“It’s never too late to upgrade yourself” – Founding Student of the MBA program, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn
August 18, 2025
Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Nhàn, Founder of An Nam Thịnh Vượng Group, Wonder Academy, and TravelTo, is one of the founding students of the MBA in Innovation and Artificial Intelligence program at VinUniversity. Having spent more than 15 years in the fields of finance and business, and having held multiple leadership roles in major corporations, she shares:
“Success doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from continuously learning, constantly adapting, and never being satisfied with the current version of yourself.”
Let’s explore her journey of pushing past personal limits, and the motivation behind her decision to continue investing in postgraduate education.
A UNIQUE JOURNEY SHAPED BY DIFFERENCE
For many young professionals, holding leadership roles in large corporations may be the ultimate goal. But for me, those were never destinations but only temporary stops on a lifelong journey of growth.
I believe what sets me apart is my perseverance, ability to learn quickly, and constant willingness to adapt when the market changes. I’m not afraid to venture into new industries from finance, hospitality, tourism, to electric vehicles and green technology. Every time I switch industries, I start over, relearning everything from product knowledge to user behavior. This flexibility has helped me build teams, develop markets, and achieve significant growth milestones in every organization I’ve been part of.
A MEMORABLE MILESTONE IN 15 YEARS OF HER CAREER
If I had to pick one, it would be the time I restructured the entire business strategy for a large corporation during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when numbers were dropping rapidly, market confidence was shaken, and teams were getting exhausted.
In that moment, the toughest challenge wasn’t about financial reports or revenue. It was about inspiring people, sustaining leadership spirit, and re-energizing the entire system. That was also when I realized: even deep financial expertise is not enough if you don’t understand people, can’t adapt, or fail to reframe your leadership mindset.
LEADING HERSELF BEYOND LIMITS
I once thought I didn’t need further education because after all, I already had an international master’s degree and nearly two decades of real-world experience. But the higher I climbed, the more I realized: leadership thinking needs to be renewed, not just to adapt, but to lead.
The MBA program at VinUniversity gave me exactly that: not just new knowledge, but a better way to make decisions in complex environments. I learned how to integrate data, technology, people, and strategy in a systematic, in-depth way.
3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE MBA PROGRAM AT VINUNIVERSITY
Innovative – Practical – Multidimensional
- Innovative, from the way courses are designed to the constantly updated market-driven case studies.
- Practical, as everything I learn can be applied directly in my businesses, from financial restructuring to strategic product development modeling.
- Multidimensional, because I gain perspectives from international professors and classmates across many fields, an invaluable resource for any leader.
THE MOST “WORTHWHILE” PART
It’s the fact that I can immediately apply everything I learn in class to the real operations of my three companies. One clear example is a long-term financial planning project that I recently used to adjust our company’s international expansion strategy.
The result wasn’t just cost efficiency, it was improved decision-making, thanks to structured systems rather than instinct.
PROFESSORS, CLASSMATES – MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS
I have studied in many different environments before, but at VinUniversity, I was especially impressed by not only highly knowledgeable, but also incredibly practical faculty. The professors don’t just teach theory, they consistently challenge us: “How will you apply this to your actual work?” That’s what helped me learn deeply and retain knowledge effectively.
In addition, studying alongside classmates from technology, healthcare to transportation brought incredibly fresh perspectives. Some classmates were 10 years younger than I am, but amazed me with their creativity. Others had similar seniority, but brought completely different mindsets shaped by their own industries.
A MEMORABLE MOMENT
That was definitely the group presentation where my entire team decided to simulate a real product model, build a market scenario, and even produce a video simulating user behavior. The atmosphere in the classroom at that time felt just like a real fundraising pitch full of creativity, strategy, and fiery energy.
The MBA at VinUniversity is not a “degree”, it is a “transformational journey” where I learned how to think like a new-generation leader in a new era. And I believe that anyone, no matter where they are on their career path, deserves the chance to learn again, to begin a new journey of growth.
More about MBA in Innovation and Artificial Intelligence program at VinUniversity:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Zalo/Hotline: 0978 549 846
