Nguyen Thuy Trang

LEAVING A SPORTS RETAIL GIANT TO PURSUIT OPPORTUNITIES IN FINTECH – NGUYEN THUY TRANG

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars." – Thuy Trang’s mantra has been her personal compass in life and career. As a proud graduate of BUV’s Marketing Management programme, Trang has always given her all to every goal, pushed boundaries and pursued excellence.

After landing a role at a leading global sports retail group, Trang still hungered for more. With a spark for Marketing and a growing curiosity for the world of Fintech, she boldly decided to leave the corporate comfort zone and take on a marketing role at a Fintech start-up. It was a bold move – one that brought both exciting opportunities and plenty of challenges – but it marked a major turning point in her career. Trang’s journey is a testament to the power of following your passion, embrace change, and carve your own path.

From BUV, Trang dared to dream big, made bold decisions, and has steadily built a remarkable career in the marketing field.

A strong springboard from BUV: Where big opportunities begin

Crowned as the BUV Scholarship Winner in 2019, Thuy Trang graduated with flying colours from the Marketing Management programme, proudly earning Upper Second-Class Honours. Throughout her academic journey, she constantly pushed her boundaries and shone bright with impressive achievements – including three Academic Merit Awards and being recognised as a “Outstanding Contribution as Student Ambassador” for her positive impact during the 2019 – 2020 academic year.

For Trang, her three years at BUV were truly transformational – a time of growth in both mindset and skills. Here, she built a solid foundation knowledge in marketing while sharpening essential skills like critical thinking, data analysis, and teamwork – key ingredients for thriving in today’s dynamic workplaces.

And it was this very foundation that empowered her to step into the corporate world – eventually landing a role with one of the world’s leading sports retail giants.

Stepping outside the comfort zone to follow Fintech passion

After more than 18 months working as a Communications Executive at a leading international sports retailer, Thuy Trang felt a growing desire for something more – a dynamic, agile environment where bold ideas could thrive, and where individuals could make a genuine impact on the community.

Instead of continuing down the retail path, Trang made the decision to apply to GIMO, a pioneering Fintech start-up in Vietnam that provides comprehensive employee welfare solutions and HR tech services for businesses. Fast-paced and full of youthful energy, GIMO offered Trang something even more valuable – a mission she believed in.

“From the moment I learned about GIMO, I was drawn to its purpose – helping workers improve their financial wellbeing through simple, practical, and timely support solutions.”

The leap from a global corporation to a rapidly-growing start-up wasn’t just a career move – it was a bold statement of courage and conviction. Trang embraced the challenge with a fresh mindset, deeply aware of the impact her work could bring:

“I know that every campaign I launch not only supports GIMO’s growth, but also delivers tangible value to thousands of workers – our customers. And that, to me, is the most rewarding part of this journey.”

Lessons from the start-up environment

Like many young professionals at the start of their careers, Thuy Trang’s journey into the marketing world wasn’t without its bumps and learning curves. However, with each step, she gained valuable insights – not just for herself, but for fellow fresh graduates taking their first leap into the industry.

Her first piece of advice is learning to connect the dots – taking what you've studied at BUV and applying it creatively and flexibly to real-world situations. Whether it’s analytical thinking, logical reasoning, research skills, independent learning or creative problem-solving, these are the skills companies are truly looking for in future talent. Mastering them early on could be your biggest competitive edge in today’s fast-paced world.

For those thinking of diving into the start-up environment, Trang highlighted three key lessons she learned during her time at GIMO – lessons that are deeply woven into the DNA of any thriving start-up – Speed, Creativity and Courage to Experiment – the fuel for innovation and personal growth.

We’d love to hear where life has taken you since BUV. Share your story with us at alumnirelations@buv.edu.vn