Pham Duc Trung Kien
Encyclopedia
Kien Pham is the Executive Chairman of the Red Bricks Group (RBG), a private investment firm. In addition, he serves as the Vice Chairman of the VietNamNet Media Group, a portfolio company of RBG. He is also the founder and chairman of the Vietnam Foundation and was the founding executive director of the Vietnam Education Foundation. Pham brings to RBG broad experiences in the business, government and non-profit sectors. In business, he was an executive in Fortune 500
companies and entrepreneur owner in technology and advisory firms. In government, he served in the executive branch under Presidents Ronald Reagan
, George H. W. Bush
, and George W. Bush
, and on Capitol Hill. He has established non-profit foundations to assist college students, orphans and the handicapped in Vietnam. Mr. Pham is publicly recognized for his leadership and management abilities.
. In 1977, at the age of 19, he led his family on a high-seas escape to the United States. They settled in Colorado, where Pham became a factory worker making baby-strollers, learned English and later attended college on a scholarship. He received a B.S. in marketing and international business from the University of Colorado at Boulder
, and won a scholarship to study in England. His graduate degrees, earned concurrently at Stanford University
, include an M.B.A. in international and organizational management, an M.A. in international economics and a special diploma in public policy management.
One of VNF focuses is Open Educational Resources
of which Mr. Pham is a strong supporter. VNF is running Vietnam Open Educational Resources (VOER) and is the founding member of the alliance for Vietnam Open Learning Technologies (VOLT).
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies and entrepreneur owner in technology and advisory firms. In government, he served in the executive branch under Presidents Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and on Capitol Hill. He has established non-profit foundations to assist college students, orphans and the handicapped in Vietnam. Mr. Pham is publicly recognized for his leadership and management abilities.
Early life
Mr. Pham grew up in Saigon, VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. In 1977, at the age of 19, he led his family on a high-seas escape to the United States. They settled in Colorado, where Pham became a factory worker making baby-strollers, learned English and later attended college on a scholarship. He received a B.S. in marketing and international business from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, and won a scholarship to study in England. His graduate degrees, earned concurrently at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, include an M.B.A. in international and organizational management, an M.A. in international economics and a special diploma in public policy management.
VietNamNet Media Group
Mr. Pham is the Vice Chairman of VietNamNet Media Group. During 2006-2007, he served as its Chief Executive Officer and led the company through a major restructure to realign business units and ready the company for significant domestic and international expansion. VietNamNet is the leading media, entertainment and internet company in Vietnam. Its main business lines include online news portal, weekly and monthly magazines, mobile value-added services, daily cable TV programs, and brand marketing and media management.Vietnam Education Foundation
From 2003 to 2006 Mr. Pham was the founding Executive Director of the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), an independent U.S. agency created to bring Vietnam and the United States closer through educational exchanges. Mr. Pham started the agency from scratch and within three years built it into an internationally renowned success, with more than 200 top Vietnamese scholars at leading U.S. graduate schools. The U.S. Government has replicated VEF’s operating model to globally expand its well-established Fulbright program.Utility Choice Electric
Prior to VEF, Mr. Pham was the senior managing director at Utility Choice Electric, a private retail electric provider in Houston. He was responsible for business strategies, corporate partnerships and alliances, and efforts to secure financial resources to propel the company’s strategic growth.4Real Ventures
Before joining UCE, Mr. Pham was the managing principal of 4Real Ventures, a private company involved in hi-tech startups in Silicon Valley and Vietnam. He contributed significantly to the growth of internet deployment and software industry in Vietnam. Through his ventures, Microsoft was able to gain access to hundreds of Vietnamese software engineers and trained them to use Microsoft development tools and technologies. He pioneered software export initiatives for Vietnamese companies and led them into the U.S. market. Among his many entrepreneurial ventures, Mr. Pham has also founded an advisory practice to help large U.S. companies in Asia/Pacific. He assisted his corporate clients in formulating strategies, assessing markets and pursuing business acquisitions across the region.Tenneco
From 1992 to 1997, Mr. Pham was an international executive at Tenneco. He joined the company as a member of the CEO’s executive turnaround team. He led Tenneco into the Asian energy markets and served as its first Vice President and General Manager for Asia/Pacific. Under his leadership, Tenneco gained a significant presence in the region in both gas pipeline and power generation business.Pentagon
