Chairwoman of VietJet Airlines
A pioneering entrepreneur, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao made history as Southeast Asia’s first self-made female billionaire, transforming VietJet Air into one of the region’s most dynamic airlines
Madam Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao was born into a family originally from Hanoi. At the age of 17, she received a scholarship to study Finance in the Soviet Union, achieving outstanding academic results. Starting in her second year of university, she began trading electronics and agricultural products from Asia to Eastern Europe, earning her first one million USD when she was just 21 years old.
In 2011, Madam Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao officially became the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vietjet Air. Under her astute leadership, the Vietnamese low-cost carrier experienced phenomenal growth. By 2019, Vietjet had become the market leader in Vietnam's aviation sector, commanding a significant 41.2% market share.
In addition to leading Vietjet Air, Madam Phuong Thao is the driving force behind the substantial development of Sovico Holdings, a multi-sector conglomerate with diverse businesses in real estate, aviation, banking/finance, and power/energy. According to the group's 2023 financial report, Sovico Group's total assets were recorded at VND 187,406 billion at the end of 2023, placing it among Vietnam's top multi-industry corporations. Madam Phuong Thao and her husband, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, are also the founders of Techcombank and VIB, and she concurrently holds several other key positions, including Permanent Vice Chairman of HDBank and Chairwoman of Phu Long Real Estate Company, among others.
Impacted Industries
Finance & Venture Capital
Transportation & Logistics
