Three Vietnamese on Forbes Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen


Three Vietnamese women have been named on US business magazine Forbes' list of Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen 2016.

Cao Thi Ngoc Dung
HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Three Vietnamese women have been named on US business magazine Forbes' list of Asia's 50 Power Businesswomen 2016.

The businesswomen are Cao Thi Ngoc Dung, chairman and CEO of Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ); Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, co-founder and chairman of Sovico Holdings; and Thai Huong, chairman of milk supplier TH Group.

Dung founded PNJ in 1998. Starting with one store, she built PNJ into the biggest jewellery brand in Việt Nam, with over 3,000 employees and 200 stores. In 2015, PNJ reported revenue of US$350 million and profit of $23 million. Dung owns 17 per cent of PNJ, which was listed on the stock exchange in 2004.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao

Thao cofounded and is a major shareholder in Sovico, which owns the commercial HD Bank and international budget airline VietJet Air, both of which she runs. HD Bank merged with Đại Á Bank in 2014 and is now among the largest joint-stock commercial banks in Viet Nam, with total assets of nearly $5 billion, 10,000 employees and 225 branches and offices.

Since its launch in 2011, VietJet Air, which is planning an IPO, has grown its fleet to 29 aircraft, taken the lion's share in the local air transport market and carried 20 million passengers.

Huong is revamping the dairy industry with her focus on liquid rather than powdered milk. Last year, she decided to invest up to $2.7 billion in agriculture in Russia, starting with a $500 million dairy farm. Her goal is to own a herd of 350,000 cows producing 1.8 million liters of milk per year.

Thai Huong.

TH Group's 2015 revenue and profit reached $215 million and $45 million, respectively. In 1994, Huong founded Bac A Bank, a joint-stock commercial bank with total assets of nearly $3 billion, serving as the investment and financial consultant for TH Group. She is the majority shareholder in both enterprises.

The list of Asia's Power Businesswomen 2016 comprises 50 outstanding representatives of many different business sectors from 14 countries. China dominated the list with 14 names, followed by India, Thailand and Singapore.

Forbes' selection this year was based on the criteria of company revenue, the position of the candidate in the company and their participation in the work. — VNS

  • Share: