Business Executive Network

Country Manager – Beiersdorf Member Since 2022 Daranee Delorme has a Master’s in Business English for International Communication and a Ph.D. in Business Informatics. She started her FMCG career in her native Thailand as Marketing and Trade Marketing Assistant at Procter & Gamble. She left as Customer Team Leader in 2017 following a 17+ year career with the conglomerate. Before joining Beiersdorf, Daranee was Commercial Manager at Reckitt Thailand Daranee is a passionate and experienced executive who enjoys scuba diving, reading, and café hopping in her spare time. “This is the first time in my life being based out of..

Co-Founder PersolKelly and GoodfoodMember Since 2020 Cong, a Vietnam-born Chinese-Australian citizen, immigrated to Australia during his teenage years. Upon completing his Bachelor of Economics degree at the University of Sydney, he began his professional career at Deloitte Sydney as an external auditor. His dedication led him to qualify as a chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Australia. After his tenure at Deloitte, Cong expanded his horizons by joining the Genting/Star Cruises Group in Asia—a prominent hospitality conglomerate with interests in resorts, casinos, and cruise lines. His contributions led to his appointment as Star Cruises’ Senior Vice President of..

Founder, Chairman, and CEO Barton Pike Executive SearchMember Since 2022 A serial entrepreneur at heart, David specializes in translating sophisticated business strategy, market knowledge, and competitor insights into tactical business plans and customer-centric solutions that maximize revenues and ROI. From his early days in the Big4 Consulting world, to the 25+ years of worldwide experience as founder of multiple recruitment and search firms, David has built a reputation as a champion of responsive, specialist, relationship-focused consulting and advisory services. In addition to leading the growth of the 5 country offices of BARTON PIKE Executive Search servicing EMEA, USA, Oceania, and..

CEO-Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam Member Since 2022 Singapore-born Michele Wee has taken a straight line toward her executive success. Prior to being appointed as CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam in February 2021, Michele was Head of Financial Markets for Singapore, Brunei and Australia for Standard Chartered Singapore. Her main responsibility was to align market governance and regulatory relationships with the Financial Markets Global Strategy and Country Strategy. Michele is already leaving a mark at Standard Chartered with her bold leadership style and her drive to break down outmoded hierarchical structures. Her ambition is to foster organisational change that leads..

Country Manager – Hilti VietnamMember Since 2023 We congratulate Flora’s recent appointment as the head of Hilti Vietnam and are proud to welcome her into the Business Executive Network. Flora built her career with Hilti across both HR and Sales. She was the youngest Area Sales Manager in Hilti Australia, and she later became the regional Diversity and Inclusion Lead for Hilti South Asia Pacific and now oversees Hilti in Vietnam. Australian-born with Vietnamese heritage, Flora shared with us that working in Vietnam with Hilti is an amazing opportunity for her to also build a personal connection with the country..

Melbourne raised Brad Kelly first joined Mercedes Benz Australia/New Zealand in 2008 and became the company’s Director of Sales in 2014. During this tenure he helped grow sales from 28,000 to almost 40,000 passenger vehicles in Australia and New Zealand. In 2019, Brad became the General Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vietnam. He describes Vietnam’s market as “exciting and youthful”, and with one of the lowest car ownership per capita rates in the world and a rapidly growing middle class, he sees it as a huge opportunity for the luxury car market. While living in Australia, Brad was the Captain..

Tom Duncan, CEO of Pasteur Street Craft Beer Company, explains why craft beer is much more than a passing fad in the beverage industry. It’s a way of life.  IPA, Stout, Porter, Pale Ale, Tripel, Sour... words that would have stumped the average beer drinker a decade ago have become as commonplace for craft beer consumers as cappuccino, latte, and flat white now are for coffee aficionados. Yet, in 2011, when Tom Duncan, CEO of Pasteur Street Craft Beer Company (PSCB), first arrived in Vietnam, the only words one needed to know to enjoy a cold one were “Bia Hoi”..

