HÀ NỘI — Nearly five decades at Vinamilk and still breaking barriers, Mai Kiều Liên has once again been named among Fortune’s 'Most Powerful Women Asia 2025,' reinforcing her status as a trailblazer in the region’s dairy and FMCG sectors.

She is the only Vietnamese businesswoman in the F&B and FMCG sectors to earn this honour for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025), highlighting her ongoing impact on the industry.

Fortune, a leading US business and finance magazine, is globally known for its high-profile rankings of corporations and executives. The 'Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Asia' list celebrates women who redefine leadership by transforming companies, reshaping industries, driving growth, accelerating technological innovation and setting new standards of excellence. These women not only deliver business success but also inspire the next generation of leaders.

The ranking is based on five criteria: business scale and growth, strategic vision, innovation and breakthrough initiatives, influence on the business sector and broader economy, and reputation and social impact. This year’s honourees represent 14 markets across Asia-Pacific — including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China), Macao (China) and Việt Nam — spanning a broad range of industries.

Born in France, Mai Kiều Liên is widely known as the 'Iron Lady of Việt Nam’s dairy industry.' She joined Vinamilk in 1976, when the country’s dairy sector was barely defined and childhood malnutrition remained a serious challenge. Together with the company’s leadership, she embraced a mission: 'to ensure every Vietnamese child has access to the highest-quality nutritional products.'

With nearly 50 years at Vinamilk, including 33 years as CEO, she has led the transformation of Vinamilk into Việt Nam’s largest dairy company and one of the most respected brands in the region. Today, Vinamilk ranks No. 1 among the world’s most promising dairy brands.

Vinamilk has played a pioneering role in shaping Việt Nam’s modern dairy industry. It shattered the long-standing belief that 'Việt Nam cannot develop a dairy herd' and led the 'white revolution' of the 1990s to build domestic raw milk production.

This laid the foundation for today’s large-scale modern dairy farming sector. From very early on, the company also championed sustainability through initiatives such as the 'Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund,' the 'One Million Trees for Việt Nam Fund' and the 'Vinamilk Pathway to Dairy Net Zero 2050.'

Under Mai Kiều Liên’s leadership, Vinamilk has implemented long-term programmes to improve the health and nutrition of Vietnamese people, especially children. One of the most impactful is the 'School Milk Programme,' which has been implemented for many years and has helped improve nutrition for kindergarten and primary school children, reduce malnutrition and enhance physical development. The 'Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund' has been maintained for 18 years, delivering nearly 43 million cartons of milk to more than 550,000 disadvantaged children across the country.

Vinamilk has also made sustainability a national model. From 2012 to 2020, the company partnered with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to implement the 'One Million Trees for Vietnam Fund,' planting 1,121,000 trees across 56 locations in 20 provinces and cities. This programme reflects the company’s commitment to the environment, quality of life and a sustainable future.

In 2023, Vinamilk announced its commitment and roadmap to achieve Net Zero by 2050. It became the first dairy company in Việt Nam to have three units – two factories and one farm – certified for international carbon neutrality (PAS 2060:2014). Vinamilk is also the first Vietnamese dairy company to participate in the global dairy industry’s 'Pathways to Dairy Net Zero' initiative.

A major milestone in Vinamilk’s journey came in 2013, when the company inaugurated two state-of-the-art 'mega factories,' among the most advanced in the region. These facilities propelled Việt Nam’s dairy industry onto the global stage, showcasing world-class manufacturing capabilities and technological standards.

Vinamilk’s high-tech dairy farms form a crucial link in its fully integrated 'from farm to glass' model, embodying its sustainable vision and commitment to delivering high-quality fresh milk to consumers. Owning a network of modern factories and farms, continuously elevating quality, pioneering breakthrough technologies and maintaining a relentless drive for innovation, Vinamilk has helped Vietnamese products reach international standards of safety, purity and premium taste. Today, Vinamilk exports to 65 countries and territories.

Over 33 years as CEO, Mai Kiều Liên has led Vinamilk with a spirit of innovation, decisiveness and exceptional leadership. Her operating philosophy is encapsulated in three words: 'autonomy, determination and benevolence,' founded on the belief that 'when it comes to food, there is no second chance to get it right.'

Thanks to her strategic foresight and unwavering dedication, Vinamilk has achieved a remarkable global standing. The company is now ranked among the Top 36 largest dairy companies in the world by revenue and is the No. 1 most promising dairy brand globally.

Through her leadership, vision and commitment to societal impact, Mai Kiều Liên has not only elevated Vinamilk to global prominence but also set a powerful example of how Vietnamese business leaders can shape industries, influence economies and inspire future generations. — VNS