asian Studies (Florida International University, thesis on comparative Thai urban Buddhism), an MBA (ESSEC, Singapore), and a PhD in Global Sociocultural Studies (FIU), whose dissertation compared corporate cultures inside Chinese companies operating in China and Thailand — the same gap he now helps clients close in practice. He is an ICF-certified Business Coach and has taught university courses in China and the US, including Developing Business in China, Business Anthropology, Strategy for China, Intercultural Communications, and Doing Business in ASEAN.
Personal
David is also a happy grandpa and husband to the beautiful Jessica Wang. His hobbies include travel, reading, chocolate, and triathlons.