(VOV) – Two Vietnamese entrepreneurs have been recognized by Forbes as among the top 50 powerful businesswomen in Asia.
In its fourth annual Asia’s Power Businesswomen it named Mai Kieu Lien, chairman and CEO of Vinamilk and Thai Huong, president of TH Group as leaders who are driving change in their industries.
Vinamilk is one of the best-known brands in Vietnam. According to research firm Nielsen, the company has 51% of the liquid milk market shares. Its revenue jumped 14% in 2014 to US$1.7 billion, supported by two new factories.
Mai Kieu Lien, chairman and CEO of Vinamilk
Ms Kieu Lien aims to push sales to US$3 billion by 2017 by expanding overseas.
At present,Vinamilk exports to 30 countries and is trying to sell more to the Middle East, Africa and Cuba. however, the largest dairy producer faces challenges as profit last year was flat due to the price of raw materials—largely imported milk powder—went up.
In 2009, Ms Thai Huong entered the milk business, vowing to change the nature of the industry in Vietnam, which has mainly used powder to produce liquid milk. Since then, her TH Group has invested US$450 million to import and raise cows to produce fresh milk products, using Israeli technology.
President of TH Group
It has 40,000 cows on 8,100 hectares but plans to raise its total land to 37,000 hectares. TH Group, majority owned by Thai Huong, estimates its revenue exceeded $200 million in 2014 with a one-third share of the fresh-milk market, a challenge to the country’s biggest milk producer, Vinamilk, chaired by Mai Kieu Lien.
Thai Huong got into business in 1994—she founded and remains chairman of BAC A Bank, an important source of funding for her ventures.
Đăng ký: VietNam News