Mr. Marcel van Miert, Executive Chairman of Vietnam Australia International School, tells VET of his appreciation of Vietnamese women and their strengths in integrating into the global economy.

How would you comment on the role of women leaders in Vietnam’s digital economic development?

Having worked with Vietnamese colleagues for more than five years, I have found that Vietnamese businesswomen are equal to men when entering the market economy and the tech industry is no exception. Technological solutions and smart applications help Vietnamese women more easily overcome barriers and become managers and executives in local or multinational tech corporations in Vietnam such as FPT, Microsoft, and Facebook.

I very much appreciate their positive contributions in applying the world’s most advanced technology platforms in Vietnam, creating high economic value, sustainable development, and human resources training, especially so in the education sector, in which I am directly involved.

What are Vietnamese businesswomen’s strengths and advantages? What should they do in the context of global economic integration?

Technology is easily accessible to all, and the greatest advantage for Vietnamese women, for me, is the opportunity for them to access technology. I also found that Vietnamese businesswomen have an aptitude for learning, are highly adaptable, and possess a superb sense of leadership and very good human resource management skills. These are values that create identities and make it easier for them to integrate into the global economy

What challenges are Vietnamese businesswomen facing in the digital era?

In my opinion, the digital era is not just the present but the future. New technologies and new devices will bring true revolutions in many aspects of society. And all of us, especially businesswomen with sensitivity and adaptability, will see new opportunities and create potential from these changes.

However, technology will also change markets, consumers, and business many times faster than before. Things that are new today can become old tomorrow. Therefore, keeping pace with market changes or leading innovation is a huge challenge. At the same time, it could be very hard to protect the core identities of society and companies in the disruptive and increasingly demanding market.

What skills should Vietnamese businesswomen master to take full advantage of digital technologies and successfully run their own enterprises in the country’s fiercely competitive environment?

Considering the challenges above, I think that flexibility, passion, and commitment as well as their ability to learn are major strengths. They can build and develop teams with those qualities. Thus, businesses will more easily adapt and face these new changes. Therefore, I would say that focusing on the human aspect of implementing and adapting to technology should remain their focus in leading the change and digital transformation that is important for the company.

What policies should the Vietnamese Government adopt to encourage Vietnamese women’s entrepreneurship and leadership and contribute more to national economic development?

I can see that Vietnamese businesswomen are increasingly contributing to the overall development of the economy. They are very much involved in entrepreneurship, leadership and management, and I have been very impressed by their abilities and contributions.

I hope that all of society will focus on them more with practical actions such as investment, training, and cooperation, so that they can achieve and contribute more to Vietnam’s society and economy. but most important to ensure that we tell all our children, whether boys or girls, that they are equal and the world is theirs to make better.

VN Economic Times