Executive Chairman - Grant Thornton Limited Ken started his career in London with a merchant bank after completing a BA (Econ) Hons degree in Economics, Accountancy and Law. After 7 years, Ken joined a Scandinavian merchant bank, which took him to over 40 countries, which was the start of his career in Asia. Ken set up his own consulting business in 1983 and moved to Vietnam in 1990. When Ken moved his business and life here, he told us he was attracted to the friendliness of the Vietnamese people, their work ethic, and the potential for development. He now focuses..

Founder and CEO - Purple Asia Member Since 2022 Matt Millard, a member of and board advisor to the Business Executive Network, is passionate about the transformative power of brands. He believes that strong brands can withstand competitive pressures and market challenges, and are forged through exceptional brand experiences. At Purple Asia, Matt focuses on creating extraordinary impacts at every customer touchpoint, specializing in tourism, retail, and property brands. They seek clients who are visionary, ready to invest in the future, and excited about the journey. Recently, Matt has taken on new non-executive roles including Director at Bamboo Flute Ltd.,..

Country Lead - Draper Startup House Member Since 2023 Aaron Everhart is a well-known figure in Vietnam’s startup ecosystem as the CEO of Draper Startup House Vietnam. Originally from the United States, Aaron started his career in branding for global clients such as FedEx, Frito-Lay, HP, and AT&T while working at global agencies Landor and Grey. In 2005, he moved to Vietnam as a foreign investor, and in 2013, he founded HATCH! Ventures to help kickstart Vietnam’s startup scene. The program grew quickly and provided founders with incubation, mentorship, and fund matching. In 2021, HATCH! was acquired by Draper Startup..

Andrew Currie | Chairman and Creative Director - OUT-2 Design Group Member since October 2019 Andrew Currie is an Australian architect who has spent most of his life in Asia, gaining extensive knowledge of the region. Growing up in Singapore and working in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Shanghai, and Tokyo, he is well-versed in the Asian market. In 2003, Andrew decided to settle in Vietnam, where he co-founded OUT-2 Design Group, a Vietnam-based international architecture and interior design firm with a mission: "to radically improve the ways people work, learn and live by shaping how physical space influences human..

Head of Language Department & Deputy Director of Goethe-Institut HanoiMember Since 2024 Steffen has been active in international education for close to ten years, with positions in academia and the non-profit sector in the United States, Germany, and now Vietnam. Having started his career as a university professor for German language education, Steffen has since held leadership positions with increasing responsibilities. As Deputy Director and Head of Language Department at Goethe-Institut Hanoi, Steffen and his team of 20 direct reports and 55 teachers are responsible for providing high-quality language learning experiences to over 4.000 Vietnamese German learners annually. With a..

General Director - Kirby Building Systems Member Since 2022 Thian Aun Goh is an experienced General Director at Kirby Building Systems Southeast Asia – a group company of Alghanim Industries. As of 2023, Thian has over 15 years of P&L leadership, managing teams across China and Southeast Asia, and 27 years of experience in engineering, building materials, manufacturing, and construction, Thian is a highly skilled professional civil engineer who can converse fluently in Cantonese, Mandarin, Malay, Indonesian, and English. His professional attributes include managing business across different regions and cultures and building high-performing teams. In his personal life, he enjoys..

Managing Director - Cimigo Member Since 2022 Richard Burrage is a seasoned market research and consulting professional with over thirty-five years of experience. For the past twenty-seven years, he has been instrumental in helping numerous brands achieve leadership positions in Vietnam. As the founder of Cimigo, a leading market research agency, Richard has been at the forefront of industry innovation and insights. Richard collaborates closely with the Business Executive Network to conduct the CEO Pulse survey, providing valuable insights into the business climate in Vietnam. He is a sought-after speaker at events, where he shares his expertise on consumer trends,..

