Mr Philanthropy

Nam Phuong spoke to him about his philanthropic values and how they affect his investment decision.

In 1994, Dominic Scriven founded Dragon Capital, one of the largest and longest-running foreign investment firms in Vietnam, and he continues to lead the firm to this day. Having called Vietnam home for the past 21 years, he has held senior positions on the boards of many leading Vietnamese corporations and contributed to the growth of the domestic stock market.

Besides, a long-standing financial career, Scriven is well known for his philanthropy, and in 2004 he founded Wildlife At Risk (WAR), a non-profit organization based in Ho Chi Minh City which works to conserve Vietnam’s threatened biodiversity.

“At the time, most of the non-profit organizations for conservation were located in the Northern area of Vietnam, while Ho Chi Minh City was actually a significant site for illegal wildlife trade and consumption. There was a huge need for biodiversity conservation there, as animals were endangered and on the verge of extinction. That’s what inspired me to establish WAR in the Southern region first,” says Scriven.

After more than a decade of operation, WAR currently has wildlife rescue centres in Cu Chi (Ho Chi Minh City-in partnership with the Forestry Protection Department of the city), and Hon Me (Kien Giang province). The centres are staffed with veterinary physicians, assistants and volunteers. WAR has rescued more than 6,000 animals, including endangered species such as bears, otters, gibbons, civets, cobras, leopard cats, horn bills, loris and pangolins.

The animals at the WAR rescue centres were victims of illegal trade and some of them have lost their ability to survive in the wild, suffered from psychological trauma, and some even have body parts missing. However, after rescuing the animals, staff at the centres have nurtured them back to health and released 90% of them into wild.

As the founder and a trustee of WAR, Scriven often visits the centres, including that in Cat Tien National Park, “Cat Tien is home to a wide range of wildlife species,” he explains. “However, the past 20 years have seen a stark decline in biodiversity here, and many species have been pushed to extinction due to illegal trade.”

“It saddens me to see bears such as Sunshine, Ron, Lam , Nicky and the leopard Lucy trapped in cages because they are still unfit for their natural habitat. Their lives have always been in danger and the pressure on them is enormous. Even more tragically, the last one-horn rhinoceros in Vietnam has died here.”

To raise public awareness about endangered animals, WAR has organized education programs for school children, including field trips to the Cu Chi rescue station, various contests on environmental protection, and a partnership with Youth Green Club operations. The organization has also held events for the general public, notably the “Lend Your Voice to Protect the Forests” event in 2010, which attracted 400 attendees as well as support from the British Council.

In the future, WAR plans to increase the size of its rescue centres to house a greater number of animals. According to Nguyen Vu Khoi, CEO of WAR, the Cu Chi centre hopes to expand from the current 0,4 hectares to 8 hectares.

The Hon Me centre in Kien Giang, which is the first of its kind in the Mekong Delta region, is now up and running.

Khoi is full of praise for Scriven’s dedication to WAR: “We nicknamed Dominic ‘Dom the Rescuer’, since we are inspired efforts to save the animals and protect the environment. He always works in a professional and responsible manner, fueled by great enthusiasm.

On his passion for conserving wildlife in Vietnam, Scriven says: “I’m personally interested in biodiversity and the environment. After tiring days at work, I love to spend time in the wild and explore the environmental wonders that Vietnam is blessed with. I realized that I’ve received so much from this country that I should contribute to preserving its wonderful scenery.”

Preserving art

Besides his passion for animal conservation, Scriven is also interested in collecting Vietnamese propaganda paintings, and he has amassed a large collection.

“When I first arrived in Vietnam, I was captivated by propaganda everywhere on the streets. Then I learned about Vietnamese history and found out that these paintings contributed to the victory of Vietnam during wartime and the early independent era. They may belong to the past, but their messages can live on for many years.

As a result, I’d like to help preserve such a special part of history and cultural heritage for both Vietnam and the world.

He adds: “Unfortunately, not many Vietnamese regard wartime propaganda as works of art are treasured and displayed in museums.”

To preserve the collection, Scriven has founded the Dogma Collection Gallery in Ho Chi Minh City, in collaboration with an Italian art curator, Richard Di San Marzano.

On CSR

Having such strong beliefs about philanthropy and social work, Scriven has also infused his philanthropic values into Dragon Capital.

Dragon capital seeks to apply a ‘responsible investment’ concept. The company follows the belief that businesses can only succeed when they have the long-term interests of the society in mind and operate in a sustainable and healthy community.

“The idea of responsible investing is not new. Indeed it has been a crucial part of our philosophy for over ten years now. The key point here is that growth and returns are only relevant if they are sustainable, and I believe that economic activity cannot be divorced from the well-being of the society that supports it”, says Scriven.

He further explained that in the 21^st century, sophisticated investors, stakeholders and employees are more concerned than ever about the social and environmental impact of corporations. Indeed, firms’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs can be incorporated into their investment decisions, especially in the Vietnamese context, where traditional customs and culture emphasis corporate social contributions.

In line with Scriven’s values, Dragon Capital has strived to make a positive impact that goes beyond finance to reach the larger Vietnamese society and its people. As the company pledges its long-standing commitment to the country, it has aligned corporate interests with Vietnam’s long-term need for sustainable development.

Some prominent CSR projects that Scriven and Dragon Capital have carried out include supporting Saigon Children’s Charity, an organization that helps disadvantaged children gain adequate education for a better life.

Throughout the years, Dragon Capital has also supported the building of schools in Dong Nai province.

To further nurture young talent in Vietnam, the Company has provided annual scholarships to university students who achieved excellent academic results despite difficult living conditions.

In September 2014, Dragon Capital celebrates its 20th anniversary by donating VND5 billion (US$238,000) to three charity funds. One of the funds was the Fund for the Kids, which is run by the Vietnam Investment Review and the Vietnam Society of Learning Promotion.

The donation has since been used to provide scholarships for students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economic and Hung Dao Primary School (Nghe An province).

To promote environmental protection, Dragon Capital has planted man groves in Can Gio, which is Vietnam’s first mangrove forest to be included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserved List by UNESCO.

The company also actively supports the Biogas Program of the Vietnamese government and the SNV Netherlands Development Oganisation, which converts animal waste to clean biogas energy for household. Furthermore, Dragon Capital’s office has been carbon neutral since 2005.

With its diverse and continuous CSR programs, Dragon Capitals was nominated as the Sustainable Investors of the Year by the Financial in 2011 and 2012. In 2014, both Dominic and the company have been awarded the Labour Order (Third Class) from the State President of Vietnam.

Scriven says: “These nominations and awards have recognized Dragon Capital’s role in practicing responsible investment. It encourages us to continue promoting the values of sustainable development in Vietnam.”

Wether it is preserving wildlife biodiversity, promoting propaganda artworks or practicing responsible investment, Dominic has the best interests of Vietnam at heart. “I owe this beautiful country a lot,” he says.