Vietjet Chairwoman Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao Awarded Vietnam’s Labor Hero Title

Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairwoman of Vietjet, has been conferred the Labor Hero title, one of Vietnam’s highest state honours, in recognition of her sustained contributions to national development and regional economic integration.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Dr. Thao has played a pivotal role in shaping Vietnam’s modern economic landscape across aviation, finance, investment and technology. Her leadership has been defined by a disciplined approach to growth, strong governance frameworks and the strategic adoption of technology aligned with Vietnam’s long-term national and regional priorities.

As the founder and leader of Vietjet, Vietnam’s first private airline, Dr. Thao has transformed air travel accessibility while strengthening Vietnam’s connectivity with major business and tourism hubs across Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Australia and beyond. To date, Vietjet has carried hundreds of millions of passengers, introduced millions of first-time flyers to air travel, and supported cross-border trade, investment and cultural exchange across ASEAN and international markets.

Vietjet’s expansion has also delivered tangible benefits for Singapore, reinforcing air links between Vietnam and one of Southeast Asia’s key financial and commercial centres. These strengthened connections have supported growing demand for business travel, tourism and supply-chain mobility between the two markets.

Beyond aviation, Dr. Thao has been actively involved in tackling complex infrastructure and system-level challenges through technology-driven solutions. Her efforts include driving digital transformation in aviation operations, adopting biometric technologies to enhance passenger processing efficiency, rapidly deploying technology platforms during the Covid-19 pandemic, and stabilising the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange’s trading system at a critical moment for market confidence.

Her international engagement continued to deepen in 2025, with large-scale cooperation agreements signed with global partners. These initiatives have contributed to Vietnam’s trade balance, investment inflows and the rising credibility of Vietnamese enterprises within global financial and governance ecosystems.

Alongside her business leadership, Dr. Thao has remained deeply committed to humanitarian and community initiatives, with a long-standing focus on supporting women, children, students and vulnerable communities. She has consistently emphasised that sustainable economic growth must be grounded in human development and social responsibility.

As Southeast Asia’s first self-made female billionaire, Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao has earned widespread international recognition, including being named to Bloomberg 50, Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, and Business Insider’s 100 People Transforming Business in Asia. She has also been awarded France’s Legion of Honour, the country’s highest civilian distinction, in recognition of her global contributions.