General Manager, Industrial Frasers Property VN Member Since 2023 Chong Chee Keong, also known as CK, currently holds the pivotal position of General Manager of Industrial at Frasers Property Vietnam. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s industrial and logistics development within Vietnam’s southern market. With a career spanning over two decades, during which he has collaborated with leading consultants and developers in Southeast Asia, CK brings invaluable insights into industrial estate development in Vietnam’s dynamic economy. Frasers Property, a multinational investor-developer- manager of real estate products and services across five asset classes — commercial & business..

Sophie Lien Dinh CEO, Co-Founder & Entrepreneur Member Since 2020 Sophie, raised in a small town 30km north of Hanoi, is a purposeful entrepreneur whose ultimate goal is to create sustainable development and social impact on a large scale through exciting succession plans. Professionally, she has 16 years of experience in startups, branding, and event planning around Asia, and currently co-owns and operates two companies: EDEEC, the leading Green and Energy Efficient Building Design consulting firm in Vietnam, and MARKE360, a 4-branch marketing agency in Southeast Asia. Her next startup is an innovative solution for a better world where purpose..

David Archibald General Director  Al Naboodah Group Vietnam  Business Executive Member since 2022 David started his career at 16 by washing cars, he was quickly noticed by Michial Shumate, the owner of a multi-brand car dealership, who became his mentor. This early mentorship set him on the path to becoming an expert in the dealership business. In the early 90s, he began to empathize more with customers, focusing on helping them achieve their desires. Today, he is committed to continuous improvement and delivering smooth, seamless customer experiences. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, his team managed to deliver over 1600 high-performance..

Managing Director CEA Project LogisticsMember Since 2021 Sam Conroy comes from New South Wales in Australia. Sam’s career commenced in logistics at a shop level in various locations around Australia, later he moved into a supervisory role with Linfox Logistics. As a valued member of the Linfox organization, Sam rose to the National Manager role, managing brands such as Kmart, Target and Coles. Sam completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Operations Management during this time and was later transferred to Vietnam in 2009 as Linfox Logistics Operations Director, Vietnam. Sam spent 3 years with Linfox in Vietnam as Operations Director..

General Manager and Digital Delivery Manager Member Since 2023 Anthony Geaitani is an energetic, vision and results-driven leader with extensive experience managing and delivering strategic business and digital transformation programs for financial services, insurance, health, and retail industries, for both Australian and Asia markets.  Anthony is the General Manager of Digital TX, a consultancy in Australia and Vietnam specializing in Business and Digital Transformation. Skilled in problem-solving and navigating challenges, he balances business and technical roles effectively. Actively listen to understand the client’s concerns and needs and ensure a healthy Stakeholder relationship. Naturally strong in networking, and conflict resolution, with..

Hang Dang Managing Director, CBRE Vietnam Member Since 2019 Hang Dang began her career in real estate at Richard Ellis (formerly CBRE) almost five years ago, which marked the beginning of her 26-year career in the industry. In that time, she has occupied leadership positions in various real estate firms, including Vincom Office as Chairwoman, Vincom Retails as Deputy Managing Director, and Cushman & Wakefield Vietnam as Managing Director. Hang's leadership philosophy is, "If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, you have to go together" She describes herself as a strong-willed and..

Lan Phuong Chairwoman, LMP Design Member Since 2019 Lan Phuong has been a member of the Business Executive Network since 2019. Lan Phuong graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City and began her career in the oil and gas industry as well as the real estate market. In 2015, Lan Phuong was awarded the title of Miss Business Vietnam. Today, she is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for LMP Design and through her discovered passion for creating beautiful and valuable homes, hotels, buildings, and office spaces, she aspires..

