The Party’s Renovation policy and the State’s consistent policies have unlocked resources and opened up room for the private sector to grow strong and take on responsibilities of national importance. Moving in step with the nation’s fortunes, a generation of national entrepreneurs has come of age, carrying deeply internationalised thinking and the aspiration to create value right on their own homeland.

Starting her business in the early 1990s, after a series of trips to developed countries, one question always lingered in the mind of this entrepreneur: How can Vietnamese people enjoy the best quality of life right in their own homeland? To realise that dream, she chose to reach out to the world with proactive self-reliance. Years later, in dialogue with global partners, her proud answer – “I am Vietnamese” – was not merely an introduction of origin, but an affirmation of mettle, intellect, patriotism, and the capacity to cooperate as an equal.

In 1999, the decision to acquire a golf course from a foreign investor brought her into an entirely new business field in Vietnam. Ownership alone was only the first step; the far greater challenge at the time was operating to international standards while building a Vietnamese workforce capable of taking full ownership. She chose to partner with world-leading brands, inviting international experts to co-manage operations in order to transfer technology and train local personnel. Building on that pioneering vision, BRG Golf has today grown into an ecosystem of 10 golf courses across six premier complexes. Among them, Legend Danang Golf Resort was honoured by Golf Digest among the Top 100 best golf courses in the world and has successfully hosted the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for several consecutive years. Many other golf courses in the ecosystem have likewise received prestigious domestic and international awards.

That very mettle has defined her ventures in hotels and resorts as well. From acquiring the Hilton Hanoi Opera in 2009, currently being transformed into the world-renowned Waldorf Astoria Hanoi, marking the legendary brand's debut in Vietnam, to the investment in Sheraton Grand Da Nang and the ownership of InterContinental Hanoi Westlake and many other luxury hotels nationwide. Every step of the way, she has stayed true to her core principle: securing an ownership role for Vietnamese enterprises, engaging as peers with the world’s leading management giants to cultivate a workforce capable of mastering the world's most rigorous service standards.

Sheraton Grand Da Nang stands as a clear imprint of that relentless drive: completed at a remarkable pace after just 14 months of construction, in time to serve APEC 2017 Leaders’ Week, serving as the venue for the official state banquet honouring heads of state. In the final push, she launched the ‘90-Day Countdown Campaign’ starting in June, during which she flew to Da Nang frequently, working alongside colleagues at the construction site until 1am. Carrying the nation's image on their shoulders became an imperative, pushing the team past every barrier of time and technical limits. In this philosophy, the declaration “I am Vietnamese” must be backed by deeds – by the company’s ability to deliver and its corporate integrity. 

Guided by a vision that ties business growth to national responsibility, and by its standing as a “model corporate citizen”, BRG Group was entrusted by the Government and Hanoi authorities with researching, preparing and implementing the 1:500 detailed plan for the entire area along both sides of the Nhat Tan–Noi Bai route, spanning roughly 2,080 hectares over a length of more than 11.7 km.

The BRG Chairwoman and her colleagues proactively engaged leading international planning and design consultancies, while coordinating closely with domestic management agencies and specialists to refine the Nhat Tan–Noi Bai axis plan, aiming to create a gateway urban axis of national stature, one designed to attract and absorb global flows of capital, technology, and trade.

That strategic vision laid the foundation for the North Hanoi Smart City project, spanning 272 hectares and developed in partnership with Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, now a new symbol of Vietnam–Japan friendship.

The project stands as a testament to a strategic partnership built on mutual trust, shared long-term vision, and equal capability. Mr. Eita Fujikawa, Chairman and General Director of Sumitomo Corporation Vietnam, has remarked: “My impression of Ms. Nga is of an entrepreneur full of enthusiasm. She is a person with vision and strategic direction for major projects, and is also highly detail-oriented and closely involved in business planning.”

Bringing to the strategic partnership an aspiration for a civilised, modern Hanoi, she and her partner have steadfastly pursued the goal of building Vietnam’s first carbon-neutral urban area, anticipating the green and sustainable development trend of the new era.

If the smart city creates a sustainable living space for the future, retail touches the practical, everyday life of the people. Committing to long-term investment in distribution and supply chain control, a field that demands substantial resources while returns come slowly, the BRGMart chain and the FujiMart joint venture have built a network of trusted retail outlets, bringing high-quality goods seamlessly into the daily lives of consumers.

She has not only connected international supply chains from the United States, Japan, France, Canada, and elsewhere so that domestic consumers can access quality goods at reasonable prices, she has also been deeply concerned with building domestic capacity. In dialogues with the Government and ministries in 2026, she repeatedly proposed a national programme for supply chain development. In her view, large groups must take the lead in linking with and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperatives to raise quality standards, transfer know-how, and connect with consumer markets. A solid domestic market, backed by local producers capable of meeting standards, is the very foundation on which Vietnamese goods can reach out to the world.

The title of Labour Hero of the Renovation Era stands as official recognition by the Party and State of Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Nga’s persistent journey of dedication and creative labour. Looking back from the early days of her career with 30 colleagues to today’s ecosystem of more than 22,000 workers, she always reminds herself: “I feel I must strive harder and work with even greater responsibility.” That effort is closely tied to her business philosophy: placing national interests first, conducting business in full compliance with the law, caring conscientiously for workers, and preserving credibility in every relationship.

The country’s development in this new phase further affirms the soundness of the Party’s major policy direction. Politburo Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW stresses the need to develop the private sector into “one of the most important drivers” of the economy, strongly awakening the spirit of autonomy, self-reliance, and national pride. The Resolution also places its expectations on large private economic groups to lead and steer national supply chains. The vision she has relentlessly pursued closely aligns with these major Party orientations. As Chairwoman of the Vietnam Private Business Association, she serves as a vital conduit, carrying the business community’s practical voice to the Party and State, while inspiring fellow members: “We have been trusted and given this opportunity by the Party and State, so we must act, must see things through, and must act starting today.”

On the occasion of Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day, 13 October, the journey of Labour Hero Nguyen Thi Nga carries a message of powerful resonance: the mettle of Vietnamese enterprise is shown in the quality of every product, in steadfast credibility, in the courage to take on difficult tasks, and in joining hands to support the community. The message “I am Vietnamese” will resound ever further, with greater mettle and pride, as millions of Vietnamese entrepreneurs affirm themselves through works and products that meet global standards, contributing worthily to a strong, prosperous Vietnam.