Since being appointed Country General Manager of Microsoft Vietnam, Nguyen Quynh Tram has been empowering all businesses and industries accelerate their digital transformation, foster innovation, apply cloud technology and build resilience after the Covid 19 pandemic through the Microsoft products and solutions. 

Microsoft, as everyone knows is a pioneer in the competitive technology industry, with a strong brand recognition and the most diversified product portfolio. In Vietnam, Microsoft was one of the first global tech players to have started business some 27 years ago. 

According to Tram, the companies that have transformed on Microsoft’s technology platform include major banking and financial institutions, telecommunications and real estate as well as SMEs in digital natives, agritech, manufacturing, consumer goods, logistics and also start-ups like gaming studios, tech developers and freelancers, and so on. Some typical clients in Vietnam include Microsoft Founders Hub incubated Trusting Social in digital natives, VIB, SSI, and ABBank in banking; Loc Troi, De Heus and Marvin in agriculture; Tecomen in manufacturing; Vin Brain in healthcare; VTC in gaming; VUS in education and many more.

By leveraging latest technologies, such as Generative AI, Tram is confident that everyone in Vietnam will be able to achieve more and create greater value for the country.

Learn It All Culture

“At Microsoft, we have a learn-it-all culture,” Tram  says of the learning and development programmes provided to staff. “It starts with a commitment to learning and developing a growth mindset. We believe that potential is nurtured, not predetermined. We must be learners, not knowers. We need to always be learning and be insatiably curious and be able to challenge preconceptions and status quo. We are willing to lean into uncertainty, take risks and move quickly when we make mistakes. And we practice being open to the ideas of others where the success of others does not diminish our own.”

The company provides a comprehensive learning programme that starts on the first day of onboarding and continues throughout the employee’s career. The learning programme is designed to help employees develop both technical and soft skills that are essential for their roles. It also provides opportunities for employees to take on leadership roles to develop their leadership skills. Some of the learning tools that Microsoft uses include Microsoft Viva Learning, LinkedIn Learning and many more. 

Best Company to Work in Asia

“For the past three years in a row (2021−2022−2023) Microsoft Vietnam was recognised by HR Asia as one of the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia” as voted by our employees,” Tram says proudly. According to the award survey results, Microsoft Vietnam’s score on all the criteria was higher than the average of the entire Asian market.  

“Our employees are appreciative of the diverse and inclusive culture, openness and accessibility of the local leadership, ability to contribute to healthy debates, our people recognition system as well as our impact on the community.” 

Flexibility, Resilience and Optimism

Asked if she faced any challenges while leading her team, Tram replied: “One of the most difficult challenges that Microsoft Vietnam faced in recent times was the Covid-19 pandemic. It did not affect our daily operations but we had to continue to support our customers day and night with limited resources.”

She admits the pandemic tested her leadership in that she had to make tough decisions, communicate as clearly and as frequently as she could in a highly uncertain and fluid context to solve their customers’ issues through the long social distancing period.

She also had to maintain a high degree of flexibility, resilience and optimism to keep her team strong, energised and focused. 

“I learnt a lot from this experience – how to lead with empathy, agility, and purpose.

I also realised the importance of keeping a strong vision and a calm mind and leveraging support and advice from friends and trusted colleagues.”