CDO FPT: Worked at Google, Walmart
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhan has been appointed by FPT Corporation as the Deputy Director of FPT Technology and Director of Data.
The work process of Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhan
"Being a talented international recruit, Nhan joined FPT as a "returning bird to the nest," and CEO of FPT, Nguyen Van Khoa, enthusiastically introduced the new personnel during the group's first meeting of the new year.
According to Mr. Khoa, as the former Director of Data at Google and Walmart, Nhan has solved very special and practical problems to increase Google's advertising effectiveness or use data to optimize the operations of the world's largest retail system. "Nhan's desire is to contribute his efforts to society by participating in significant challenges, and the best opportunity is the path that FPT is pursuing. The new leaders in the technology field will work with units within the corporation to assess what we have in hand before planning our strategy."
Opportunities and challenges in the new role
As the Deputy Director of Technology at FPT, Nhan will work alongside CTO Vu Anh Tu in building the company's technology strategy and direction. He will oversee the development of new products and services made by FPT that align with the corporation's long-term business strategy. Additionally, he will establish technology policies and resources for the entire corporation, supporting member companies in their production and business activities.
Meanwhile, as the Director of Data at FPT, the former Google expert will be responsible for data as an asset at the corporate level, including strategies, data security, business opportunities, and more. This is a new position introduced at FPT. This initial transition in 2021 further affirms FPT's determination on the path of digital transformation and enhancing technological capabilities by strengthening its high-quality workforce.
Nguyen Thanh Nhan is no longer an unfamiliar name in the Vietnamese technology community. Born in 1983, he was one of the first Vietnamese young professionals to work in Silicon Valley. After 10 years of working at Google, Walmart Labs, and ChaiLabs, and achieving remarkable accomplishments, Nguyen Thanh Nhan returned to Vietnam to become the CEO of Kalapa, building a credit fraud prevention system based on big data.
Despite receiving many other appealing invitations, he joined FPT due to the personal connections and the aspirations of both himself and the corporation to contribute to the country. However, Nhan revealed that his journey with FPT did not happen overnight. One Sunday, CTO Vu Anh Tu invited him for a coffee in the old quarter. During their conversation, Tu expressed his desire to help large companies in Vietnam enhance their competitiveness using technology and extended an invitation to Nhan to join F family.
The story of these two men, with a shared passion for technology, resonated with Nhan, but he didn't accept immediately. Accustomed to working in an international environment, Nhan proposed meeting and exchanging ideas with Chairman Truong Gia Binh, CEO Nguyen Van Khoa, and a series of other FPT members, both current and former.
"I was impressed by the series of questions from Mr. Khoa about how to increase Google's advertising revenue or how to use data to facilitate Walmart's operations smoothly. And what remained in my mind was Chairman Binh's words before the meeting ended: the hope to work together," Nhan recalled.
"Returning from the US to Vietnam, I only had one dream: to increase Vietnam's per capita GDP using technology," the former Google expert shared on his first day wearing the orange shirt. FPT has significant challenges and vast data, so Nhan eagerly wanted to be a partner with this talented team at FPT.
The journey of studying in Canada and working in the US
On his first official meeting at FPT, Nhan enthusiastically shared his journey of studying in Canada and working in the US. Born in 1983, he was a former student specializing in Mathematics and Computer Science at the Hanoi University of Education. In 2008, after graduating from Simon Fraser University in Canada and winning numerous awards in science and technology, Thanh Nhan had an internship opportunity at Google.
At that time, two out of four interviewers wrote a persuasive letter to convince Nhan to stay at Google, stating, "Your skills will serve many people around the world." Google also promised salary raises and stock options to Nhan. However, he chose Chai Labs, a high-tech Internet application company based in the US.
In 2009, Chai Labs, a newly established company, gained attention and was acquired by Facebook. After succeeding at Chai Labs, in 2010, Nhan decided to return to Google and achieved remarkable accomplishments in increasing revenue for the tech giant. The Chief Financial Officer of Google once wrote a letter stating, "The breakthrough progress of Nhan's team is the source of Google's development, and you are the oxygen source for Google's growth."
After that, Nguyen Thanh Nhan moved to Walmart Labs before returning to Vietnam to become the CEO of Kalapa. After leaving his previous company, he requested a three-month break and was granted a four-month rest by his wife after a continuous work journey without taking a break for up to two weeks. But halfway through, Nhan felt the urge to start working again.
After 13 years of working, on the first day of the new decade, Nhan eagerly embarked on a new journey in the role of a "digital gold miner" to make FPT and Vietnam mighty in technology.
Source: Chungta.vn
