Nguyen Duy Minh: A Steady Retail Ascent

(By Thu Luong) In the rapidly evolving landscape of Vietnam’s fashion retail industry, the name Nguyen Duy Minh is one that industry insiders frequently mention. His career path is neither the typical “starting from zero” story nor the fast-track journey of an industry prodigy. Instead, it is a progression built through accumulated experience, steady growth, and eventual breakthrough.

Today, as Deputy General Director of Kowil Group, he oversees a large team of hundreds of employees. Unlike many industry figures known for standout achievements in design or marketing, Nguyen Duy Minh’s influence is founded on long-term operational transformation, team development, and strategic execution. He is someone who propels brands forward—an executive whose management practices continue to shape the industry’s evolution.

His colleagues often describe him this way: “Nguyen Duy Minh is someone who advances steadily, step by step. His career has never been driven by opportunities but by his own judgment and actions.” Such evaluation reflects the years of hands-on experience he has accumulated at the front lines of the industry.

A Career Built on Practical Experience

Nguyen Duy Minh’s professional journey began in 2008 as a Business Representative at Phu Thai Group. During that period, Vietnam’s apparel market was expanding rapidly, while industry standards were still taking shape and competition was intensifying. His daily round trips between sales terminals and distribution channels gave him direct, unfiltered insight into consumer behavior, market reactions, and brand dynamics. He often says, “Real insight doesn’t come from sitting in an office—it emerges in conversations with customers.” This belief became the foundation of his management approach in years to come.

In 2009, he joined Kowil Vietnam S JSC, taking on business development responsibilities. Moving from regional fieldwork to team management, he gained extensive hands-on experience across different areas. At that time, retail operations were far from digitalized and relied heavily on human judgment and channel relationships. Through constant testing and adjustment, he and his team steadily expanded regional markets. He often describes that period as “growing from points to surfaces”—first establishing success in a small area, then replicating effective practices across wider regions.

As the sales team grew in capability, Nguyen Duy Minh’s responsibilities expanded accordingly, with him being promoted from Sales Supervisor to Sales Director. He often tells his team that his career progression was never about “changing positions” but about “expanding understanding.” Bringing frontline insight into management decisions, he ensured that the company’s growth was driven not just by numbers but by organizational capability. This mindset became crucial as he took on broader leadership roles.

Driving Growth Through Systematic Operations

In 2017, upon becoming Managing Director, Nguyen Duy Minh stepped into the center of the company’s operational transformation. At the time, the company was in a phase of rapid expansion, and its processes and systems demanded corresponding refinement. He began implementing systematic reforms, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Business Intelligence (BI) analytics, and customer lifecycle-based CRM/CX tools—gradually reducing reliance on experience-based management. He believes that for long-term growth, all critical processes must be “predictable, executable, and reviewable.”

As competition intensified, Nguyen Duy Minh recognized digital capability as the core driver of future retail success. He championed the integration of online and offline channels (O2O), allowing customers to move seamlessly across touchpoints and eliminating internal silos. “Technology is not the goal—experience is,” he emphasizes. To ensure the success of digital transformation, he built cross-departmental collaboration frameworks that synchronized data, logistics, and store execution.

In parallel with internal optimization, Nguyen Duy Minh strengthened the company’s external partnerships. He led initiatives to collaborate with Aeon, Vincom, and VNPost, resulting in improved channel structure, logistics efficiency, and brand exposure. To him, collaboration is an extension of organizational capability rather than a simple exchange of resources. “The industry is a connected ecosystem—the deeper the collaboration, the more resilient the company becomes,” he explains. His approach helped the company maintain a balanced pace of expansion.

Expanding Strategic Vision Through International Collaboration

As the company grew, Nguyen Duy Minh increasingly focused on international strategic partnerships. He personally led the company’s joint venture and cooperation initiatives with Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation and Sumitomo Group, introducing global supply chain standards, management frameworks, and quality control systems. These collaborations elevated both the company’s brand development and production capabilities while giving the team deeper insight into global markets.

He often explains the purpose of these partnerships internally: “International collaboration is not to appear more global, but to acquire resources that fundamentally transform our organizational capabilities.” He believes that Vietnamese fashion enterprises can compete globally—but only if they develop management and production capabilities built to international standards. Through partnerships with global leaders, he aims to expose his team to advanced systems and accelerate their professional growth.

Despite holding a senior executive role, he maintains a habit of visiting stores every month to observe inventory, product displays, customer behavior, and employee feedback. He keeps detailed notes to remain aligned with real market conditions. “Data shows me the trend, but the field shows me the reason,” he often says. This practice keeps his strategic judgment grounded and accurate.

Practicing Long-Termism in a Rapidly Changing Market

Nguyen Duy Minh’s management style is often described as “steady and resolute.” He avoids chasing short-term trends, believing instead that a company’s real value comes from the accumulation of long-term capabilities. He focuses on processes, teams, and measurable operational outcomes—work that may not seem glamorous but provides the foundation for sustainable growth. He consistently emphasizes that a leader’s responsibility is “to ensure the team knows they won’t be abandoned when facing obstacles.” This belief has guided his leadership for years.

In an industry characterized by constant change, his strategies demonstrate resilience and a forward-looking mindset. His priority is not rapid expansion but ensuring that the organization is equipped for sustained development. “Our goal is not to go faster, but to move steadily—with every step generating real value,” he often says. This attitude has helped the company maintain clear direction and stable performance amid competitive pressures.

Looking back on his career—from frontline sales to senior executive leadership—Nguyen Duy Minh embodies a path driven by accumulated capability. He roots his leadership in real market experience, advances organizational development through systematic reform, and broadens the company’s horizons with an international perspective. His story is not merely about the rise of a brand, but about how a manager maintains direction, strengthens team capacity, and guides an enterprise toward a more mature and forward-looking future.

Related

Source: Vietnam Insider