On 12 July 2024, Vietnam Corporate Pride Network (VCPN) and KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia organized the Pride Summit 2024, a collaborative effort with British Consulate – General in Ho Chi Minh City, ACCA, ICS, Pito, International SOS. Centered around the theme “Meet the IDE Champions,” the event brought together diverse voices to share challenges and successes in fostering Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) within the workplace. 

The event started with a welcome speech by Tran Thu Hang, Chief People and Culture Officer at Sun Life, as the venue sponsor. 

Mr. Warrick Cleine, Chairman and CEO, KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia, delivered an opening speech emphasizing the critical role of IDE culture in organizational success and VCPN’s mission to grow and inspire new generations. Ms. Linh Ngo, Director of ICS, also gave an update on VCPN’s progress in past years and upcoming initiatives. 

The first panel discussion, “Leading & Empowering for Change”, featured Michele Wee (CEO, Standard Chartered Vietnam), Joseph Vu (People Engagement Partner, KPMG), Simon Pugh (CEO & Shareholder, QLM Label Makers) and Tan Nguyen (CEO, Chợ Tốt). Moderated by Alex Smith from British Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, the panel shared insights and experiences on fostering diversity and inclusion within their organizations. 

“In this marketplace, we can’t survive and thrive without diversity” emphasized Joseph Vu. “There is no way you can look at it as homogenous or apply one prototype to all people”. He also stressed the importance of leading by example in promoting the IDE agenda within the organizations. 

Michele Wee proudly shared Standard Chartered were the leading foreign bank in the market to offer 20-week of paid parental leave, irrespective of gender, marriage status or how a child comes to their employees’ family. She said this initiative reflected the firm’s commitment to gender equality and employees’ well-being. 

In the second part of the Pride Summit, Will Lawrenson, British Deputy Consul General  
in HCM, led the topic “NextGen navigate IDE in Vietnam: Bridging the Gap”, joined by Bao Hoang (CEO, UNImedia), Loi Ung (Marketing Director, P&G), Minh Le (Senior Associate, Baker & Mackenzie) and Van Anh Duong (HR and Finance Lead, SOCO Exploration Vietnam). 

On the challenges that the LGBTQ+ youth has faced, Van Anh Duong highlighted the discrimination and prejudice of some conservative industries through a case of hiding illnesses due to fear of judgement. Besides, Bao Hoang and Minh Le acknowledged that while there was an increased openness of the younger generation in expressing their identities, they also exposed more with judgement and criticism, underscoring the need of strong mental resilience navigating these challenges. 

Onto the next 5 or 10 years, the panelists anticipated a society where LGBTQ+ equality is so widely accepted that dedicated discussions on the topic will no longer be required. Instead, they looked forward to a world where everyone can openly celebrate themselves and their love without fear.