Chief Operating Officer for HuaLi Industrial Group’s - Nike Division Member Since 2024 Derek Grundy is a 20 year footwear industry executive, serving as Chief Operating Officer for HuaLi Industrial Group’s - Nike Division.  HuaLi is the second largest footwear group in the world and is listed on the Shenzhen exchange.  Derek is currently leading and overseeing the P&L and operations for 5 Vietnam factory locations within the Northern Province of Thanh Hóa with 50k employees, 50M pairs of annual footwear production, and upcoming expansion to India.   Prior to Derek’s 6 years at HuaLi, he spent 10 years at Reebok..

Oversea Director of GIVI Vietnam Co., LTD Member Since 2024 Sixty years of pure energy, of which forty invested in international management experience in motorcycling accessories and clothing manufacturing, oriented particularly in the South East Asian and South American areas. Joseph Perucca has developed these markets, creating production facilities in Malaysia, Brazil, Vietnam, and Indonesia. At his tender age, Joseph contributed in the market expansion of the company in over 15 countries, with over a quarter of his time spent traveling around the world. An indomitable enthusiast for the two-wheels world, and a seasoned and untiring traveler, I strongly believe..

Country Director - Friedrich Naumann Foundation for FreedomMember Since 2021 Andreas Stoffers is Senior Management expert and Country Director at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. With 20 years of hands-on experience in banking, Andreas has dedicated his career to building effective sales organizations, refining sales management strategies, and spearheading strategic project management initiatives. In addition to his managerial prowess, Andreas is passionate about coaching, training, and business development. His focus on these areas during his tenure at Deutsche Bank, particularly in Germany and Southeast Asia, underscores his commitment to professional growth and skill development.Andreas boasts an extensive business network,..

Country Head Cushman & WakefieldMember Since 2024 Trang Bui has been in the real estate market for close to 20 years. Over the course of her career, Trang has held numerous leadership positions with prestigious international property firms before joining Cushman & Wakefield. As the Country Head, Trang Bui is focused on providing real estate services for the local and regional clients in the office, industrial, retail, hospitality and residential sector.  Currently, Cushman & Wakefield is expanding its capacity to emerging alternative assets in the Vietnamese market such as data centers, cold storage, pharmaceutical warehouses, education, and healthcare... At the..

By Selene Alcock CEO Of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam Michele Wee’s Career Trajectory Has Gone From Teenage Model To Model Leader Michele Wee says, “I think we all just need to chill.” A year into her posting, the highly astute and passionate CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam is forthcoming about her life growing up in a “very typical Singaporean family.” Two minutes into our conversation, I am taken aback at her forthrightness, and the ‘atypical’ nature of her formative years. Michele relays her story with an authentic charm that is part poise, part vulnerability, and for the most part,..

Vice President of Operations, ASSA ABLOYMember Since 2023 With a career spanning more than two decades, Alison Astarita brings a wealth of experience to her current role as Vice President of Operations at ASSA ABLOY Group, a global leader in access solutions. Her journey into executive leadership began as a Quality Manager in Malta, where she played a pivotal role in establishing the group’s first manufacturing location and design center in Asia. Subsequently, Alison assumed progressively more challenging roles, including Quality Director for Asia and Director of Industrial Engineering for Gentherm. From winning the Vietnam HR Awards to being recognized..

Managing Partner - Janus Executive Search & Talent AdvisoryMember Since 2023 An Vo currently serves as the Managing Partner for the Asia Pacific Region at Janus Executive Search & Talent Advisory, where she is dedicated to finding the best fit between top-tier talent and leading organizations. Under An’s leadership, Janus has become a leading executive search firm in Vietnam in particular, recognized by ManageHR for being one of the top 10 emerging executive search firms in the APAC region in 2023. An has held other key HR positions in reputed organizations, including being the Vice President of HR, Head of..

CEO - ECO Vietnam Investment Development JSC (ECO VIETNAM) Member Since 2022 Upon graduating in 2005, instead of taking a job offered to her by the government, Huyen jumped on a train to Ho Chi Minh City with the hopes of developing her career. Being born to a military family in Northern Vietnam’s Tuyen Quang province, meant growing up in an army compound with barriers all around the small valley. The valley was lovely, but Huyen always wanted to explore the outside world. She left home at the age of 14 for boarding school in Tuyen Quang town. When the..

