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This year’s Front & Female 2025 Business Leader honourees are proof that businesswomen are driving wide-reaching progress in equality, sustainability, and community development.
It’s often said that women are competitive and disconnected. But in truth, when women are truly empowered and lead collectively, they don’t just uplift each other, they transform the playing field. In today’s challenging business landscape, an increasing number of women leaders are showing that resilience, vision and determination are forces capable of creating lasting change.
In the Business Leader Award category, the Front & Female 2025 honours recognise individuals who have played a pivotal role in advancing women’s participation in the business world. These women are more than managers; they are ecosystem builders, expanding the scope of opportunity for others. This year’s shortlist highlights three outstanding figures working across technology, human resources, and sustainable business development.
Dinh Thi Thu Hoai – Shaping the future of female leadership
Dinh Thi Thu Hoai stands out as a defining figure among the generation of female leaders committed to championing gender equality in Vietnam. As Executive Director of the Vietnam Business Network for Women’s Empowerment (VBCWE) and Vice President of the Hanoi Business Women Association (HNEW), she not only supports companies in building equitable workplaces, but also helps shape a future in which women are valued for their true capabilities.
For her, investing in women is not merely about fairness but a strategic choice for sustainable growth. Women, she believes, are half of the organisation’s most vital assets: contributors of value and loyalty. Under her leadership, VBCWE has become a key partner to major firms such as Deloitte Vietnam, Alphanam, Traphaco, EVN, and EVNGENCO 3, guiding them to achieve EDGE certification on gender equality. These efforts have helped improve productivity, reduce staff turnover and increase employee satisfaction, setting a standard for people-centric, sustainable development.
She rarely speaks of “inspiration”, preferring instead to act quietly but decisively, offering practical support and leading by example within Vietnam’s entrepreneurial community. As Vice President of HNEW, she has encouraged a spirit of initiative, urging women to seize opportunities and define their own leadership in a fast-evolving business world. To her, empowering women goes beyond opportunity: it is about nurturing a new generation of leaders who listen, connect, and create lasting social value.
Nguyen Thi Kieu Quyen – Leading the way to innovation
Front & Female 2025 honouree Nguyen Thi Kieu Quyen is a prominent figure in Vietnam’s tech landscape. With a background in economics and foreign languages, she took a bold step into a male-dominated field—and steadily proved her leadership through vision, persistence and a firm belief in the power of innovation.
Under her guidance, SHAREWORK has seen remarkable growth, expanding from just four employees in 2018 to nearly 100 within two years. The company has delivered more than 200 projects across 15 countries, serving sectors ranging from manufacturing and healthcare to finance, real estate, and education.
Read more: Standard Chartered champions inclusive leadership and gender equality in Vietnam
Above CEO Kieu Quyen attends the Switzerland—Vietnam Economic Forum 2025 (photo: SHAREWORK)
CEO Kieu Quyen attends the Switzerland—Vietnam Economic Forum 2025 (photo: SHAREWORK)
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At an industry level, she serves as Vice President of the VNITO Alliance, supporting over 150 Vietnamese digital enterprises and fostering global partnerships. Her efforts include launching a VNITO office in Japan and, notably, signing a cooperation agreement between SHAREWORK and OCEAN USA in March 2025. The partnership opens a pathway to exporting high-tech talent to the United States—elevating Vietnamese engineers internationally and creating hundreds of job opportunities for young professionals.
On the global stage, Ms Kieu Quyen was appointed Ambassador of Women in Tech Vietnam in June 2023. The non-profit organisation, endorsed by French President Emmanuel Macron, counts over 200,000 members across 30 countries. Her appointment not only recognises her leadership, but also marks a new chapter of meaningful action: broadening access to tech careers for young people in rural areas, while advancing women’s inclusion in a still male-dominated sector.
Tieu Yen Trinh – Leadership connects people and values
Tieu Yen Trinh is a pioneering figure in Vietnam’s human resources and talent development sector. Her leadership blends sharp business acumen with a deep-rooted belief that human development lies at the heart of any thriving enterprise.
As General Director of Talentnet Joint Stock Company, this Front & Female 2025 honouree has guided the firm from its early days of separating from PwC in 2007 into one of Vietnam’s premier human resources consultancies. Today, Talentnet employs over 300 people and serves thousands of businesses, both local and international. Speaking at The Makeover Conference in 2024, she noted that 41% of Vietnamese enterprises had already begun the restructuring process; clear evidence of the impact of ongoing consultancy and improved operational standards.
Read more: SHE Speaks 2025: Dialogue from sustainable roots to community aspirations
Beyond business growth, Ms Trinh has helped shape a professional and globally integrated HR consulting market. She has forged key partnerships with international players such as Mercer and ADP Streamline. Under her stewardship, Talentnet has become more than a strategic advisor: it is now a trusted partner in organisational transformation, enhancing employee experience and strengthening competitiveness across Vietnam’s business landscape.
Above Ms Tieu Yen Trinh gives the opening speech at HR Award 2020
Ms Tieu Yen Trinh gives the opening speech at HR Award 2020
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As a community leader, Ms Trinh also serves as Vice President of both the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Women Entrepreneurs (HAWEE) and the Vietnam Human Resources Club (VNHR). In these roles, she continues to advocate for gender equality and sustainable development in the corporate world. To her, a truly ideal workplace is not just a space to nurture talent, but also one that ensures fairness, where every individual, especially women, has the chance to rise and be heard. She embodies a leadership style that is at once strategic and unwavering in its commitment to community. And she holds firm in her belief: when women are empowered, they not only shape their own futures but also unlock opportunities for generations to come. With a human-centred vision and remarkable ability to connect people, Tieu Yen Trinh is an enduring source of inspiration not only for the business community, but for the wider HR industry as well.
Above Tieu Yen Trinh is an enduring source of inspiration not only for the business community, but for the wider HR industry as well (photo: Tatler Asia)
Tieu Yen Trinh is an enduring source of inspiration not only for the business community, but for the wider HR industry as well (photo: Tatler Asia)
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From strategic foresight to tireless effort, each woman featured in the Business Leader Award category is not only steering her business towards success, but also setting a new benchmark in leadership: one that is humane, sustainable and inspiring. To discover which names will be honoured in this year’s Business Leader Award, join Tatler Vietnam – Nha Tap Tinh Hoa as we look ahead to the Front & Female 2025 ceremony on 22 August.
About Front & Female Awards 2025
Launched in March, Front & Female is an award that celebrates and recognises women who are creating positive change and driving progress for women across sectors. By spotlighting impactful initiatives and milestone achievements, the awards honour the voices shaping tomorrow’s leadership, while igniting conversation and inspiring communities.
