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Dang Thi Thanh VanCEO of Savvycom
"I find IT interesting and think that women in this sector have an advantage; they have sensitivity and empathy, so their products often have more social meaning or cater to less addressed needs." |
Australian alumna and founder of Savvycom – one of Vietnam’s leading IT companies – Ms Dang Thi Thanh Van has been recognised for her contributions to the deep and sustainable cooperation between Australia and Vietnam.
As well as being CEO of Savvycom, Van is also a Board Member on the Steering Committee of Australia’s Aus4Innovation Programme; Vice President of the Alliance of Vietnam Digital Technology Organisations (VNITO); and the Vice President of the Hanoi Women Entrepreneurs Association.
On her reasons for pursuing a career in IT, Van says with joy: "People often think that IT is not an exciting industry, and women working in this field may seem to be in an disadvantaged position. However, I find IT interesting and think that women in this sector have an advantage; they have sensitivity and empathy, so their products often have more social meaning or cater to less addressed needs."
Van said she decided to start her business because Vietnam's IT human resources had expertise but lacked experience, skills and fresh perspectives. In particular, the IT "orchestra" in the country often lacked a "conductor" - someone with a broader view of the industry. Since embarking on her entrepreneurial journey, this petite woman has carried a big dream: to foster Vietnam's environment, infrastructure, economy, education, social welfare and reputation to be on par with global standards, and particularly, to develop IT engineers who are confident to step into the international market. That dream is becoming a reality, as Savvycom is now a multinational company with hundreds of skilled IT engineers serving clients from 23 countries worldwide. From 2020 until now, Savvycom's annual growth rate has been 150%, making it one of the top 30 tech companies in Vietnam in software services and IT outsourcing, as well as one of the top 30 global mobile application companies.
In 2021, Van was named a Distinguished Fellow of the Asia Society - Victoria, Australia. In this role, she can nurture professional and personal relationships between Victoria in Australia and Vietnam, strengthening the growing relationship between the two sides by facilitating strong business connections in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. Philipp Ivanov, the CEO of the Asia Society - Australia, once commented: "Van is a shining example of the next generation of entrepreneurs and we are proud to appoint her as part of our continuing effort to bring the best minds from Asia to Victoria and Australia and connect Asian and Australian business leaders. In the grand scheme of things, Vietnam holds enormous opportunity for Australia."