[Events] Industry leaders gather in Ho Chi Minh City to drive business growth through Inclusive Leadership

On March 25, 2026, Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CEEC) and Women in Tech®Vietnam co-hosted the seminar “Women in Business: Building Inclusive Leadership for Growth.” Held at Friendship Tower, the event brought together diplomats, corporate executives, business leaders, experts, and professionals to explore how inclusive workplace cultures and stronger leadership pipelines directly impact business performance in Vietnam.

The seminar discussed the challenge of supporting talented women to continue growing into leadership roles, especially at the mid-career stage where many face barriers that slow down their career progression. Participants highlighted several key issues, including the gap between companies’ diversity commitments and real actions, limited opportunities for women to gain visibility as future leaders due to cultural expectations, and the pressure many women face in balancing professional responsibilities with family and social roles.

In the opening remark, Ms. Amalia GOUX, Managing Partner of THRIVE Customer Experience Strategy , CEEC Board Member, highlighted the growing importance of inclusive leadership as a strategic priority for organizations operating in a rapidly evolving global economy. She emphasized that diversity and inclusion are no longer optional initiatives, but essential drivers of innovation, resilience, and long-term business competitiveness.

✨ Data-Driven ROI of Inclusivity ✨

Ms. Tatiana Masalska - Laska, Chief Experience Officer at TGM Research earch, delivered a keynote highlighting that while Vietnam ranks 25th globally in Economic Participation and Opportunity, women remain underrepresented in senior roles. Her data emphasized that gender equality is a powerful economic driver, linked to increased productivity, enhanced collaboration, and improved organizational dedication.

✨ Practical Strategies for Retention and Belonging ✨

The program featured two high-level panel discussions:

Panel 1: From theory to practice: How to Stop Losing Your Best Women at Mid-Career – Moderated by Ms. Annie Dubé, Consul General of Canada to Ho Chi Minh City, this session explored actionable ways to retain women at mid-career. Panelists are Women in Tech®Vietnam's Advisors including Ms. Michele W.(Founder & CEO of Who Says I Can’t, former CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam), Ms. Khổng Loan (Advisor on Leadership Visibility; Founder and Coach at Leadership Visibility Lab.), and Ms. Hương Hồ (Vice President of the C100 Science Entrepreneurs Community and former CEO of VinFast EU). Experts noted that despite strong organizational commitments to diversity and inclusion, many companies continue to face gaps between strategy and implementation. Barriers such as limited visibility opportunities, cultural expectations, internal confidence challenges, and lack of sponsorship continue to impact women’s advancement into leadership roles. Organizations are encouraged to integrate inclusion goals into leadership performance metrics, establish sponsorship programs, and create flexible working environments that enable employees to balance professional and personal responsibilities effectively.

Panel 2: Belonging for All: Recognition, Benefits and Culture Without “Us vs Them”– Moderated by Ms. Alexandra Smith, British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, the panel featured Truyen Nguyen (Chief Representative of Raiffeisen Bank International in Vietnam), Sarah Galeski (Counsel at Tilleke & Gibbins), An Mai (Advisor of Women In Tech Vietnam, President of ITD Group & IMT Solutions ons), and Phu Nguyen Thi Trong (Founder & Chairwoman of Affina ). Speakers discussed how organizations can create inclusive cultures that benefit both men and women, while avoiding divisions or bias. Key factors include fair recognition practices, equitable benefits, and leadership approaches that help employees feel valued, respected, and included within their teams.

Case Study: From Policy to Performance

Mr. Paul Huynh, Global People COO at KPMG Vietnam , presented a practical case study showing that intentional inclusion policies lead to measurable results. In Vietnam, KPMG has achieved a 45% female ratio at the Partner level - significantly higher than the global average of 24.5% - demonstrating that diversity is a core driver of client satisfaction and employee engagement.

The event concluded with an interactive workshop on EQ in Leadership led by Ms. Ngan Tran , Founder and CEO of The New Leaders , focusing on the neuroscience of emotion and assertive communication to foster trust within teams.

Ms. Quyen Nguyen, Founder and CEO of SHAREWORK CORP., Country Director of Women in Tech®Vietnam & Chairwoman of Women Tech Entrepreneurs , delivered the closing remarks, encouraging organizations to transform ideas into meaningful actions that promote accountability and foster truly inclusive workplaces.

The event was supported by co-hosting organizations including EuroCham Vietnam; NordCham Vietnam, Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (SCCV), Dutch Business Association Vietnam DBAV 🇳🇱, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Vietnam and Women Tech Entrepreneurs.

Special thanks to generous sponsors: Friendship Tower, Lacàph Coffees of Việt Nam, Emaroma, Jimmy’s New York Pizza, Paris Brest, Vinoteka Co Ltd, CarePlus International Clinics, IMT Solutions, SHAREWORK CORP, Dan-D Foods, Ltd., and Marou - Faiseurs de Chocolat.

Through initiatives such as this seminar, Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CEEC) and Women in Tech®Vietnam continues to promote dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among organizations committed to empowering women and fostering inclusive workplace cultures.

As Vietnam continues to strengthen its position in the global economy, inclusive leadership is increasingly recognized as a key driver of innovation, resilience, and long-term business success.

📸 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UiiBXPgqD16Kjw3NY2YXmDuOePspLIw8

About CEEC

The Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (CEEC) is an independent non-profit organisation. Our main goal is to support CEE backed companies which are already active in Vietnam, strengthen the CEE related business community in Vietnam, connect local businesses with CEE, and advise new entrants on the challenges in this  market.

All 15 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia) share decades of excellent diplomatic and friendship relations with Vietnam, and a rich geographical, cultural and historical background among each other. CEEC founders draw on a strong industry expertise ranging from manufacturing, hospitality, education, to trading etc. and are well established to provide tailored services, answer special needs of CEE backed countries, and further strengthen diplomatic relations.

Website: https://ceecvn.org/

Media Contact: Mr. Bao Nguyen, Community Coordinator of CEEC

About Women in Tech Vietnam

Women In Tech Vietnam is the national chapter of the global Women in Tech® Global, which spans 65+ countries and aims to foster inclusion, skills development, and leadership opportunities for women in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM).

Women in Tech Vietnam brings together professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and allies who share a common vision: to support women in building successful careers in STEM and digital fields. Through community initiatives, events, and partnerships, the organization aims to create a more inclusive and innovative technology ecosystem in Vietnam and beyond.

Website: https://women-in-tech.org/women-in-tech-vietnam/

Media Contact: Ms. Nga Nguyen, Operations Director of Women In Tech Vietnam