[16] After graduating from Boston University, Chearavanont spent time as an intern at a petrochemical factory in Houston, Texas.

Chearavanont in 1990 worked at Soltext Federal Credit Union in the United States, and in 1991 and 1992 he was employed at Vinylthai,[20] a Thai petrochemical company.

[20] Also in 1995 he was chief operations officer (COO) of UTV Cable Network, becoming the subsidiary's president in 1996 when it was renamed Asia Multimedia.

[18][20] TelecomAsia was negatively affected by the 1997 Asian financial crisis,[23] with its debt reaching record levels after the depreciation of the Thai baht by 50% that year.

Seeking to avoid bankruptcy, Chearavanont is credited with[18] pitching TelecomAsia's growing fixed-line phone business and future prospects to investors,[19] securing a debt restructuring plan.

[18] In May 2002 Chearavanont was also appointed the co-CEO of TA Orange, a wireless joint venture between TelecomAsia and France Télécom.

[23] Chearavanont "staged a buyback,"[19] with France Telecom ultimately selling all but 10% of its stake back to TelecomAsia in March 2004.

[26] As part of the buyback, Chearavanont also rebranded TelecomAsia as True Corporation,[19] expanding into "mobile, fixed-line phones, broadband and pay TV services.

He did note the company would avoid complete automation in subsidiaries such as 7-Eleven stores, stating that it was "unproven that unmanned retail operations [would result in greater efficiency]" and "we also have a social responsibility to create jobs.

Group he currently oversees "group-wide strategies on sustainability policies and corporate communications,"[28][2] heading several social responsibility and sustainability-related committees.

[35] Among other projects, in 2020 he formed a CP Group program to limit deforestation in the Pua District by helping farmers replace maize with crops such as coffee.

[36] In May 2020, Chearavanont announced C. Group would not be laying off[37] any of its 400,000 employees due to COVID-19,[38] and that it had hired 20,000 delivery workers since the start of the pandemic.

[42] Following the successful completion of the amalgamation of True and dtac in March 2023, the newly formed organization appointed him Chair of the Board of Directors.

The new entity focuses on developing technology-driven businesses, fostering a digital ecosystem, and establishing a start-up investment fund to promote innovation.

He advocated for the business sector to serve as a significant learning resource for Thai children and youth, aiming to nurture their development as researchers, influential leaders, and key contributors to both national and global progress.He remains committed to empowering the younger generation, recognizing them as the driving force for the nation’s and the world’s future.

[45] His vision prioritizes advancing science and technology while upholding ethical principles, fostering positive change toward a sustainable, inclusive society where no one is left behind.

Chearavanont has published articles on business and building responsible supply chains,[46] and also speaks publicly on corporate and social topics.

As part of the initiative, Chearavanont pushed for the establishment of national "excellence centers" at universities which could interact with private companies in fields such as nanotechnology and robotics.

[30] In 2019 he began a two-year term as a director of the Thai Chamber of Commerce,[14] and in October 2019 Chearavanont was named chairman of the Council of Digital Economy and Society in Thailand.

[13][58] In that role, according to The Nation he was "pushing to transform Thailand into a more competitive country and promote the kingdom as a digital hub.