CEO David Jackson discusses the “method behind his madness” and his journey to building, then co-owning, real estate giant, Colliers International Vietnam. By Selene Alcock As the Grab bike hurtles along Saigon’s majestic Le Duan boulevard, grey storm clouds gather at the summit of the Deutsches Haus building that looms in the distance. After multiple checks through the Fort Knox-style security, I am ushered into a small meeting room at Colliers International in Vietnam, the commercial real estate company that was part of the consortium awarded project development by the German Government. The building, managed by Colliers, is a first..

General Manager of Industrial - Frasers Property Vietnam Member Since 2023 Chong Chee Keong, also known as CK, currently holds the pivotal position of General Manager of Industrial at Frasers Property Vietnam. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the company's industrial and logistics development within Vietnam's southern market. With a career spanning over two decades, during which he has collaborated with leading consultants and developers in Southeast Asia, CK brings invaluable insights into industrial estate development in Vietnam's dynamic economy. Frasers Property, a multinational investor-developer-manager of real estate products and services across five asset classes — commercial &..

Dame Trang Le is often referred to as Vietnam’s Queen of Fashion, but considering the exceptional Covid-era growth of her company MultiMedia JSC, “Queen of Transformation” may be an even more fitting title. By Michael Arnold The CEO of one of the country’s most successful entertainment production businesses, MultiMedia JSC—and the founder of the prestigious Vietnam International Fashion Week—Dame Trang has led her company from its earliest days as a TV licensing firm through to becoming Vietnam’s most sought-after media platform.  Famous for transforming tall, inexperienced Vietnamese girls into elegant fashion models with international careers, Trang applied the same magic..

Country Director – Marie Stopes InternationalMember Since 2021 After receiving a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Ms. Nguyen began her impressive career in the non-profit organization management sector. With a rich history of 18 years at the helm of Marie Stopes Vietnam, Hang has been instrumental in advancing the mission of MSI Reproductive Choices in the country. Her expertise spans various facets, including general social business management, program design, new business development, corporate social responsibility, family planning, program evaluation, humanitarian efforts, organizational development, and commercial development. Throughout her tenure, Hang has garnered recognition from..

Stephanie Ralainarivo General Director, Santa Fe Relocations Member Since 2019 Born in Madagascar, Stephanie Ralainarivo is happy to call Vietnam her second home. “Home is where your heart is, and my heart is in Antananarivo and Hanoi, even though I currently live in Ho Chi Minh City,” she says. “A friend and mentor, Max Hitchins, called me a people’s person two decades ago and that stuck with me.” Connecting with people and connecting people are her passions, and she has made a career out of it as part of Santa Fe Relocation for almost 15 years, and the last five..

Country Manager - Emirates  Member Since 2024 Over his eight years at Emirates, Majid AL Falasi has amassed considerable expertise in the market understanding of the aviation sector. Known for his skills in relationship building and leadership, he aims to enhance customer experience and revenue at Emirates by expanding routes, boosting passenger and cargo traffic, and fostering partnerships in Vietnam to solidify Emirates’ market dominance. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in Finance & Accounting from Zayed University and a certificate from the Leader’s Training Centre of Emirates, Majid has cultivated strong leadership skills through self-reflec - tion, experiential learning, soliciting..

General Manager and Co-Founder of ASIA EIWA Member Since 2023 Anh Ngo's diverse background includes roles as an ERP Consultant, Sales and Marketing Executive, and HR & GA Manager. With seven years of leadership experience in IT firms in Japan and a further two years serving as Country Manager in Singapore, Anh possesses a deep understanding of the intricacies of the Asian market, with a particular focus on Vietnam, Japan, and Singapore. As General Manager and Co-Founder of ASIA EIWA, Anh guides the company across three core areas:  Start-up Consulting: Guiding foreign IT enterprises through every stage from inception to..

