The sixth annual forum is being co-organised by the Vietnam Institute of Directors (VIOD), a member of the Global Network of Director Institutes, and Vietnam Investment Review, targeting the corporate governance community.

It serves as an integrated platform for expertise, experience, and solutions to address the most pressing topics related to corporate governance.

The forum is a space for speakers and participants to engage in in-depth professional discussions on the topics of unlocking green finance and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. Experts will discuss the practical value of ESG in sourcing green finance and its implementation based on the government's strategies, as well as the direction of global institutions and organisations. The discussion will be grounded in the unique vision and impact of businesses.

Ha Thu Thanh, VIOD chairperson

Ha Thu Thanh, VIOD chairperson said, “In the context of an increasingly difficult world economic environment, and the 4.0 era-global digital technology revolution that requires businesses to adapt sensitively, be highly responsive, and enter the logistics cycle, the role of management is more important than ever.”

The leadership team or the board of directors is an important factor to help overcome market challenges and strive for sustainable growth in the context of fierce competition and a complicated economic environment, Thanh added.

“Effective governance practices are the achievements of a team of members of the Board of Directors of an enterprise, which are the foundation for building a successful business, ensuring transparency. Recognising leaders who lead successfully on an ethical basis is to honour the important efforts of a company's board and an essential step towards promoting a culture of responsibility and culture of sustainable development,” she said.

In addition, the first-ever Board of the Year award ceremony will be held to honour boards that have demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities, a forward-looking vision, a corporate governance culture, professionalism, and ESG effectiveness. The ceremony will also recognise boards that focus on elements such independence and gender diversity and inclusion.

Phan Le Thanh Long, general director of VIOD

Phan Le Thanh Long, general director of VIOD said, “We recognise and honours boards that achieve outstanding results in accordance with strict evaluation criteria, which surpassed more than 500 boards of other listed companies in the Vietnamese market."

This system of criteria evaluates the most effective performance of the board through the role of protecting the interests of shareholders, creating value for the company's stakeholders, and complying with effective corporate governance principles.

The event takes place at the Daewoo Hotel in Hanoi on November 22, and is supported by the International Finance Corporation, with sponsorship from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland.

The VIOD promotes corporate governance standards and best practices in the Vietnamese corporate sector. It aims to advance board professionalism, promote business ethics and transparency, create a pool of independent directors, build a network to connect corporate leaders and stakeholders, and help companies gain investor confidence.