Women at the helm of businesses
The determination, acumen and compassion of many Hai Phong women have helped them establish their position in the business world.
Determination in the business world
From a sales assistant to the head of a trading company, Nguyen Bich Hoa, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and General Director of Minh Khai Trading JSC in Hong Bang Ward, Hai Phong City has spent more than half a century in the profession, demonstrating perseverance and the ability to adapt to market changes.
Hoa began working at An Duong-Le Chan Store in December 1973 and held various positions, from sales and accounting to management. When Minh Khai Trading Company transitioned to a joint-stock model in 2003, Hoa and the management team modernized corporate governance and expanded operations from wholesale and retail to logistics and import-export activities.
Minh Khai has gradually expanded its markets to Japan, South Korea and several ASEAN countries while applying technology to warehouse management, sales and supply chain organization.
While Hoa developed her career alongside changes in the trading sector, Dinh Thi Thuy Trang, owner of the Karoll fashion brand in Le Thanh Nghi Ward, entered business after a difficult career decision. After 18 years in teaching, Trang decided to leave her job in 2022 to develop her own fashion brand.
Starting by purchasing ready-made clothing for resale, she gradually built Karoll into a brand encompassing design, production and distribution, using social media and e-commerce to reach customers.
In another sector, Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, Director of 2S Clean Grocery Co., Ltd. in An Hai Ward, has worked with her team to expand product lines, upgrade warehouse facilities and improve service quality. In 2025, the company generated more than VND 45.7 billion in revenue and provided jobs for 20 employees, with an average monthly income of approximately VND 10 million per person.
Success goes hand in hand with sharing
For many women entrepreneurs, joy comes not only from winning new contracts or increasing revenue. It also comes from seeing employees enjoy stable jobs, helping families in difficult circumstances and bringing care to children lacking affection.
With 25 years of experience in business, Pham Thi Ha, Director of Minh Anh Trading One-Member Co., Ltd. in Viet Hoa Ward and Vice Chairwoman of the Hai Phong Women Entrepreneurs Association, has consistently prioritized employee welfare. Her company employs 23 people, with average monthly incomes of VND 7 – 8 million, and provides insurance benefits, a 13th-month salary bonus and support for employees' well-being.
From 2020 to 2025, Ha and her company, together with relevant units, contributed nearly VND 10 billion to charitable activities, support for poor people, disease prevention and control, and recovery from natural disasters.
Similarly, Nguyen Thi Hai Yen demonstrates her sense of community responsibility by caring for people in difficult circumstances. She sponsors three orphaned children and has supported the rebuilding of a home for a family consisting of a grandmother and three grandchildren. Beyond financial assistance, she takes the children for dental checkups and on summer holidays with her family, bringing them joy and care in their daily lives.
At Minh Khai Trading JSC, Nguyen Bich Hoa and her team maintain a range of social welfare activities. Through the “Godmother” program, she sponsors 32 orphans and disadvantaged children with an annual budget of VND 192 million. The company has also provided support for 100 victims of Agent Orange since 2006.
At a program celebrating Vietnamese Entrepreneurs' Day and Vietnamese Women's Day in early October, Chairman of the City People's Committee Do Thanh Trung acknowledged the contributions of women entrepreneurs to the city's development.
Trung affirmed that the city always accompanies businesses and creates favorable conditions for their growth through policies covering production premises, trade promotion and market expansion.
HA KIEN