On December 6, 2025, Ms. Le Nu Thuy Duong, Vice Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of KN Holdings, was awarded the prestigious Hero of Labor title by the Party and the State. The honor recognizes nearly three decades of executive leadership and her contributions to the community and the country. Her career reflects the profile of a modern Vietnamese business leader associated with large-scale projects, a human-centered management approach, and a reserved public presence.
Some choose visibility, others work largely out of the spotlight. Ms. Duong has tended towards the latter. Even after receiving the Hero of Labor title, she continues to focus on project plans and operational details. Colleagues describe her as disciplined and exacting, viewing careful preparation as essential to long-term success. She has often compared running a business to building a house, where a solid foundation determines resilience.
She joined the leadership of KN Holdings in its early years, when the company was primarily active in garments, infrastructure construction, and real estate. Together with her parents - Hero of Labor Mr. Le Van Kiem and Hero of Labor Ms. Tran Cam Nhung - she helped expand its investment scope, turning KN Holdings into a multi-sector conglomerate. The group now concentrates on five core areas: real estate, services, renewable energy, industrial parks, and logistics.
As an executive, Ms. Duong has focused on organizational restructuring, operational efficiency, and long-term strategy. Under her leadership, KN Holdings has sustained consistent growth, with total investment capital exceeding VND120 trillion ($4.6 billion).
The group employs thousands of workers, contributes to the State budget, and participates in social welfare programs in the localities where it operates.
In real estate, building on one of the earliest private sector footholds in the field in Vietnam and a strategically-located land portfolio, Ms. Duong promoted partnerships with CapitaLand (Singapore) and Maeda (Japan) to develop a series of high-end projects in Ho Chi Minh City, including The Vista An Phu, Vista Verde, Feliz En Vista, Waterina Suites, and Define. The developments emphasize integrated amenities, construction quality, and urban planning standards, and have received recognition from domestic and international property organizations.
She also led the development of CaraWorld Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa), a coastal urban project recorded by Vietnam Records as the first in the country located adjacent to both an international airport and an international seaport. Covering nearly 800 ha, the project is planned as a multi-functional coastal city integrating housing, commerce, services, and recreation. Facilities already in operation include the 27-hole KN Golf Links designed by Greg Norman, Wyndham Grand Cam Ranh resort, CaraBeach seaside park, and completed residential zones handed over to buyers.
Positioned as a strategic project within the KN Holdings portfolio, CaraWorld Cam Ranh is intended to become a major coastal urban center in the south-central region and to strengthen Cam Ranh’s profile as a tourism destination. The project received recognition at the PropertyGuru Vietnam Property Awards, Dot Property Awards, and Asia Pacific Property Awards, among others.
In the industrial park sector, Ms. Duong responded to global supply chain shifts by investing in industrial infrastructure in southern Dong Nai province to attract multinational manufacturers to Vietnam. The Nam Long Thanh and Dong Long Thanh projects are planned as green and smart industrial parks, with master planning by Japanese firms Nippon Koei and Nikken Sekkei. The model aims to combine modern infrastructure with integrated amenities for specialists and workers while targeting high value added industries and supply chain links.
In renewable energy, KN Holdings has invested in solar power projects in Khanh Hoa since 2018. Three plants - KN Cam Lam, Cam Lam VN, and KN Van Ninh - were completed on schedule, with a combined capacity of nearly 200 MW and total investment exceeding VND4.3 trillion ($165 million). The facilities supply hundreds of millions of kWh annually to the national grid and provide stable revenue for the province. The group plans to expand solar capacity to about 2,600 MW in the years ahead, aiming to supply clean energy for certified green manufacturing and for its own industrial parks.
Alongside its investments, Ms. Duong has directed resources towards social programs, contributing more than VND200 billion ($7.7 million) to healthcare, education, environmental initiatives, gratitude programs, and disaster recovery.
Among the largest contributions were VND100 billion ($3.8 million) to the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund and VND55 billion ($2.1 million) to housing support programs in Dong Nai province. She also regularly participates in practical and timely contributions to support and assist people affected by floods and natural disasters, demonstrating a deep sense of compassion.
In addition, she was the first, and so far the only, Vietnamese citizen to donate $3 million to the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, joining the Gates Foundation and the US Government in raising total support for Vietnam to $13.5 million.
She has supported the application of wastewater recycling technology in a program coordinated with the Vietnam National Union of Students, building facilities at 150 schools across 21 cities and provinces to improve sanitation conditions. She is also involved in initiatives supporting women and children.
Her work has been recognized with the Hero of Labor title, First, Second, and Third-Class Labor Orders, Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister, and other State honors. Yet associates say she rarely emphasizes awards, focusing instead on project progress, operational stability, and employee welfare.
Her career, as a result, is defined less by public visibility than by completed developments, ongoing projects, and long-term commitments. In profiles published around International Women’s Day, she is often portrayed not for prominence but for a consistent approach to business grounded in credibility, discipline, and a view that growth is must be aligned with social responsibility.
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