Honouring Traditions, Embracing Growth
Honouring Traditions
Embracing Growth
A proud British citizen and Board Member of BritCham, I have been residing and working in Vietnam since 2013. I have extensive knowledge of Vietnam’s business sector, and high- level relations with executives of listed and unlisted businesses, government officials, regulators, venture capital and private equity founders. Professionally, I am a trusted adviser to multiple UK enterprises investing in Vietnam, and I personally service many of the largest UK asset managers, pension funds and banks engaging in foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign indirect investment (FII) activities in Vietnam. I am also a Member of the Vietnam Independent Directors Association (VNIDA) and a long-standing participant of the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) Capital Markets Working Group. I am confident my extensive British and Vietnamese connections and global networks add an effective and reasoned voice to the benefit of BritCham Members. I am BritCham-focused, culturally aware, and very supportive of efforts to lift living standards, education levels, and business ethics and transparency in Vietnam. UK interests include, Board Director – Cambridge.tv – promoting Cambridge and inclusive education, worldwide.
I have worked as a lawyer for the global elite law firm, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, in HCMC since 2017. I am an advisor to many significant international investors and have worked on many of the most recent significant foreign investment transactions. I have a deep knowledge of how to do business in Vietnam and have relations with some of the most senior governmental and business people in the country. I have been a member of BritCham since I moved to Vietnam and have been on the Board for two terms, latterly also serving as one of the Vice-Chairs of the Board. Our organisation is not just member run but, importantly, run for the benefit of members. I believe I have the ability to help drive BritCham to achieve its objectives and remain one of Vietnam’s most visible and effective chambers of commerce.
I was honoured to have had the opportunity to serve on the BritCham Board from 2014-2022, of which 3 years as Vice-Chair.
It is with renewed vigour that I apply for the 2024-2025 Board.
I expect to bring to the Board of BritCham:
I have lived in both Hanoi and Ho chi Minh for 8 years each and am married to a Vietnamese national with whom we have 3 children together.
The reason I would like to serve on the BritCham Board is to continue to focus on enriching the scope and reach of the business-related activities for members, focused on the Energy Working Group that members formed in 2023. My experience spans GEC, Rolls Royce, BP, Salamander Energy, Mubadala and now I consult to offshore wind, CCS, upstream and other energy sector projects/assets in Vietnam. I have worked here for 25 years across a variety of energy projects and maintain good relations within and without Vietnam. BritCham will continue to serve the British community and a diverse set of stakeholders. I would like to see more BritCham members, particularly British businesses (big and small) coming to Vietnam and staying to pursue business between the two countries, particularly in the energy and sustainability space.
It has been a pleasure to serve you for the last 9.5 years, in my capacity as Board member (Chairman 2016 to 2019 and 2022-23) and to have helped guide BritCham through a continued growth in membership, in spite of the challenges in the market and the closure for the Business Centre. I was also a founding member of the chamber and served on the Committee during the first 7 years (1996-2001) and Chairman from 1998 to 2001.
I was involved in the setting up and closure of the Business centre funded by the UK Government.
It was during my chairmanship that we were accepted as a consortium member of the VBF and establishment of BCAC.
I would like to continue to serve on the Board and hope that you as members will support me by electing me for a further 12 months. I believe I can make a major contribution to the development of chamber and to bring the knowledge and history of the Chamber in Vietnam.
I would like to stand for re election as a BritCham Board Member for 2024/25 to become further involved in the continued positive developments at BritCham. As the Director of Marketing, Admissions and Communications at the British International School HCMC, I’m a very much established member within the school, Senior Leadership Team and wider BIS HCMC community. This position brings great benefits to the BritCham Board in terms of working with the education sector and wider British community Alongside this my experience, skills and knowledge in marketing and communications are areas that could be utilised further across all areas of BritCham in terms of strategic planning and development I have now lived and worked in Ho Chi Minh City for over 12 years and have two daughters and very much embedded into life in HCMC through work, children’s people across the city and wider Vietnam
I am especially keen to represent members from SMEs and entreprenneurs who do not have the backing of big corporations and whose voice at the Britcham board is not well represented. Board representation of manufacturers and those, who like myself, are involved in imports and exports particularly with the UK – also needs to be strengthened. I am keen that the chamber should focus more on business events and networking as this is an aspect of the chamber that many members feel needs strengthening. My purpose in standing for election to the board is to try to ensure the activities of the chamber better reflects the wishes of the members.
I have been working for over two decades with two very renowned UK educational organisations and currently I am managing ICAEW Offices in Vietnam. I bring in extensive experience and a good blend of cultures of both Vietnam and the United Kingdom. Given my track record of accomplishment and a credible market reputation, I have had the opportunity to connect both UK and Vietnamese Businesses at various levels. I have led the market development initiatives for UK businesses in Vietnam and utilised UK’s expertise/experiences to develop Vietnam’s professionals, economic improvement and create opportunities for Vietnamese nationals. BritCham Vietnam’s main objective is to promote its members‘ business interests through various business and social events. If given an opportunity as a Board Member of the British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam for 2024/2025, will give me a platform to further the interests of BritCham and give me the appropriate leverage to converge both the interests of UK and Vietnam. I do look forward to being part of this esteemed body and I am confident of bringing in good value to the objective of BritCham Vietnam.