From 1989 to 1992, Mr. Pham served as an appointed Pentagon official for international security affairs under the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He counseled senior defense officials on economic, political and security issues in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Mr. Pham also supervised staff groups to carry out highly sensitive missions that cut across organizational lines and required executive direction. During the Persian Gulf War, Mr. Pham was a member of the Pentagon crisis management team. He played an early role in formulating the Coalition Burden Sharing Plan that raised $60 billion for the allied forces.Procter & Gamble International
From 1986 to 1989, Mr. Pham was a marketing manager at Procter & Gamble International. He helped construct P&G’s strategic Asia entry plan that led to the company’s success in that part of the world. Mr. Pham also managed several special marketing programs for the U.S. market, including reversing the decline of a $30 million beauty care business.White House
From 1985 to 1986, Mr. Pham served in the Reagan Administration as a White House Fellow and special assistant to the U.S. Trade Representative. He was among the youngest ever chosen for the program. Mr. Pham took part in rigorous bilateral trade negotiations between the U.S. and Asian countries. He has also been a congressional aide to U.S. senator Gary Hart and a project consultant to the U.S. Agency for International Development in Bangkok.Vietnam Foundation
In 2008, together with Dr. H. Ray Gamble and Mr. Robert Schiffer, Mr. Pham founded the Vietnam Foundation (VNF), a non-profit organization, which is dedicated to improving the lives of the Vietnamese people through education. VNF operates as a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization. VNF headquarters is located in Washington D.C., with a representative office in Hanoi, Vietnam.One of VNF focuses is Open Educational Resources
Open educational resources
Open educational resources are digital materials that can be re-used for teaching, learning, research and more, made available for free through open licenses, which allow uses of the materials that would not be easily permitted under copyright alone...
of which Mr. Pham is a strong supporter. VNF is running Vietnam Open Educational Resources (VOER) and is the founding member of the alliance for Vietnam Open Learning Technologies (VOLT).
Philanthropic activities
From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Pham took a personal sabbatical to spearhead a quiet and successful campaign to free political prisoners in Vietnam and to complete a poetry collection. He conducted behind-the-scene negotiations on the fate of political prisoners and coordinated bargaining positions between U.S. and Vietnamese security officials. Under his initiative, more than 400 prisoners were released from labor camps and allowed to emigrate to the U.S. He has also founded a non-profit foundation to support orphanages, build schools and fund college scholarships in Vietnam.Vietnam Forum Foundation
Mr. Pham was the founder and chairman of the Vietnam Forum Foundation, and was also a board member of the Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped.Awards and recognition
- 2007: Pacific Leadership Fellows, School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) at UC San Diego
- 2006: Vinh danh nước Việt Award
- 2006: Torch of Tomorrow Award for the accomplishments at VEF
- 2004: Honorary doctorate of law degree from Pfeiffer UniversityPfeiffer UniversityPfeiffer University is a private university located in the village of Misenheimer near Richfield, North Carolina.- History :Pfeiffer originated from a home school operated by Miss Emily Prudden in the late 19th century...
- 2000: White House Fellows Legacy of Leadership Award for the philanthropic activities
- 1996: "Never Fear, Never Quit" Award
- 1994: Tenneco Leadership Award for the business achievements
- 1993: Term-member of the Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign RelationsThe Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
and a participant in the American AssemblyThe American AssemblyThe American Assembly, a non-partisan public policy forum, was founded in 1950 by Dwight D. Eisenhower and has become his most enduring achievement and legacy as Columbia University president... - 1992: U.S.-Japan Leadership Fellow by the Japan SocietyJapan Society (New York)Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that aims to brings the people of Japan and the United States closer together through understanding, appreciation and cooperation...
- 1992: Secretary of Defense Achievement Award
- 1990: "Most Outstanding 100 Alumni" in the Stanford University's 100-year history
- 1988: P&G Chairman’s “Turnaround of the Year” Award
- 1986: Young Leader by the American Council on Germany
- 1985: White House FellowWhite House FellowsThe White House Fellows program was established by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. President Johnson articulated that the mission of the program was "to give the Fellows first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the federal government and to increase...