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Coup in Thailand forces alumna back to U.S.From finance to real estate and little bit of everything sprinkled around the edges, Soparvan "Nook" Suphamongkhon, a 1987 Thunderbird graduate, has proved that those who adapt, flourish. This native of Thailand has led a diverse career ever since leaving Thunderbird. But one thing that's remained constant is her desire to keep learning.

Right now she's taking classes at the University of California Los Angeles in real estate development, but she took an interesting path to get there.

"Nook" developed her career in finance and worked for some of the most powerful financial institutions in the world. Those include Fuji Bank, PaineWebber, Smith Barney, GE Capital and HSBC Thailand.

While living in Thailand – where her husband was foreign minister – a government coup in 2006 forced the couple back to the United States. When they did, her husband became a regent's professor at UCLA, and Nook decided to take up real estate. She now runs Kanta Enterprise International, a privately owned real estate development and property management company with most assets in Thailand.

"I inherited the real estate business from my husband," she explains. "I've been learning on the job, and trying to get investors interested in Thailand."

Nook admits she misses the corporate world from time to time, but not as much as she enjoys new challenges.

"I love to study and I'm learning a lot at UCLA," she says.

Having worked in Thailand, Japan, France and the United States, among other countries, Nook has seen many different approaches to business.

"You have to adapt to different cultural environments, and I've seen three very different attitudes to work on three different continents."

Nook, who serves on the Thunderbird Alumni Network Board, also has seen women in business viewed much differently in certain areas of the world.

"Thailand goes against the meek perception of Asian women," she says. "But the attitude at the top in some areas still needs to change."