From left Nguyen Hoa Binh, Nguyen Dang Quang, Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh, Nguyen Van Dat

The survey by the local newspaper VnExpress and VnDirect Securities Company has shown an interesting thing: the businessmen with “Nguyen” last name seem to be more easily succeeded than the businessmen with other family names.

The survey conducted on the listed companies on both the Hanoi Stock Exchange and HCM City Stock Exchange has found that some 700 businessmen hold the post of Presidents of listed companies and they bear 60 different family names.

Of the businessmen, the ones with the family names of “Nguyen”, “Tran”, “Le”, “Pham”, account for 50 percent.

Amounting to approximately 32 percent of the businessmen holding the post of the chair of the board of directors, Nguyen businessmen now possess the biggest listed companies in the stock market.

Nguyen Dang Quang, for example, is the Chair of Masan, one of the biggest consumer goods manufacturers. Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh is the Chair and CEO of the Refrigeration Engineering Enterprise (REE). Nguyen Van Dat, Chair of the Phat Dat Real Estate Corporation, is one of the 10 richest Vietnamese stock millionaires. Nguyen Hoa Binh is the Chair of Vietcombank, one of the biggest commercial banks in Vietnam.

About 70 “Tran” people, or 10 percent, are leading listed enterprises, which shows that the people with Tran family names are also the outstanding businessmen.

Tran Bac Ha from the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), Tran Hung Huy from ACB Bank, Tran Dinh Long from Hoa Phat Group, Tran Kim Thanh from Kinh Do sweets group are the most typical examples.

Besides, the names of Tran Xuan Kien from Tran Anh Digital World, a high technology product distribution chain, Tran Ba Phuc from NTP, a plastics company, are also the well known names.

“Le” families provide 8 percent of the businessmen who hold the post of chair of the board of directors of listed companies. They include Le Huu Duc from the Military Bank, Le Hung Dung from Eximbank, Le Quang Binh from Bao Viet, Le Phuoc Vu from Hoa Sen Group, Le Vinh Son from Son Ha International, Le Van Quang from Minh Phu Seacooking Group and Le Vu Hoang from CII, a technical infrastructure investment company.

Pham families have provided 50 outstanding businessmen. Pham Thi Viet Nga, Chair of Hau Giang Pharmacy, has been well known for turning a company on the verge of bankruptcy into a big pharmacy firm which now makes out hundreds of medicine products.

Pham Nhat Vuong, Chair of Vingroup, a real estate group, is also a famous businessman, whose name has been found in the Forbes’ list of the world’s richest millionaires.

It seems that many “Pham” businessmen relate to the finance and banking  sector. These include Pham Huy Hung, Chair of Vietinbank, Pham Huu Phu of Sacombank, Pham Minh Huong of VnDirect Securities Company.

A sociology report showed that the people with “Nguyen” family name accounts for 38 percent of total Vietnamese people. Meanwhile, “Tran” people account for 12 percent, Le 9.5 percent and Pham 7 percent.

Therefore, Nguyen Van Thinh, a well-known sociologist, said it is not a surprise at all if many “Nguyen” businessmen are the high ranking leaders of enterprises.

However, “Le” and “Do” businessmen are the ones who best run their businesses. The number of unprofitable businesses run by Le and Do businessmen just accounts for 14 percent of profitable businesses.

Vietnamnet