Cover Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
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For Thi Anh Dao, “luck” is not a gift bestowed from above, but the outcome of planting, cultivating and meeting life’s events with courage.
Thi Anh Dao, one of the most notable figures among a new generation of female leaders, is a member of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Women Entrepreneurs (HAWEE) and Marketing Director at Masterise Group, a leading corporation in Vietnam’s real estate sector.
Beyond her corporate role, she is involved in numerous technology and communications initiatives with a humanitarian focus, championing gender balance and sustainable growth. She contributes to business consulting programmes, supports women in start-ups and helps define leadership styles for women in the digital era. At SHE Speaks 2025, Thi Anh Dao shared heartfelt stories and practical insights, adding depth to the discussion on the evolving role of women in an era of change.
Read more: SHE Speaks 2025: A dialogue on creating value with the female leadership community
Adversity as opportunity…
Anh Dao acknowledges that her success today stems from “luck”, though her definition of it is far from conventional. Not wealth or position, but the presence of a strict father. Stern in manner, yet with love embedded in every expectation. “Whatever you do, do it properly”, “One must have courage in life”… these words became the compass that planted in a young girl’s soul the seeds of responsibility and the will to rise. Her father’s hopes became a driving force, urging her to surpass her own limits rather than compete with others.
Above Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
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Her father taught her more than how to be a good person. He taught her to be an “adult”. He encouraged her to think beyond herself, to consider her role in serving the next generation and the country. This mindset shaped her approach to any challenge: not merely for personal gain but for a greater mission. She realised that when a woman embraced a mission of significance, the social prejudices that once bound her seemed to loosen and lose their grip. She stopped worrying about “what people said” and focused on “what she could do”.
Yet there are moments when life compels us to grow through pain. She recalls her father’s passing, which came at the very moment she was starting her own company. Six months of loneliness and disorientation followed, as she faced the void left by the loss of her greatest supporter. Even so, she came to see it as a “blessing”. It was not an ending, but the most profound “rehearsal” of her life. It refined her courage, strengthened her composure, and forced her to confront grief until she could stand on her own. The lessons her father had instilled became the foundation that helped her rise and move forward.
…to create a lucky “ecosystem”
Her second blessing is a strong “supporting system”, particularly from the women around her. While many associate female leadership in the “battlefield” of business with fierce rivalry, Thi Anh Dao sees it differently. To her, “if competition becomes a driving force for shared progress, it is not a problem. The challenge lies in our mindset and the way we perceive one another”.
Read more: SHE Speaks 2025: Meet the connecting and companionship pieces
Above Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
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Anh Dao believes that when people create value and achieve success, they are naturally inclined to share and support others. She calls this a “natural law”, one she has experienced first-hand since the earliest days of her career. “I received a great deal of help from other women. Women instinctively understand the challenges and the invisible pressures that other women face.” This, she feels, forms a solid foundation for viewing one another not as rivals, but as allies. “Women will shift from competition to support when they feel secure enough and truly connected.” It was this conviction that led her to accept, without hesitation, Ms Xuan Lien’s invitation to join the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Women Entrepreneurs (HAWEE).
Grateful for the good fortune of having such a strong “supporting system”, Anh Dao set herself a new mission: to create more of that same luck for the women around her.
Above Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
Speaker Thi Anh Dao, CMO Masterise Group, international real estate ecosystem
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In her leadership role, Thi Anh Dao champions a progressive and humane philosophy: look not at gender, but at personality. “I no longer consider gender, but rather each person’s capacity to contribute, and their character, to guide my approach.” This belief enables her to build teams that are not only balanced in gender but also diverse in talent and temperament, allowing each member to develop their strengths and contribute at their highest potential.
She closed her talk with a resonant message: “Don’t use gender to bargain.” Whether leader or employee, our worth lies in our work, our independence and our ability to lead ourselves. When women take charge of their lives and careers, traits once regarded as “disadvantages” such as sensitivity become strengths. Luck, she concluded, is not a distant gift but something forged from courage, kindness and perseverance.
Above SHE Speaks 2025 forms part of the Front & Female Awards – Tatler Asia’s annual celebration honouring pioneering wome
SHE Speaks 2025 forms part of the Front & Female Awards – Tatler Asia’s annual celebration honouring pioneering wome
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SHE Speaks 2025 forms part of the Front & Female Awards, Tatler Asia’s annual celebration honouring pioneering women. With the theme Women Advancing Women – From Sustainable Roots to Community Aspiration, SHE Speaks 2025 aims to create a forum where trailblazers connect, broaden perspectives, share their journeys and inspire growth. In doing so, it seeks to empower women to support one another in reaching new heights with steadiness, intention and courage.
