The secret to success of Vietnamese female CEOs

Director of UPM Vietnam Co., Ltd. Nguyen Thi Doan Thanh (left) discusses the company's products. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Rarely get to sleep before 1am

After graduating from university with a major in finance and banking, Ms. Nguyen Thi Doan Thanh worked at several banks and FDI enterprises to gain more experience. In 2018, Ms. Thanh joined UPM Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Bien Hoa 2 Industrial Park (Bien Hoa City). This company belongs to the UPM Group of the Netherlands, specializing in providing solutions and labels for domestic and export enterprises.

Nowadays, Vietnamese female CEOs in FDI and domestic enterprises are no longer rare. However, to maintain their positions, they have to make efforts and accept daily pressure.

In 2019, Ms. Thanh was appointed as Director of UPM Vietnam Co., Ltd. As CEO of an FDI enterprise in Vietnam, Ms. Thanh is under great pressure regarding sales. Because, only when a business sells products can it maintain production and development. For the business to operate effectively, Ms. Thanh must plan production, business, and human resource management. With a large workload, Ms. Thanh rarely goes to bed before 1 a.m. At the same time, as CEO of an FDI enterprise, she often has to go on business trips abroad, sometimes 2-3 times a month. As a woman, having to travel long distances, through countries to meet, negotiate, and sign contracts with customers is not easy. In addition to work pressure, she also has to adapt to the weather, time zone changes, culture, food, etc. Therefore, if Vietnamese CEOs in FDI companies are not healthy, it will be very difficult to stay in this position.

In the 4.0 industrial revolution, female CEOs quickly catch up with modern technologies to apply in production, business, and management to bring high results. If they are slow, the business will perform poorly, and the CEOs will be replaced.

Ms. Thanh said that in addition to the above pressures, some female CEOs also face obstacles when attending parties with customers who have the habit of drinking alcohol and negotiating at the same time. “I am someone who cannot drink alcohol and beer, so when encountering these situations, I have to find a tactful way to refuse. After that, I come up with cooperation solutions so that both parties can benefit and have a long-term relationship,” Ms. Thanh shared.

UPM Group has many companies in many countries, Ms. Thanh is a young female CEO in Southeast Asia. UPM Vietnam Co., Ltd. is the company with the best revenue in Southeast Asia and is highly appreciated by the group.

Famous in ecotourism

Ms. Duong Thi Ngoc Phuong is a businesswoman who directly operates Cat Tien Jungle Lodge, in Nam Cat Tien commune, Tan Phu district.

Ms. Duong Thi Ngoc Phuong, Director of Wild World Company Limited, makes macrobiotic dishes to serve tourists at the resort. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Wild World Company Limited is one of the pioneering enterprises from Ho Chi Minh City to invest in building a high-class resort right at the entrance of Cat Tien National Park 13 years ago. At that time, the roads, technical infrastructure and human resources in Nam Cat Tien commune were not as convenient as they are today. The costs for investment and operation were difficult and required ensuring the quality of service for tourists.

As an operator, accumulating a lot of management experience from leading international corporations in Vietnam, during the project investment process, Ms. Phuong became known to many people as the female CEO of an eco-tourism enterprise in the mountainous region.

Sharing the reason why she chose to start a tourism career in Cat Tien National Park, Ms. Phuong said that from the beginning, she chose this as a destination for “sustainable tourism” for domestic and foreign tourists. This is not only an opportunity for economic development, but also a responsibility to inspire the protection of nature and the environment. Each trip and stay at Cat Tien Jungle Lodge is built on the principles of respecting biodiversity, minimizing waste, improving health and community awareness, and renewing thinking through the application of digital technology as encouraged by the Vietnamese Government.

The biggest advantage she has had in her career development journey is empathy. She confided: “I myself proactively connect with local authorities to get support such as: fire prevention, security, health... and local people to create jobs for them, cooperate with local service providers such as: transportation, food, food and other services, creating a local economic ecosystem”.

The biggest challenge she faced was the prejudice that “Ecotourism is very hard, it will be difficult for women to take on”. But it was these challenges that helped her grow and prove that women can not only do it, but also bring a sophisticated perspective on conservation and development.

Up to now, Cat Tien Jungle Lodge is one of the attractive destinations and attracts many domestic and foreign tourists. Sharing her experiences to succeed, Ms. Phuong said that the journey to build Cat Tien Jungle Lodge has gone through many stages, from infrastructure difficulties to how to convince the community, which is a vivid lesson about sustainable leadership, especially for women. With the experiences drawn from her success, according to Ms. Phuong, it is a long-term vision, not trading sustainable values ​​for short-term profits.

Water Wood

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202505/bi-quyet-thanh-cong-cua-cac-nu-ceo-nguoi-viet-52d3838/