Mondelez Kinh Do - a chapter of purpose-led leadership in Vietnam

Looking back on your career and leadership approach, what drew you back to Vietnam to lead Mondelez Kinh Do at this stage of its development?

I've spent more than 25 years building my career across many countries and cultures, starting in India, then moving to Nigeria, Singapore, Indonesia, and ultimately Vietnam.

Working across diverse markets has shown me how people, cultures, and consumer behaviours differ, and what truly motivates them. These experiences have shaped a leadership style that values ​​empathy, adaptability, and a profound understanding of local context.

Vaibhav Bhanchawat, vice president and managing director of Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam

Vietnam, in particular, stands out to me. The country shows promising economic growth, significant headroom in per-capita consumption, and a dynamic, fast-evolving innovation landscape.

From an innovation perspective, Vietnam is one of the most exciting markets in the region, with consumers being incredibly open to trying new products.

This makes it an ideal environment for brands to test, refine, and introduce new ideas. For a global organisation like ours, with scale, capability, and deep category expertise, combining those strengths with a consumer base eager to experiment opens tremendous opportunities.

Another factor that drew me back is the quality of talent in Vietnam. I have always found Vietnamese professionals to be resilient and capable problem-solvers. This blend of determination, resilience, and solution-oriented thinking is truly unique and energising.

Mondelez Kinh Do's diverse, capable, and future-ready workforce

Having experienced this firsthand, returning to Vietnam felt natural. The market's potential, combined with the strength of its people, makes it an incredibly inspiring place to lead Mondelez Kinh Do into its next chapter.

How would you evaluate the company's development journey and the values ​​it has contributed to Vietnam's snacking culture?

Mondelez Kinh Do’s journey in Vietnam is defined by our ability to combine global expertise with strong local heritage, creating meaningful value for consumers.

Our portfolio brings together iconic Vietnamese brands such as Kinh Do, Cosy, AFC and Solite with global favourites like Oreo, LU, Ritz and Cadbury, allowing us to preserve cultural familiarity while introducing world-class snacking experiences that expand choice and elevate everyday enjoyment.

A key part of our contribution lies in making quality snacking accessible to all Vietnamese consumers. Solite exemplifies this, appealing to consumers from major cities to rural areas with products that feel both familiar and premium.

At the same time, our distribution network of more than 450,000 retail outlets gives consumers nationwide access to a wider range of products. This scale ensures that our offerings are available in every community.

We have also focused on delivering better value. By investing in automation and digitalisation, we continuously improve efficiency and pass those benefits back to consumers, through more consistent quality, competitive pricing, and products tailored to local tastes.

What are the key priorities of Mondelez Kinh Do's purpose-led growth strategy in Vietnam for the forthcoming years?

At Mondelez Kinh Do, our purpose of ‘empowering people to snack right’ shapes how we prioritise our portfolio, innovate, and create long-term value for Vietnamese consumers.

In the years ahead, we will continue to strengthen the brands that are part of Vietnam’s culture, giving consumers products that they feel familiar, accessible, and emotionally resonant.

Alongside that, we will expand our global portfolio to bring world-class snacking experiences closer to more Vietnamese consumers. With our distribution and manufacturing capabilities, our consumers across the country can enjoy high-quality and globally trusted snacks.

To strengthen connection with the Vietnamese market, we invest heavily in seasonal categories like traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) and Mid-Autumn, crafting gift assortments that elevate moments of sharing and connection. In doing so, we help consumers snack right during the moments that matter most.

Mondelez Kinh Do has invested significantly in its Tet gift portfolio

Finally, we are accelerating digitalisation to create more value at every shopping touchpoint, using AI and data-driven tools to place the right products in the right outlets at the right time.

The latest consumer snacking trends report includes key insights in Vietnam. How will it guide product innovation and brand building for Mondelez Kinh Do?

Mondelez Kinh Do’s first-ever Vietnam State of Snacking Report reveals strong potential in Vietnam, with 95 per cent of locals snacking daily. The report highlights that while consumer motivations for snacking – nutrition, indulgence, or healthier choices – are broadly similar across markets, the real differences lie in the way our consumers want to experience products.

This is where packaging and other sensory experience become critical. Those preferences inspire us to go further in developing seasonal Tet packages that mix global and local brands, or Kinh Do fresh portfolio for those preferring convenience, and so on.

To achieve this, we launched a regional research and development hub in Singapore, combining advanced technology and market expertise to blend global scale with local relevance. For example, our Vietnamese Kinh Do mooncake innovations are developed through this integrated system while staying culturally authentic.

How is the company directing its investments in Vietnam to strengthen long-term growth while advancing its sustainability goals?

Our investment philosophy for Vietnam is clear – we invest strategically where it strengthens our long-term growth engine and reflects our purpose. Over the past years, a significant portion has gone into enhancing our manufacturing footprint with sustainability at the core of our operations.

We’ll continue to drive our four sustainability engines, aligned with Mondelēz International’s 2030 goals, consisting of packaging, ingredients, climate, and social impact.

Up to now, we’ve already achieved a milestone of 100 per cent recyclable packaging.

We’re also utilising sustainable sourcing, leveraging cage-free eggs into our portfolio, as well as reducing food waste, CO₂ emissions, and water usage in manufacturing beside creating impactful changes to the employees and community.

Mondelez Kinh Do receives Top 100 sustainability recognition in Vietnam under the 2025 Corporate Sustainability Index

We are also making sustained investments in brand building. Vietnam is a dynamic market, and strong consumer awareness is critical for both our local jewels and global power brands.

Another priority is our route-to-market and talent ecosystem. We continue to invest in the capability of our teams, our distributor network, and digital tools that help retailers grow alongside us. Furthermore, we are investing in our people, the talent driving innovation, commercial excellence, and execution every day.

By balancing between brand innovations, operational efficiency, people-first culture and environmental responsibility, this enables us to optimise performance, create lasting value for consumers, communities, employees, and the broader market we serve.

Mondelez Kinh Do unveils first Vietnam snacking trends report Mondelez Kinh Do has released the first-ever 'Vietnam State of Snacking Report', providing a comprehensive look into the changing behaviours, expectations and values that are shaping the way Vietnamese enjoy snacking today.

Mondelez Kinh Do provides learning support to children in remote communities Mondelez Kinh Do and its employees have donated books and learning materials through the 'Love Library' initiative, improving learning conditions for more than 6,000 students across seven localities in Vietnam.

Mondelez Kinh Do secures fourth Top 100 Sustainable Company nod Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam has secured a place among the country’s most sustainable manufacturers for the fourth year running, reflecting the food manufacturer's long-term push to integrate sustainability across its operations.