Vietnamese Business Leaders Strengthen Presence at London Stock Exchange

London, UK – On July 22, Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairwoman of Vietjet Air and Standing Vice Chairwoman of HDBank, visited the London Stock Exchange (LSE), one of the world's oldest and most reputable financial centers. Dr. Thao, accompanied by a delegation, participated in the LSE's opening bell ceremony for July 22. The London stock market saw a surge on this day, with the FTSE 100 index closing 1.24% higher, reaching a four-month high. Ms. Dame Julia Hoggett, CEO of the LSE, stated that she had met many excellent business leaders, but few had played such a significant role in shaping economic sectors and connecting nations as Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao. She added that through her leadership in banking, aviation, technology, and investment, Dr. Thao had contributed to Vietnam's impressive growth story and instilled confidence in international investors. Dame Sue Langley, the City of London's Mayor, welcomed Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao to the UK's capital. She expressed her belief that with its strong growth and developing financial sector, Vietnam is a natural partner for London, which offers a global capital ecosystem, governance standards, and a reliable legal environment for Vietnamese businesses to raise capital. Mayor Langley also praised Dr. Thao as a role model for female leadership and expressed confidence in the continued deepening of UK-Vietnam relations. This marks Dr. Thao's second visit to the LSE in less than a year, underscoring the Vietnamese business community's interest and efforts to connect with international capital markets and expand global cooperation and investment opportunities. "We bring not only the aspirations of businesses but also the aspirations of a nation rising in an era of innovation, creativity, integration, and sustainable development," Dr. Thao shared. She described London as a "symbol of governance, transparency, and trust – values we always pursue." She believes future capital will flow towards fast-growing nations with long-term vision, good governance, and a commitment to sustainable development, opportunities Vietnam is now opening up. The visit, with the support of the LSE and the leadership of the City of London, opens more opportunities for cooperation between businesses of the two countries, contributing to the promotion of Vietnam-UK economic, investment, and financial relations, as well as strengthening connections with international financial markets. Furthermore, a tripartite cooperation agreement was signed between Vietjet, Dragon Capital, and HDBank to expand cooperation in attracting capital for Vietnam's infrastructure development, witnessed by the Mayor of the City of London. Mr. Dominic Scriven, Chairman of Dragon Capital, shared his experience as a member of the LSE-listed Vietnam Enterprise Investments Limited, which has been listed since 2016. He expressed his delight at witnessing the growing interest and presence of Vietnamese enterprises at the LSE and the London Financial Centre, strongly encouraging these developments. Established in 1801, the London Stock Exchange currently lists over 1,700 international companies with a market capitalization exceeding $5.5 trillion USD and is a leading global bond issuance center with a market size of $35 trillion USD. The presence of businesswoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, along with major companies in the aviation and finance-banking sectors such as Vietjet, HDBank, and Vikki Bank, at one of the world's leading financial centers, continues to affirm the increasingly deep integration capacity of Vietnamese businesses. This serves as proof of their efforts to connect, promote potential, and attract international capital, making positive contributions to the development of the international financial market.