Forbes honours three Vietnamese businesswomen

The three most powerful Vietnamese businesswomen are Mai Kieu Lien, manager and CEO of the Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk); Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh, manager and CEO of the Refrigeration Engineering Enterprise (REE); and Nguyen Thi Nga, manager of the Southeast Asia Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SeABank).

Born in France and educated in Moscow, Kieu Lien immigrated to Vietnam in 1976 and joined Southern Milk, helping to modernise the old State-run dairy cooperative.

After privatization in 2003, she assumed the chair on the board of directors and has since has transformed Vinamilk into one of Vietnam’s most profitable and recognizable brands throughout Asia.

As one of the most profitable brands in Vietnam and a blue chip on the local stock exchange, Vinamilk has delivered consistent growth in revenue and profits since its stock market listing in 2006.

Last year its revenue increased by 17% to US$1.5 billion. Currently, the company exported it products to nearly 30 foreign countries.

Born in 1952, Mai Thanh graduated from the Karl Marx Stadt University in 1982 and has been at the helm of REE for the past 25 years.

Thanh is the only woman on the board of directors, where 16 out of the 17 members are male.

She assumed the CEO position at REE in 1985 and since then has been instrumental in assisting the company to maneuver though extremely tough economic times and successfully market its most well-known product, the Reetech air conditioner.

She also led the company in its bid to become the first listed on the Vietnam stock market in 2000.

Last but not least, Nguyen Thi Nga made a fortune and is currently cited as one of Vietnam’s richest women displaying successful entrepreneurial talents and launching of businesses in a array of fields including banking, real estates, resorts and retail chains.

She currently owns three golf companies in Vietnam and three five-star hotels in Hanoi which are managed by such hotel giants as Hilton Hotels Worldwide.