Businesspeople born in the year of the Dragon

On the occasion of the Year of the Dragon, Thanh Nien Newspaper has visited Vietnamese entrepreneurs born in the Year of the Dragon – talented captains who lead, build, and steer their businesses steadily through turbulent times.

"Female General" Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh: To succeed, you need to take risks.

At the "CEO 100 Tea Connect" program organized by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh, the "leading lady" of REE Corporation, attracted significant attention from international guests when she was invited to speak first. Her biggest concern was the development of a circular economy and a green economy in the context of increasingly severe environmental pollution in cities, especially Ho Chi Minh City. As a businesswoman who built and thrived in the country's most dynamic city, she expressed her aspiration for "a Vietnam with a thriving economy that rivals any developed country."

Born in the year of the Dragon - Nhâm Thìn - and falling under the "Nhâm" element, according to East Asian customs, "men born in the years of Đinh and Nhâm, women born in the years of Quý and Giáp," Mai Thanh seems to have a conflicting elemental sign. However, the "female leader" of REE Group is known not only as a talented, ambitious, and decisive businesswoman but also for her bold and forward-thinking decisions.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh - the "female leader" of REE

More than 30 years ago, in 1992, in her leadership role, Ms. Mai Thanh guided her enterprise to become the first state-owned enterprise to be privatized and established REE in 1993. REE was also the first enterprise to issue foreign convertible bonds and one of the first two enterprises to be listed on the stock exchange.

Not only successful in the refrigeration sector, every success of the REE company bears the mark of "a Mai Thanh." Among entrepreneurs born in the year of the Dragon, Ms. Mai Thanh is the "elder dragon," yet the passage of time rarely shows her, thanks to the unwavering enthusiasm of a leader. "To succeed, you need ambition and dedication to excel in what you do. To become a special person, you need to have things that people can learn from."

Businessman Lam An Dau - founder of Vinh Tien Paper Joint Stock Company: People can "change their fate".

The name Lam An Dau easily leads listeners to think of him as being born in the year of the Rooster. However, he humorously remarked that those born in the year of the Wood Dragon are the biggest dragons, the leader among all the dragons of other years.

Originating from a small workshop producing typewriter paper and Roneo spinning paper, Vinh Tien Paper Company was officially established in mid-1980. Eight years later, however, the company launched a student notebook called "Little Deer Notebook," featuring a cute and adorable little deer design, which quickly gained popularity and has been a favorite among generations of students ever since. Besides its main activity of producing paper and packaging, the company has also diversified into other business areas such as real estate projects and mask production during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the "three-legged stool" that he believes allows the company to stand firm instead of relying solely on one leg.

Mr. Lam An Dau - the founder of Vinh Tien Paper Joint Stock Company

Lost in thought over a cup of coffee on a late afternoon at the end of the year, he said that for over 40 years, he has always been deeply concerned about how to develop Vietnamese brands effectively. Simultaneously, he emphasized the importance of caring for and ensuring the well-being of his employees. "The dragon is considered a noble and sacred creature, and I feel a little proud to have been born in the year of the dragon. A person's life path seems predetermined. However, each person can still change their destiny for the better… That's why I always believe that life is about sharing, not greed. Being an entrepreneur and opening a company doesn't automatically mean getting rich quickly," Mr. Lam An Dau confided.

At 60 years old, Mr. Dau still feels young and full of enthusiasm. With the current pace of life changing so rapidly, he has to adapt accordingly. "If I don't change, I'll age quickly and feel left behind," Mr. Lam An Dau shared.

As we enter the new year of 2024, this businessman, born in the year of the Dragon, hopes for a less difficult economic situation both domestically and internationally. He also hopes for a stronger recovery for businesses, improved performance, and the creation of thousands more jobs.

Mr. Mai Trieu Nguyen - General Director of Mai Nguyen Co., Ltd.: Success is about balance.

Having just completed a 30-day motorcycle adventure exploring Tibet, the owner of the Mai Nguyen chain of mobile phone and technology retail stores enthusiastically recounted his journey on his personal vlog, attracting thousands of viewers. The Mai Nguyen chain has been around for 22 years, and the once young owner is now approaching 50.

