VIR's Editor-in-Chief

General Director, Department of Industrial and Services Economy, Ministry of Planning and Investment

Director of the Inland Waterways Administration, Ministry of Transport

Deputy Director - General, Agency of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade

Tran Thanh Hai joined the public sector in 1996. He was involved deeply in the economic integration process of Viet Nam. He is also an activist in information technology, e-commerce and logistics. From 2012 up to now, he is a Deputy Director-General, Agency of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Tran Thanh Hai is the author of a series of books on economic integration, many of which were reprinted, such as Dictionary on ASEAN, Questions and Answers on ASEAN Economic Cooperation, Questions and Answers on WTO. He also writes a lot of articles on economic integration, information technology, public policy and logistics. His latest publication was Questions and Answers on Logistics (9th edition).

Tran Thanh Hai acquires two bachelor degrees from Ha Noi National University and the Foreign Trade University. He obtained the degree of Master in Public Management in Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore in 2003.

At present, he is a strong advocate for logistics service development in Viet Nam. He is the main proponent of the National Action Plan on Logistics Service Development of Viet Nam that was approved by the Prime Minister in the Decision 200/QĐ-TTg at 14 February 2017, modified in in the Decision 221/QĐ-TTg at 22 February 2021. He initiates lots of activities for expanding public awareness, training of logistics and leads a group of experts to compile the annual Viet Nam Logistics Report. He is the Honorary Chairman of Viet Nam Logistics Manpower Development Association.

CEO, Vietnam SuperPort™

The Vietnam SuperPort™ is the largest logistics multimodal infrastructure project with a planned area of more than 83 ha, equipped with cargo terminals, warehouses and dry ports in Vietnam. It is spearheaded by YCH Group, Singapore’s largest home-grown logistics and supply chain solutions company.

Yap Kwong Weng is the CEO of Vietnam SuperPort™, a joint venture of YCH Group and Vietnamese Conglomerate T&T Group. He was previously Head of Transformation in Sembcorp industries, a leading renewables player and an established industrial and urban solutions provider in Asia. He led the development of Sembcorp’s urban business, focusing on its industrial park strategy and sustainable development.

Prior to Sembcorp, Kwong Weng held business consulting roles in KPMG and Ernst & Young as an Executive Director, and set up the KPMG-A*STAR joint lab, a first in professional services. In industry, he held management positions in Southeast Asia, co-founded a tech/crypto travel start-up in Vietnam and led the development of a strategic seaport in Myanmar when it first opened up. Earlier in his career, Kwong Weng served as a commando officer for over a decade where he also graduated from the grueling US Navy SEAL training course in San Diego.

Kwong Weng was named as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and awarded the Rotary Peace Fellowship (Chulalongkorn University) in 2012. He currently serves as a council member of the Singapore Red Cross was a board member of the Singapore Nanjing Eco High-tech Island. He received his PhD from the University of Glasgow, including master’s degrees from the University of Cambridge, University of Manchester and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Group CEO, ITL Corporation

Ben Anh is the Group CEO of ITL Corporation. As one of the founders of the company in 2000 with objective to make it the most integrated Transportation and Future ready Logistics company to serve Vietnam and Indochina region. Ben Anh brings his over 30-years’ experience in Logistics, Aviation and Freight management along with the development of the company.

Over 24 years of continuous development, ITL Corporation is the National Brand Vietnam Value in providing integrated Logistics solutions in Vietnam and the region, expanding its network in Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar.

Over the years, through growth strategies, selective acquisitions and strategic partnerships with key Logistics players, we are ready for the new journey of the North Star to become the first billion-dollar Logistics Company in Vietnam.

ITL owns a comprehensive Logistics ecosystem, including the supply chain of Aviation, Freight Management, Contract Logistics, Port Logistics and Digitalized Logistics. In addition, ITL has continuously invested in infrastructure network including Warehouses, Ports & ICD, Air Cargo facilities, Railways terminal… and expanding transportation fleet by road & inland waterway, with the objective to build a “shared Logistics ecosystem” to bring more added values to ITL's customers and create opportunities for other businesses in the industry to utilize the platforms that ITL has invested and built.

