Best in Vietnamese M&A  honoured at M&A Forum

ThaiBev’s takeover of Sabeco was named the Best M&A Deal of the year and the decade, Photo: Le Toan

Award winners have been chosen from a pool of prominent nominees. Evaluation and selection of the nominees was completed by an independent judging panel. The contenders were then divided into different categories including the Best M&A Deals, Companies with The Best Information Disclosure, and the Best M&A Advisory Firms. In celebration of its 10-year milestone, the forum also unveiled the Top 10 M&A Deals of the Decade from the list of the 100 biggest M&A deals, the Top 10 Companies with the Best M&A Strategy, as well as the Best Advisory Firms of the Decade.

Best in Vietnamese M&A honoured at M&A Forum

KIDO Group has undertaken extensive M&A activities

Masan was recognised for its M&A strategy

Stephane Gripon - CEO, Mondelez Kinh Do

We are proud of receiving the award for the Best M&A Deal of the Decade because we always want to make successful M&A deals. The success is measured by the growth, the expansion of the snack business in Vietnam, the development of our employees and suppliers, and the satisfaction of our customers. This award is for all the people who have trusted us in the last few years, including our employees, suppliers, and customers.

Reflecting on our successful M&A, my foremost advice is to buy successful businesses. We bought the successful business of Kinh Do, which made our life easier. In addition, develop a clear roadmap for the integration plan as well as clear milestones for where you want to be in every aspect, and get the people with you. The award is attributed to the efforts of all employees to integrate into Mondelez’s business in the last two years.

Moving forward, Vietnam remains one of the most attractive markets in the world. There is no doubt that the potential of Vietnam is large thanks to the country’s demographic, geographic location, stable economy, and political environment. Thus, I understand why many potential investors joined Vietnam M&A Forum 2018. I hope the forum continues to inspire more investors to come to Vietnam.

Nguyen Thi Tra My - Vice chairwoman and CEO, PAN Group

We were a little surprised when PAN Group was recognised as one of Companies with the Best M&A Strategy of the Decade. This is a high-quality and prestigious award beyond our expectations, so we feel very happy. So far, PAN Group has concluded a dozen M&A deals, foremost among them the acquisition of leading companies in the industry like Bibica, NSC, and SSC. With a good strategy, PAN Group has achieved healthy growth and positive business performance.

In the future, at the 20th anniversary of Vietnam M&A Forum, we will look back and see the M&A results of the past decade as being quite modest. The next decade will mark a boom in Vietnam’s M&A market. We hope that the award will become a driving force for local businesses.

Those who have received the prestigious awards will continue to develop for better results. Those who have yet to achieve success in M&A will continue their efforts to receive this award.

Trinh Bang - Chief financial officer, Techcombank

It is our great honour to receive the award for one of the top IPOs in 2018 in recognition of our transaction. Techcombank raised more than $900 million in its IPO, which is the biggest IPO ever in Vietnam’s banking sector. It is a major milestone for us as well as an important milestone for the Vietnamese banking sector.

The growth of the M&A market is thrilling because many investors and corporations are finding ways to grow and invest in Vietnam. It is an exciting time with all the changes that are happening in the market. Investors from overseas recognise that and want to participate in the growth of Vietnam. Corporations within Vietnam also recognise that M&As are another way to grow their business.

The next few years will be an even more exciting time for Techcombank in terms of our ability to serve our customers. We now have more capital to invest in technology, people, and ways to better serve customers including Vietnam’s growing middle class and the corporate customers who continue to look for better financial services and solutions.