Standard Chartered Vietnam appoints first Vietnamese CEO

Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam on Friday announced the appointment of Nguyen Thuy Hanh as CEO & head of Banking & Coverage, Vietnam, effective October 1, 2024.

Hanh, with 30 years of experience in the industry, becomes the first homegrown national to hold this senior leadership role at Standard Chartered Vietnam.

Hanh will succeed Michele Wee, who has made significant contributions to the bank during her tenure, the bank said in a statement.

Since joining the bank in 1997, Hanh has been in several leadership positions, including head of Financial Institutions (FI) for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, head of International Corporate and FI, and head of Commercial Banking.

Before this appointment, under Hanh’s leadership as head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) for Vietnam, the CIB business has grown profitably and sustainably, with a strong focus on the bank’s cross-border strategy.

Under Michele’s leadership, Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam worked closely with government bodies to support Vietnam’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Patrick Lee, CEO, Singapore and ASEAN, Standard Chartered Bank, said, “Vietnam is a dynamic and important market for the region and plays a key role in Standard Chartered’s cross-border strategy. We remain optimistic about its long-term development. Our Vietnam franchise has delivered good profitable growth and made huge strides in advancing sustainability and our position as a leading international bank over the last 120 years here.”

Before Hanh, Pham Hong Hai became the first Vietnamese national to be CEO at HSBC Vietnam in December 2014. He left the post in September 2019 to take on a position at HSBC Canada, and quit HSBC in 2023 after 28 years at the bank.

Hai was appointed general director of Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange-listed Orient Commercial JS Bank (OCB) in July.