Vietnam Investment Development Group (VID Group) has been regarded as a strong brand in Vietnam for years. With the stable, sustainable development, VID Group has substantially contributed to Vietnam’s GDP growth. More specially, investors in VID-invested industrial parks are not only impressed with its services, but also with the effective leadership of this young, beautiful and smart woman. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Ms Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong, CEO and President of the Board of Directors of VID Group, to learn more about this renowned executive. Doan Tien reports.
Would you mind briefly introducing your life and business career?
I was born in Nam Dinh City - the land very well-known for studiousness. As my parents were teachers, I was taught to attach much importance to education. Thus, I was oriented to uphold the family tradition. In my childhood, I was praised by my teachers and classmates for being studious and intelligent and my educational records were excellent in all grades. Very keen on Russian, I enrolled to take the university entrance examination to study this subject in 1987. I won the second prize in the national Russian contest and earned the Gold Medal at a contest in Moscow. Thus, I was sent by the State to study in the Lenin Pedagogical University, Moscow, Russia (former Soviet Union). Unfortunately, in 1989, the political crisis in the Soviet Union caused huge difficulty to all people and scholarships were insufficient for study and livelihood. In that situation, some families in Vietnam called their children to return home and my family also had the same thinking. But, in this tough context, I thought that Vietnam suffered decades of wars and hardships but we could overcome it. There was no reason why I had to drop out and I sought for jobs to earn my living and continue my study. I was enthused by making money from that time. When I graduated, I had a small sum of money. In 1996, seeing huge opportunities from the cause of doi moi (renovation) in Vietnam, I decided to repatriate but Russian teaching was not popular in Vietnam at that time. This hardship redirected my life. I applied into a private footwear exporting and importing company. Time flew, I became an entrepreneur.
Why did you establish and develop VID Group?
When I went to work, I realised that adversity brought wisdom. In 1999, I decided to establish my own footwear exporting and importing company and received a lot of orders from many countries in the world after two years of operation. This success inspired me to expand my production facilities. I found and hired a 7-ha land plot in Hung Yen province for my plan but I came across the owner of Chinese motorcycle producer, Lifan Group, who found it hard to find a new location to build more motorcycle plants in Vietnam. Feeling very sympathetic to him, I agreed to sublease him my land plot. From this random success, I had a new viewpoint in doing business: There were other works I could earn as much money as importing and exporting footwear as I was doing. And, this deal was the premise for me to start a new business. From the director of a footwear exporting and importing company, I became an investor of industrial park infrastructure with VID Group.
Now, you are a CEO of a very big company like VID Group. Would you tell us your toughest-ever difficulty?
In fact, immediately after I returned home and searched for a job until I set up my own business, I never thought that doing business was easy; my business career was started from my hard life. Sometimes, I think of the way I have passed with unaccountable difficulties and challenges. I have realised that I have matured and understood my capabilities. I think that if I could not confront and address challenges, I would not have what I have today.
You have a successful business career. Have you ever felt stressed or imbalanced between your career and your family?
I am very glad to have a happy family. My kind husband is a brilliant businessman. He not only helps me with my business but also takes care of our children. Our children understand their parents’ work and they learn to live independently and responsibly very soon. They have never saddened my husband and me. I have never thought that I have to stand between the hard lines of choosing family or career, instead of both, as some other entrepreneurs I know have faced, especially women. This is my pride when I answer your interesting question.
Do you mind if you reveal VID Group’s development strategy for the upcoming period? How will your company respond to “Green Growth” policy in Vietnam?
Since running VID Group, I have had a lot of opportunities to go to other countries in the world. And, I see that people in developed countries are very keen on keeping the living environment and the working environment. And, I also want to do so with VID Group to join hands with the world to respond to climate change and keep the environment clean. Therefore, when I receive investors seeking to locate their projects in VID Group-invested industrial zones, I always take environmental aspects into account before signing contracts. Currently, VID Group is preparing to expand two industrial parks in the north and one in the south. Nine industrial parks of VID Group have been leased by investors from many countries and territories in the world, including Vietnamese, with a total investment capital of more than US$3 billion
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