Brian Jeffrey
Vietnam’s banking industry features a unique concentration of leadership, with two chairmen and three CEOs sharing their birth year in the Year of the Snake. Notably, three of these executives are celebrating their 60th birthdays this year, and three are graduates of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
The individuals listed as born in the Year of the Snake come from the years 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, and similar years. Among the top leaders in this sector, two serve as chairmen while three lead as CEOs.
This year, three key figures are turning 60, all born in 1965, the Year of the Wood Snake: Trinh Van Tuan (Chairman of OCB), Le Quoc Long (CEO of SeABank), and Han Ngoc Vu (CEO of VIB). The two other leaders are Do Minh Phu (Chairman of TPBank), born in 1953 (the Water Snake) and currently 72 years old, and Nguyen Hoang Linh (CEO of MSB), born in 1977 (the Fire Snake) and 48 years old.
Do Minh Phu, born on September 11, 1953, in Hanoi, graduated in radio engineering from Hanoi University of Science and Technology. He has been the Chairman of TPBank since 2013 and is also recognized as the founder of Doji Gold & Gems Group, where he currently leads as Chairman of the Founding Council.
TPBank started operations in 2008, and Doji Group began its restructuring role in 2012 when the bank faced difficulties. Phu was later honored with a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister in 2013 for his role in revitalizing the bank as part of the financial sector reform program.
Before his current position, Phu held the roles of Chairman and CEO of Doji from 2007 to 2018. Due to a 2017 law prohibiting individuals from holding concurrent leadership roles in banks and non-financial firms, he stepped down from direct management at Doji but continues as Chairman of its Founding Council.
Although Phu does not personally hold shares in TPBank, his children collectively own around VND 1 trillion in bank shares. His younger brother, Do Anh Tu, and other family members also have substantial shareholdings in the bank.
Trinh Van Tuan, born in 1965 in Ninh Binh, holds an engineering degree from Hanoi University of Science and Technology and has extensive experience in the banking sector.
In 2010, he joined Orient Commercial Bank (OCB) and significantly remodeled the organization, driving its growth. From 2015 to 2020, OCB saw profits soar from VND 267 billion to nearly VND 4.5 trillion, while also reducing bad debts to just 1.42%. During this period, the bank became one of the top 10 most profitable banks in Vietnam.
Tuan has held the Chairmanship of OCB since May 2012, after serving as Vice Chairman and CEO for one year.
Previously, he was involved with Vietnam International Securities (VIS) from 2006 to 2010 and served as Chairman of Vietnam International Bank (VIB) between 2003 and 2008. He was also a founding member of VIB from 1996 until 2010.
Having lived in Poland, Tuan successfully ventured into entrepreneurship, focusing on textile and clothing imports from Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
According to OCB shareholder records, 20 shareholders own 81% of the bank’s charter capital, including Tuan with 4.43% and his wife with 3.213%. Their daughters also hold stakes in the bank, bringing their family’s total share value to over VND 4 trillion.
Han Ngoc Vu was born on May 19, 1965, in Hanoi. He began his tenure with VIB as CEO in late 2006, transitioning to the role of Chairman from 2008 to 2013, before being reinstated as CEO in 2013, a position he continues to hold.
Vu has occupied several important positions prior to VIB, including Head of Corporate Banking at Citigroup Vietnam and various directorial roles at Credit Lyonnais Vietnam and Calyon Bank.
Under his leadership, VIB has significantly advanced, becoming one of Vietnam’s top retail banking institutions, achieving notable profitability and market shares in several sectors.
He owns over 5.4 million VIB shares, accounting for 0.183% of the bank’s charter capital, valued at more than VND 100 billion.
Moreover, Vu is a significant stakeholder in several companies, such as ATV Vietnam Investment and Business Development Consulting Co. and Vietnam Silicon Valley Accelerator.
Le Quoc Long, born in 1965, graduated in finance and accounting from Hanoi University of Finance and Accounting, along with a law degree from Hanoi Law University. With over three decades of experience in Vietnam’s banking sector, he was appointed as Deputy CEO of SeABank in 2005, focusing on credit and risk management.
Throughout his extensive career, Long has held numerous key management roles in various domains, including payments and regional operations. He became Acting CEO on August 1, 2023, and officially took on the role on November 24, 2023.
Nguyen Hoang Linh, born in 1977, is also a graduate of Hanoi University of Science and Technology. He began his career at MSB in 1998 and progressed through several leadership roles, ultimately becoming CEO in March 2020. Since September 2020, he’s served as a board member for MSB.
Linh has experience in various executive roles across other financial institutions, including CEO of PVcomBank and acting CEO at both Viet A Bank and Western Bank.
