Vietjet, Vietnam’s leading low-cost airline, has announced the appointment of a former German Vice Chancellor to its Board of Directors, marking a bold move in its ongoing international expansion strategy.
Philipp Rösler – the newly appointed board member, aged 52, is of Vietnamese origin and will serve a term until 2027. Born in Soc Trang Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, he was adopted and raised in Germany, where he pursued a career in medicine before transitioning to politics.
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His distinguished political career includes roles as Germany’s Minister of Health (2009) and Vice Chancellor (2011), where he simultaneously held posts as Minister of Economics and Technology and Minister of Health. After retiring from politics in 2014, he held senior positions at major German corporations, including Siemens, Deutsche Bank, and Lufthansa.
Prior to his appointment at Vietjet, he served as an independent director at another airline since 2023, offering strategic guidance on expanding international partnerships, particularly in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Vietjet also announced changes to its board structure, with Donal Boylan, Luu Duc Khanh, Chu Viet Cuong, and Nguyen Thanh Hung stepping down from the board to take on roles in the airline’s newly established Founding Council.
At the company’s annual general meeting last week, Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Vietnam’s richest woman, unveiled ambitious plans to expand the airline’s global footprint. This includes the launch of new international routes and a major fleet expansion—doubling its wide-body aircraft to 40, under a recently signed agreement with Airbus.
The appointment of the former German Vice Chancellor underscores Vietjet’s commitment to strengthening its international leadership and boosting global investor confidence as it accelerates its global growth.
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Source: Vietnam Insider