Vietjet Air CEO and President Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (Photo: cafef.vn)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - Vietjet Air CEO and President Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao has been recognised as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes.
Thao was listed the 44th, up 11 spots compared to last year. According to the magazine, Vietnam’s first self-made billionaire’s estimated network is about 2.6 billion USD, 1.98 billion higher from last year.
“I have always aimed big and done big deals. I have never done anything on a small scale. When people were trading one container [of goods], I was already trading hundreds of containers," Forbes quoted Thao as saying.
Thao is chairperson of Sovico Holdings, President and CEO of Vietjet, as well as standing vice chairperson of HDBank.
Over the past two years, Thao listed Vietjet and HDBank on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE). The market capitalisations of both companies accounted for billions of dollars, making Thao the second-richest person in the Vietnam’s stock market.
Vietjet, founded by Thao in 2011, was also named by Forbes as one of the 40 most valuable brands in Vietnam in 2018. The airline now operates 385 flights daily, with more than 100 routes covering destinations across Vietnam and international destinations such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, mainland China, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia.
This is the 15th annual top 100 list of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes, including women in business, finance, media, politics, social/philanthropic/NGO and technology. The annual ranking is based on multiple categories such as asset quality, media exposure, segment and international influence.
Topping this year’s list was German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She was followed by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde and CEO of General Motors Mary Barra.-VNS/VNA
The Ho Chi Minh City Development Bank, or HDBank, debuted on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) on January 5, offering about 981 million shares at the reference price of 33,000 VND (1.45 USD) each.
Experts forecast that the Vietnamese economy will grow by more than 6.8 percent in the last half of this year at the Forbes Vietnam Business Forum 2018 held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 26.
Budget carrier Vietjet and France’s Airbus signed a purchase agreement for additional 50 A321neo aircraft worth 6.5 billion USD according to the manufacturer’s list price in Hanoi on November 2.
A key change in the draft decree is a provision requiring bank transfers for gold transactions valued at 20 million VND (765 USD) and above, to enhance transparency and verify customer identities.
In the first four months of 2025, trade turnover between Vietnam and Cambodia surpassed 3 billion USD, marking a 7% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
On June 19 alone, a total of 2,005 trucks completed customs clearance at Lang Son’s border gates — the highest single-day figure ever recorded in the province. Of these, 634 carried exports and 1,371 imports.
The OECD Economic Surveys: Vietnam 2025 report focuses on analysing the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, the impact of international integration on attracting foreign investment and trade, and the country’s prospects for developing a low-carbon economy.
Antoine Colin, Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Digital Transformation & Resilience at HP Inc., affirmed HP’s strategic commitment to building a supply chain and ecosystem in Vietnam and the region.
Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Trade Promotion Agency Bui Quang Hung emphasised that logistics has evolved from a technical function into a core capability for Vietnamese exporters to maintain their competitive advantage in the US market.
A trade official has suggested companies work closely with shipping lines, airlines, and freight forwarders to monitor routes, transit times, and potential surcharges while exploring broader cargo insurance to cover risks like war and terrorism.
In addition to institutional reform, the agency is also rolling out key solution groups to combat counterfeit goods, imitations, and intellectual property infringements in the digital environment.
The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market.
The industry's performance has been powered by bold investments in modern production lines, enabling Vietnamese firms to produce complicated products which were exclusive to advanced economies.
Outcomes of ABAC III will shape ABAC’s final policy recommendations to be submitted to the ABAC-APEC leaders’ dialogue, scheduled to take place in the Republic of Korea this November.
This is the second year the magazine has released the ranking, which is based on total revenue and key financial indicators of enterprises from seven countries in the region: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
At the summit, publishing, tech, and media sectors will discuss emerging trends, business models, and sustainable solutions for digital publishing development in Vietnam.
This year’s “Vietnam Goods Week” marks a significant milestone as it is being held simultaneously for the first time in four locations across Asia: Japan, Hong Kong (China), Cambodia, and Malaysia, from June 19 - 22.
According to NordCham Vietnam Chairman Thue Quist Thomasen, the Vietnamese Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses to contribute to green and sustainable growth.
The analysis from an investment perspective shows that the economy’s growth has been heavily capital‑driven, yet efficiency remains low as reflected by Vietnam’s Incremental Capital-Output Ratio (ICOR) being significantly higher than global and regional averages. This underscores the imperative to enhance capital‑use efficiency.
Vietjet Air CEO and President Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (Photo: cafef.vn) 
