Three Vietnamese make Forbes’ power businesswomen list

March 03, 2014 | 08:17

(0) user say

Forbes Magazine has listed three Vietnamese in its 2014 list of the most powerful businesswomen in Asia.

Listed were Vinamilk chairwoman and CEO Mai Kieu Lien, REE chairwoman and CEO Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh and Southeast Asia Bank chairwoman Nguyen Th Nga.

Forbes noted Vinamilk as one of the most profitable brands in Vietnam and a blue chip on the local stock exchange, delivering consistent revenue and profit growth since listing in 2006. In 2013, revenues grew by 17 per cent to $1.5 billion which Lien plans to double by 2017 thanks to global expansion efforts. This is her third time in a row to appear on the list.

As for Thanh, Forbes said that under her leadership REE was the first company to list on the Vietnam Stock Exchange in 2000. She joined the state-owned company in 1985 when it was in turmoil and managed to turn it around through the development of Reetech air conditioners.

Forbes described SEA Bank’s Nga as one of Vietnam’s richest women thanks to diverse interests in banking, real estate, resorts and retail. Since 2007 she has held the position of chairwoman, managing the bank’s $3.6 billion in assets and facilitating Societe Generale buying a 20 per cent stake. She also founded and controls BRG, a holding company with three golf courses in Vietnam including Kings’ Island and Do Son. She owns two hotels in Hanoi that are managed by Hilton Hotels Worldwide and then there is Intimex, a trading and retail company of which she and her family own 30 per cent.

By By Tuong Thuy

What the stars mean:

★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional