MB CEO Pham Nhu Anh: The mark of "iron discipline" and breakthrough spirit

Recently, vov.vn had a conversation with General Director Pham Nhu Anh of the Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB, HOSE: MBB) to share about his career journey, turning point choices and the desire for innovation he pursues.

Discipline to stay on track, breakthrough to lead

Throughout his career, CEO Pham Nhu Anh has summarized the core beliefs that have guided him through the most volatile periods of the market: “If you only have discipline, you will be on the right track but never lead. If you only have innovation, you will explode but easily get lost. The combination of discipline and innovation creates an extraordinary journey.”

This philosophy was forged from the process of nearly 20 years of his attachment and growth at MB - an organization with a strong "soldier" spirit. Discipline, courage and responsibility have become the guiding principles, helping him think systematically, set clear goals and pursue them to the end. Discipline is not only personal strength but also a strategic weapon that creates collective strength, helping MB operate safely and effectively.

The clearest proof of this philosophy is the miraculous growth of MB. From total assets of only 32.7 billion VND when it was established, MB has now reached a scale of 1,290 trillion VND, affirming its solid position in the Big5 group of leading commercial banks. Profit in the first 6 months of 2025 reached nearly 15.9 trillion VND, leading the private banking sector. In particular, MB has become a digital enterprise with nearly 34 million customers, 98.69% of transactions are conducted on digital channels and the brand value reaches nearly 1.6 billion USD.

Engage from the first challenges

Looking back, Mr. Pham Nhu Anh faced many turning points. In the context of the volatile financial market, every decision required great courage. One of the most important milestones was when he took on the position of Branch Director at a very young age, only 26 years old. It was a "test zone" full of pressure but also a golden opportunity for him to learn and grow quickly.

Instead of hesitating, he chose the path of dedication and effort, devoting 90% of his energy to work with a meticulous spirit and not afraid to take on responsibility. It was this perseverance and dedication that helped him to be trusted and assigned with bigger tasks. "As long as you try your best, persevere and dare to commit, even if you start young, you can still affirm your value" is the saying that has become the motivation for the General Director to lead MB to continuously innovate and stay ahead of the market.

Inspire action and nurture creativity

CEO Pham Nhu Anh's leadership style is shaped by two main factors: inspiring through action and nurturing the spirit of innovation. He believes that leadership is more than just words. The image of him stepping onto the stage to perform in front of thousands of employees at MB's 30th anniversary celebration is a strong message about daring to step out of the comfort zone to break through.

Furthermore, he has contributed to building an organizational culture that encourages creativity. At MB, the culture of "dare to try, dare to fail, dare to fix" is strongly promoted. The bank created "Sandbox areas" to test new ideas, and at the same time built the internal platform Bee Voice so that all employees can contribute initiatives. The monthly talk series "30 minutes: Understanding and Accompanying" in which the CEO himself directly dialogues with the entire system is his way of strengthening engagement and spreading the MB spirit.

When asked about the definition of success, Mr. Pham Nhu Anh does not only look at profit figures. For an organization with the mission of serving national security and defense and tens of millions of customers, success is to become "The most valuable Vietnamese bank to customers - A highly trusted MB".

This is demonstrated by the fact that MB always puts customers at the center, building an integrated financial ecosystem from the MBBank Super App to comprehensive digital solutions for businesses. Customers' financial security is a top priority, along with creating sustainable values. MB is a pioneer bank in complying with international risk management standards (Basel II, Basel III) and deeply integrating sustainable development strategy (ESG) into business operations, with a commitment to spend 65,000 billion VND on ESG activities and many meaningful community projects.

When thinking about his "career mark", the legacy he wants to leave to future generations is not personal achievements, but a sustainable cultural value: a disciplined MB that dares to innovate, nurtures and encourages creativity. It is a combination of the "soldier's" disciplined foundation and the spirit of dedication and constant innovation. A legacy where every idea is respected, and the culture of "dare to think - dare to try - dare to fix" has become the DNA, the driving force for MB to continue to develop and reach further.

Source: https://vov.vn/doanh-nghiep/doanh-nhan/ceo-mb-pham-nhu-anh-dau-an-tu-ky-luat-thep-va-tinh-than-but-pha-post1237559.vov