For him, the economic downturn swept through businesses of all sizes, from small shops to large enterprises, causing some to disappear. The retail sector for technology devices was still trending downwards, so his company had to downsize, reduce offline stores, and focus on online sales and detailed product reviews for customers. However, thanks to his experiences riding large-displacement motorcycles, he had the opportunity to expand his business into areas related to adventure travel, camping, and long-distance motorcycle riding, such as accessories, clothing, hats, tents, and camping equipment. "Luckily, I started this new product line over a year ago and unexpectedly achieved considerable success."

Mr. Mai Trieu Nguyen - General Director of Mai Nguyen Company Limited

Born in the year of the Fire Dragon (Bính Thìn), he himself says he has never been concerned or stressed about his upcoming age (49 according to the lunar calendar). His plan for next year will still be to travel and experience exciting things both domestically and internationally. "At this point, I can confidently say that success is not about having a lot of money, driving supercars, or living in beautiful villas… but about having the life you desire. For me, success is having a happy family, having time for myself, and pursuing my passions. Life for me now is about relaxing and experiencing new things," Mr. Mai Triều Nguyên shared.

Mr. Le Duy Toan - Director of Duy Anh Foods: National pride "guides the way" to entrepreneurship.

Le Duy Toan is the youngest of the dragons we visited this spring. He seemed hesitant to represent the "Year of the Earth Dragon" and share his New Year's story with Thanh Nien readers.

Born and raised in Cu Chi, the cradle of the famous traditional rice paper making village in Southern Vietnam – Phu Hoa Dong rice paper (Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City) – Duy Toan was stunned when, while studying in the US, he accidentally saw a bag of rice paper on a supermarket shelf labeled "Made in Thailand." "For me, rice paper can only be from Vietnam. Personally, I grew up thanks to that rice paper; I owe the batches of rice paper from my hometown an immeasurable debt of gratitude." So, after graduating, instead of staying in the US to work as he had planned when he left his homeland, he returned to his hometown and started a business based on his family's traditional craft.

Duy Toan bought machinery, hired workers to produce Vietnamese rice paper and vermicelli under the Duy Anh Foods brand, confidently labeling them "made in Vietnam" and seeking export opportunities. The first shipment went to Japan, then to the US… and today, Duy Anh Foods' dried products are available in over 40 markets worldwide . Duy Toan says that national pride was the driving force behind his determination to start a business based on his hometown's traditional craft.

Mr. Le Duy Toan - Director of Duy Anh Foods - receives the award at the Mekong Connect 2023 Forum.

In 2022, Duy Anh Foods' watermelon rice noodles, the only Vietnamese product showcased at the Innovation Show - Thaifex 2022 (Thailand), and Mr. Rice multigrain rice noodles at Sial Paris 2022 (France) were honored as the only Vietnamese enterprise to receive two innovation awards, among thousands of businesses from 167 participating countries. However, by the end of 2022, export orders for many product categories decreased sharply, and Duy Anh Foods was no exception, at times falling to half of pre-pandemic levels.

2023 was the year businessman Le Duy Toan traveled abroad the most, he said, mainly to attend international trade fairs to find new customers. 2023 was also his birth year, but for Duy Toan, it would be a year where the difficulties of the previous year would be put aside. "I just hope next year will be the time to 'reap' what I've diligently sown over the past year..." - Le Duy Toan said simply.

Businesspeople born in the year of the Dragon

That's him. Dang Thanh Tam (born in the year of the Dragon - 1964), the owner of Kinh Bac Urban Development Corporation (KBC), Saigon Telecommunications Technology Corporation (SGT)... Mr. Dang Thanh Tam was once ranked the richest person on the Vietnamese stock exchange in 2007. Mr. Ho Xuan Nang (born in the year of the Dragon - 1964), formerly Chairman and CEO of Phoenix Green A&A Group (PHENIKAA Group), and Chairman of Vicostone Corporation. Mr. Nang also consistently ranked among the top 10 richest people on the Vietnamese stock exchange for many years. Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuy (born in the year of the Dragon - 1976), Chairman of Xuan Thanh Group, is a businessman widely known by the nickname "Bau Thuy" (Chairman Thuy) for having previously owned two football teams: Saigon Xuan Thanh (national championship) and Thai Son Quang Nam Insurance (first division)...

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