#Iconic_Audencians: Quang Do (MBA 08), a Vietnamese success story

This is the story of how a quiet Vietnamese boy raised in a poor rural village with no electricity and no library, ended up bagging an MBA from Audencia. When we ask Quang to revive his childhood memories, one prevails: the hours spent immersed in his schoolbooks. His parents didn’t let him enjoy much free time, and he lacked access to any other activities anyway. In his teen years came the realisation that education could be a gateway out of poverty, towards another way of life for his family. When he reached adulthood, Quang was finally in the comfortable position of appreciating education purely as a source of intellectual stimulation. Never sated, he now has his eyes on a PhD, potentially in the US. What a long way he has come!

Quang co-founded Vietnam’s first consultancy firm specialising in green building, and the company currently holds a national market share of 50%. He makes no secret that going into sustainability was primarily an opportunistic business move to gain a competitive advantage. This admission could be disconcerting for a western audience accustomed to sustainability-led businesses capitalising on their purpose-driven motivations. But we prefer to recognise the challenges that Quang had to overcome to get there, the ingenuity and business flair he displayed as a pioneer in this niche, and celebrate his achievements. With over 100 projects completed under his belt for prestigious clients such as Decathlon, P&G or Mastercard, GreenViet is revolutionising building practices and contributing to a greener Vietnam.

We are humbled by Quang’s maturity as a child, and the determination that has driven him throughout his life to turn his family’s fate around. His motto is both simple and powerful: “You have to write your own story!”

 

It all began back in 2020 when we celebrated Audencia’s 120th anniversary by launching our very first iconic alumni collection. For this second series, we are delighted and proud to showcase 12 new profiles of Audencians from around the globe. The alumni that you will discover have very generously given up their time for an interview with fellow alumna, Katia Hérault (GE 2001), for which we are immensely grateful.