Chairwoman of the Sovico Group and CEO of budget carrier Vietjet Air Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the first Vietnamese businesswoman, has been bestowed the highest French order of merit, the Legion of Honor.
French Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolas Warnery, on behalf of the French Republic, on April 14 awarded the Legion of Honor Order to Thao.
The chairwoman, 51, has been granted the distinction for her special contributions to the enhancement of economic and cultural ties and development cooperation between Vietnam and Europe, including France.
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao receives the Legion of Honor in Hanoi. Photo: Vietjet Air |
Warnery said that Thao is "a friend of France," noting she has been working actively to strengthen economic and cultural ties between both countries.
Thao has also provided pandemic-related support to the French people by donating a large quantity of masks, he added.
The ambassador appreciated the entrepreneur’s vision, wisdom, humanity and business philosophy for the sake of community development and future generations of the businesswoman.
Warnery also highly valued the fact that the firms led by Thao like Sovico, Vietjet, and HDBank continually stand side by side with French businesses and people, especially during the time his country was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thao’s business operations in Vietnam cover finance, banking, aviation, real estate, and retail sectors. She launched Vietjet Air in 2011. The budget carrier leads the domestic market with a 45% share.
For her part, Thao thanked the French Republic and people for their cooperation with herself as well as the Sovico Group.
"This is not only a great honor and a noble reward for me, but also recognition to the contributions made by my group in promoting sustainable cooperation activities in France, and strengthening the strategic Vietnam-France relationship," Thao said.
Previously, France’s Legion of Honor Order was awarded to former Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, diplomat Ms. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Professor Ngo Bao Chau, Professor Chau Van Minh, among others.