CEO QLM Member Since 2021 Simon Pugh has been involved in the printing industry since he was seven years old and his parents started their family business in Australia. School holidays were jokingly referred to as being sent to the printing mines, but also gave great insight into the work required to create a business. Simon has a keen sense of adventure. Mid-way through the obtention of his law degree, he took off for three and a half years to travel through Canada and Europe and to hitchhike from Morocco to Kenya. His return to university studies were cut short..

From Car Wash to Bike King General Director of Al Naboodah International Vietnam, the principal dealer of big engine bikes such as Harley Davidson and Triumph in Vietnam. By Molly Headley  On your linkedin profile, you mention you got your start at 16-years-old washing cars for a car dealership. This is a common job for a teenager in America, yet, it isn’t so common to go from there to being the General Director of the #1 importer/retailer of major motorcycle brands in Vietnam. Is this the direction that you always saw your life going or did you have a different..

Loan Luong is a cultured professional with over 20 years’ experience within FMCG and specialty store brand distribution. She is a respected leader who is enthusiastic about empowering and motivating her employees. Loan is currently the Managing Director for Aria Cosmetics. With subsidiaries in Vietnam, Dubai, and Malaysia, she supports a comprehensive international operation of 10 high-quality mass-market brands for both female and male consumers that include L’evinia and XXIS. Loan told us that in her spare time she enjoys hosting dinner parties and enjoying good food and wine with her close friends. She also enjoys traveling and playing golf...

Founder & Chairperson - STREETS International Neal Bermas is a global businessperson, hospitality and management consultant, and philanthropist. He is the founder and board chairperson for the social enterprise, Streets International in Hoi An. STREETS provides hospitality training and apprenticing programs to underprivileged youth. He began his career with Ernst & Young in the US as national director of healthcare consulting services. He subsequently held leadership roles at Forbes Vantage Group, Bogner (GMBH) of America, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. His consultancy included work with The Walt Disney Company, Sheraton, Le Méridien Hotels and Vietcombank. He also held faculty positions at NYU, the..

Member since 2019 CEO - GuardRails Andrew is a seasoned entrepreneur who has worked in software engineering and executive leadership roles for the last 17 years. Andrew founded Aversafe in 2017, which is a credential issuance and verification platform. Prior to that, he has been the CTO of Zinio and he co-founded Audience Media. He built the world’s first multi-channel editorial management system for publishers like the New York Times, which reached half a billion people in more than 206 countries. Following his lifelong passion for technology and entrepreneurship, Andrew spends a lot of his time investing in companies and..

Founder and Managing Director - Talent Leadership Crucible (TLC) Asia Member Since 2023 Dr. Ramesh Ramachandra is the Founder and Managing Director of Talent Leadership Crucible (TLC), a consultancy in Singapore specializing in corporate culture transformation and leadership development. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Singapore Management University and an MBA from Monash University. She is also co-founder of Impact Velocity, an aggregator of impact resources and projects on People Development, Planet Renewal, and Prosperity Sharing.   Dr Ramesh’s key expertise is in family business conflict resolution, succession planning, and entrepreneurial leadership development. She is also recognized for empowering..

Country Manager of Imperial Brands PLC Member Since 2024 Nhat currently serves as the Market Manager for Vietnam at Imperial Brands. A strategic, passionate, and creative thinker in the disruptive sales and marketing space, she embodies resilience, adaptability, intuition, and a collaborative spirit. Her key attributes include being personable, trusted, fun, and committed, with a strong emphasis on humility and remembering her roots.   As someone young and new to the position, she prioritizes active listening, continuous learning, and seeking support. She is dedicated to valuing the opinions of her colleagues, particularly those with more experience. Embracing new challenges and..