ITL has been awarded the National Brand Vietnam Value 2022, leading the ranking of Top 10 Most Reputable Logistics Companies In Vietnam; Top 500 Biggest Companies In Vietnam (VNR500) for 17 consecutive years; Top 50 Vietnam The Best for 9 consecutive years and many other prestigious awards for HR, technology and sustainable development

Deputy CEO, Gemalink

Mr. Cao Hong Phong, Deputy General Director of Gemadept International Port - Terminal Link (Gemalink)
As a Master in transport economics, Mr. Phong has 30 years of experience in the field of port operation management at Vietnam's major seaports in Hai Phong and Cai Mep area, Ba Ria Vung Tau province.
Mr. Phong is the Team Leader of a group to deploy and apply information technology and digital transformation for many investment projects to build container ports from North to South of Gemadept Group. Together with his team, Phong directly and successfully operates seaports with impressive double-digit growth in the last 10 years, contributing to bringing Gemadept Group's market share of containerised cargo through seaports to over 4.2 million Teu in 2024.

Deputy CEO, Viettel Post

He has over 20 years of experience in the postal and logistics industry and a deep understanding of the market. In his role as Deputy CEO in charge of business operations at Viettel Post, he has consistently demonstrated strong leadership. He has provided clear direction for business strategies and product development, while closely managing the nationwide operations. This leadership is reflected in the company’s recent success, particularly in the first half of 2024, where delivery service revenues grew by an impressive 148 per cent year-over-year, reaching VND3.883 billion.

His business philosophy emphasises efficiency, taking a long-term, holistic approach to business strategies while ensuring flexibility and agility in adapting to market shifts.

Managing Director, DSV Air & Sea Vietnam

Eric is a Canadian citizen and graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a B.A. in Economics.

Eric came to Vietnam with his family and now living in Ho Chi Minh since 2018.

With more than 20 + years of experience working in the Transport and Logistics industry in Canada, Australia, Taiwan and now Vietnam, Eric is serving as the Managing Director of DSV Air & Sea Vietnam, a leading Freight Forwarding and Logistics service provider with an annual turnover of close to USD 150m in 2023. Eric is leading a team of more than 300 employees in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Phnom Penh.

Regional Head of Cargo, Southeast Asia, Cathay Cargo

Mr Ashish Kapur was appointed the Regional Head of Cargo, Southeast Asia, for Cathay Pacific Airways in September 2023. He is based in Singapore.

Ashish’s career with Cathay Pacific spans more than 22 years. He joined the airline in 2001 as Manager on Duty at the Delhi Airport, and in the following years held other positions such as Airport Service Manager, Regional Cargo Manager for India, Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and the Middle East, and Country Manager for the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Ashish became Country Manager for South Africa and the Indian Ocean region in 2017, where he was responsible for overseeing all strategy and operations for Cathay Pacific’s passenger and cargo businesses in the region. In 2021, he was appointed Area Manager for Northern Europe, where he oversaw the entire Northern European operations and managed the teams based in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia. He represents Cathay Pacific on the Boards of Airline Representatives in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Born in India, Ashish graduated from Delhi University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Outside of work, Ashish is a fitness enthusiast, and cricket is his first love. He also enjoys cooking – a talent he discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lead of TEF (Transglobal Expansion Frontier), ABeam Consulting

Yoshihiro Wake has over 11 years of Consulting Experience, specializing in business and digital transformation projects involving SAP solutions. Wake's expertise lies in business and digital transformation projects, particularly those leveraging SAP solutions. His deep-rooted involvement in Vietnam has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of the local business landscape, enabling him to deliver tailored solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities faced by Vietnamese enterprises, for many different industries, mostly for Manufacturing.

Starting in 2024, Wake has led TEF, a team dedicated to enhancing upstream Supply Chain Management initiatives globally. His strategic approach aims to empower Vietnamese businesses to enhance their supply chain efficiency, reduce costs, and drive sustainable growth. By leveraging his extensive consulting experience and in-depth knowledge of the Vietnamese market, Wake is committed to delivering innovative solutions that position his clients at the forefront of industry advancements.