Interview with the new CEO of Sacombank

This was the assertion made by Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhung in his first interview after being appointed Acting CEO of Sacombank.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhung – Acting CEO of Sacombank

When you accepted the role of Acting CEO at Sacombank, just as the Bank had emerged from its restructuring phase, what was the first thing on your mind?

Financial targets were not my immediate concern. Instead, I asked myself: “If we are still here in ten years, what will be our reason for existing?”

Our 2025–2030 strategy should not merely be a checklist of goals - it should be a capability roadmap, anchored on three pillars: sustainable development, social responsibility integration, and next-generation risk management.

We do not aim to become the biggest bank, but the most trusted bank - consistently relied upon by customers for their most important decisions, from saving and investing to launching a business.

As Acting CEO, I’ve made clear commitments on how we will lead - not through recycled slogans, but through genuine dialogue about internal strength, institutional development, and long-term responsibility.

“Digital transformation is not about changing software or apps. It is about transforming the entire structure of customer trust in the organization,” shared the Acting CEO of Sacombank.

Resolution 68 identifies digital transformation as a “new mode of development”, what does that mean for Sacombank?

Digital transformation is not just about upgrading software or banking apps. It’s about reshaping the entire trust structure that customers place in our institution. In the past, customers trusted individuals. Now, they must trust processes. Then systems. Ultimately, they trust the entire customer experience. We are transforming not just our technology core, but the very definition of service. Every customer interaction must reaffirm that their trust is well placed.

HCMC is working toward becoming an international financial center. What role will Sacombank play in this journey?

Sacombank does not need to become a global bank. But we can be a regional trust anchor - offering banking, payment, custody, and credit services at a regional standard while maintaining a distinctly local character.

When the international financial center takes shape, there will be massive flows of capital, data, and trust. The banks that can orchestrate these flows without compromising internal structure will help shape the new financial order.

That is the path we aim to take - and we’re setting goals and solutions to get there swiftly.

Given recent market risks such as liquidity and trust crises, how will Sacombank ensure system safety while continuing to grow?

Markets are inherently volatile and full of risk. But I promise Sacombank will learn to live with risk without losing its direction. We are thoroughly upgrading our internal governance - not just focusing on control, but also on timely, responsive mechanisms.

What matters is not only seeing risk, but sensing the rhythm of risk before it reaches the system. We are investing heavily in early-stage data analytics, building trust buffers, and most importantly, training our people to uphold principles - not just chase performance indicators.

With a new CEO in place, does Sacombank need deeper organizational changes?

Restructuring isn’t just about cutting or patching - it’s about regenerating organizational energy. Rebuilding trust, motivation, and the soft structures that bind people together. We began by redefining the gravity zones of each functional area - where creativity is essential, where discipline is vital, and where connection matters most.

We are also re-establishing our value system: keeping our core service principles, but renewing how we apply them. Most importantly, I want every Sacombank employee to feel empowered - not just as operators, but as individuals helping shape each financial heartbeat of the nation.

“Sacombank doesn’t need to become a global bank, but we can become a ‘regional trust anchor’,” Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhung emphasized.

Do you have a message to share as Sacombank’s new CEO?

A bank may not be remembered for what it did in the past, but it will be remembered for what it dares to commit to in the future.

I took on this responsibility not to be different - but to go deeper. Deeper into trust. Deeper into processes. And deeper into our role in an economy that is being profoundly redefined in this transformative era.