Dang Huy Thanh

Scholar background

Thanh is the Sourcing Unit Manager at Unilever Vietnam, where he has worked for more than 12 years. Unilever is one of the world’s largest multinational consumer goods companies. He started as a Management Trainee in 2008, became a Project Leader and was later promoted to Plant Manager and then Factory Manager before achieving his current role. During his time at Unilever, he led the team responsible for building the Bac Ninh Home Care Liquid Factory from the ground up.

Thanh is now in charge of the end-to-end supply chain, including all import and export activities, and inter-cluster sourcing strategies. He is also the Division Head for non-manufacturing operations, including data-driven planning and third-party management.

Thanh earned his bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the Faculty of Industrial Enterprises Automation at Hanoi University of Technology in 2008, and his Master of Global Trade at RMIT University through the Hinrich Global Trade Leader Scholarship Program in 2023.

Personal statement

Never during my 12 years with Unilever – serving in both domestic and regional roles – have I witnessed the type of challenges that we have faced over the past 24 months due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic continues to impact the whole supply chain operation, from raw material sourcing to manufacturing, and from local logistics to cross-border sourcing activities. The “new normal” not only requires an agile, resilient approach to work, but also new expertise in multiple areas including trading, logistics and inventory management.

In my current roles overseeing manufacturing at our northern Vietnam factory as well as third-party factories, and driving growth as Division Head for Foods and Refreshment, I am hoping to bring my build and leverage my experience and networks to better serve the community.

I am confident that the knowledge I will gain from the strong MGT curriculum and the calibre of the fellow professionals in my cohort will help me fulfil my career ambitions at Unilever. Furthermore, the networking opportunities will open me up to a world of mentors, coaches, and partners that I can learn from, cooperate with and contribute to.