Amazing: Ten years of developing software in Vietnam
It is ten wonderful years since we started to build software for European and USA organisations in Vietnam.
In the year 2000 we started with just 20 people in Hanoi in partnership with FPT Software who had a workforce of roughly the same size. Now, Harvey Nash have a big business employing over a 1000 IT professionals and BPO staff in HCMC alone, with access to a team of nearly 3500 throughout offices in Vietnam. This amazing growth was recognised on Wednesday 15th September when I hosted celebration with nearly 500 guests the 10th anniversary of setting up business in Vietnam.
Looking back over the last ten years I am amazed by just how much impact we have had on the international business community. Did you know that well over 25 million Americans receive and send smart mobile phone calls using software built and supported by Harvey Nash Vietnam? Did you know that over 20 million British school children have their education administered by software written by Harvey Nash in Vietnam?
We were privileged to have Deputy Minister Hong, from the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Director of Information Technology and the Director of Human Resource for Vietnam, attend the event. Vice Minister Hong (pronounced, HOM) complimented Harvey Nash’s contribution to the ICT industry during his speech and reiterated the government’s commitment to ICT education and ICT based businesses in Vietnam, particularly foreign investors such as Harvey Nash.
The Vietnamese government also presented an award to Harvey Nash for their contribution to the ICT Industry which was accepted by Albert Ellis the CEO of Harvey Nash.
Another important guest, Tim Brownbill, British Consul General and Director of Trade and Investment in Vietnam, stressed the increasing relationship between our countries and Harvey Nash’s importance as one of the most successful foreign investors in ICT in Vietnam.
Our staff provided the entertainment both traditional and modern, Wow it was professional with their version of "strictly come dancing" rivalling the best in the real UK version. Some of the senior management team joined in (me, old as I am put the younger members of the team to shame!) which raised a cheer from the young energetic workforce. Remember that 30% of the 86million population are under 30 years old so the average age of our team is round about 26 years old.
We presented awards for long service. The ten year awards were presented with almost our entire start up team still with us and the five year awards formed a very long queue: retention and staff loyalty are one of our real successes particularly when compared with India. We really do believe in the power of talent.
Albert Ellis, CEO spoke about our continued commitment to growing our business in Vietnam and the increasing importance of the outsourcing business to our future.
The opening and closing video created a lot of emotion, particularly for me, as it recognised the history, the people, and the successes over the last ten years. I now chair a group of young , energetic and very professional Brits and Vietnamese, led ably by Alistair Copeland, who are building an even bigger business for the next ten years. I am immensely proud, and admit a little envious, as the last ten years has been so much fun, but there is still plenty of life in the old dog and "you are as young as the people you work with". That makes me 26 year old then!
Bring on the next ten years.
September 22, 2010 05:20 PM | Permalink