I am delighted to stand again as a Board Member of BritCham. Based in Hanoi but also a frequent visitor in HCMC, I believe that through my experience in Vietnam/Region, I can deliver insight, ideas and act¡ons to support BritCham, further developing our reputation among Chambers and our membership, supporting advocacy to fulfill our mission, including our charity and membership operation to add value and ensure that we are able to maintain our reputation and build it in new areas as well as ensuring the tradition of BBGV and BritCham is maintained as a key supporter of our charities.
I feel the further development of our working groups into full advocacy operations, will be a priority for the next year, plus developing other areas of interest and critical mass of our chamber. Further develop our training offering to all employees of members to support the value of membership, further developing the links with the Embassy and consulate General in Vietnam and also the ASEAN UK operation to plan for the increasing regional prominence of Vietnam and finally relaunching our charity activity to continue contributing to the wider society and finally but not least listening and supporting our members to achieve their goals.
I would like to stand as a candidate for the 2024 BritCham Board Member position, as I believe I can greatly contribute to enhance BritCham’s standing as well as its role in strengthening UK-Vietnam relations.
During my six years leading AstraZeneca in Vietnam, the Company has grown into one of the top biopharmaceutical multinational companies in Vietnam while championing partnerships with the Government and healthcare partners. We are investing $\$ 310$ million into Vietnam from 2020 to 2030 to reduce the burden of diseases and promote sustainability. Our efforts were recognised with a Friendship Medal from the President of Vietnam, various certificates of merit from the Prime Minister and Minister of Health, as well as BritCham Awards for Great Contribution to Healthcare and Great Leadership.
In addition to being a BritCham Board member since 2019 and a BCAC member since 2020, this year, I am also humbled to serve as Vice Chair of the Vietnam Business Forum. Thank you for your trust. With this responsibility, I am committed to advancing the cooperation between the Vietnamese Government and the foreign business community, and especially BritCham, to foster green growth and enable sustainable economic development.
I believe that my extensive network with both the UK and Vietnamese governments, coupled with my strong commitment to promoting the interests of British businesses in Vietnam, will allow me to contribute meaningfully to BritCham’s ambitious plans this coming year as we celebrate many milestones together.
Dear Members of the British Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam,
I, Nhi Le, would like to confirm my interest and willingness to be joining Board of BritCham. I want to contribute to improving the business environment for the British business community and championing, promoting the collaboration in sustainable business development. With more than 18 years working in Corporate and Government Affairs, Sustainability’s program management, CSR and public communication for diverse organizations such as BP, UNICEF, Microsoft, and now Unilever, I am confident that I can utilize my experience, skills and knowledge in these areas to support BritCham community to fulfill its mission.
Through my proven track record and commitment in sustainable business practices and policies advocacy, I am eager to share and foster a business environment that not only thrives economically but also prioritizes the health of planet, people’s well-being and fairer society for a resilient and greener Vietnam.
As a seasoned strategy and policy advisor spanning both the private and public sectors, I am excited to offer my candidacy for the British Chamber of Commerce board. Seven years living in Vietnam (in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) has proferred me a deep understanding of the local business landscape and macro-economic issues. My work here has focused on enhancing the business environment for foreign companies and facilitating market entry strategies, which are crutial for British businesses looking to invest in Vietnam.
Over the past year, I have worked closely with Mr. Tony Blair to launch his Institute in Vietnam; our office in Hanoi advises key government figures-including the Ministers of MPI, MOIT, MOH, and MOFA-on topics that directly impact British businesses, including business environment, trade regulations, economic reforms, and investment opportunities.
I am committed to leveraging my experience to advance the Chamber’s mission and strengthen ties between Vietnam and the British business community. I am in a unique position to help the Chamber enlarge its capacity to serve as a bridge between the two nations and a catalyst for new business opportunities and deeper economic cooperation.
My experience in the Vietnamese financial and business sectors, particularly in my current role at Dragon Capital, equips me with a unique perspective to contribute to the Chamber. I have developed a comprehensive understanding of the local business environment and culture during my over two decades of working in Vietnam. My career spans manufacturing, commodity broking, and finance, offering a broad perspective on the opportunities and challenges within the Vietnamese market.
I engage directly with local and foreign investors, and write regular reports on the economy and capital markets, promoting Vietnam as a viable investment destination. This has sharpened my ability to articulate the Vietnamese investment landscape to raise funds both domestically and abroad, leveraging Dragon Capital’s extensive access to all levels of public/private enterprises.
Additionally, we are deeply committed to environmental change and advise the Vietnamese Government and our investee companies on ESG matters, aligning with the Chamber’s goals of integrating sustainable practices into future strategies.
I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity to help BritCham grow by strengthening economic ties and supporting its business development, believing that my position and experience will be valuable in this regard.
