COUNTRY FOCUS : VIETNAM

Hanoi-based Chu Thi Thanh Ha , Chairwoman of FPT Software , talks about her experiences as a woman in tech and her ambition to create a billion-dollar company .

The city of Hanoi , Vietnam

average working day during the past two years has been 14 to 15 hours .

“ Sometimes I have worked for 40 hours non-stop ,” she says .

The long hours make life difficult for women . This is particularly true in Vietnam and Asia for those with caring roles , Ha says : “ Because of the high service culture and the need to work across time zones , at FPT Software and other IT outsourcing service providers , both business leaders and employees expect to work round the clock to meet customers ’ requirements .”

FPT Software powers the IT of some of the world ’ s largest companies in automotive ; banking and finance ; logistics and transportation ; and utilities . With more than 700 customers in Asia , North America and Europe , its sales grew by 23 % in 2021 to more than US $ 500 million . Ha ’ s goal is to double that to US $ 1 billion by 2023 .

Growth needs to be durable and sustainable , looking up to 10 years ahead , she says . The task will demand all the resilience and determination she has shown since joining FPT Corporation , FPT Software ’ s parent company , as an economics graduate almost three decades ago , when she rejected more typical female careers such as teaching or marketing .

“ I set a goal for myself to overcome the prejudices of society and my family , to venture into a difficult but

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