PAN Group shares its journey of building an ecosystem at the global forum

From July 3 to 5, the Global Summit of Women 2025 (GSW 2025), themed "Women: Restoring value in the digital age," took place in Berlin, Germany. As part of the summit, the Women Entrepreneurs Forum was held to provide a space for female entrepreneurs to exchange and share their business stories.

At the forum, Nguyen Thi Tra My, Co-founder and CEO of PAN Group, shared that she was fortunate to start her entrepreneurial journey in the agriculture sector at Biomin Vietnam, a 100% foreign-invested company from Austria.

After leaving Biomin Vietnam, she and Nguyen Duy Hung co-founded PAN Group with a simple yet burning vision: to elevate Vietnamese agriculture.

The CEO of PAN Group said that, for her, agriculture is not merely a business. It is a mission and an opportunity to improve the lives of millions of Vietnamese people and, on a broader scale, to contribute to global food security.

From the very beginning, PAN was established based on an M&A (mergers and acquisitions) model, aiming to bring together leading enterprises in the agriculture, aquaculture, and food sectors.

"At that time, we were fortunate to receive long-term support from investment funds and financial institutions, partners who shared the ambition of building a high-quality, closed-loop agriculture and food ecosystem in Vietnam," said Tra My.

Following the M&A activities, the group not only underwent restructuring but also transformed significantly, enabling its member companies to grow and succeed as they have today. More importantly, PAN Group connected its members into a cohesive and sustainable ecosystem.

As PAN's capabilities and position continued to grow, we raised capital by attracting additional strategic partners such as Sojitz Group (Japan) and C.P. Group (Thailand), through private placements.

At the same time, we gained access to a variety of financial instruments, including bonds guaranteed by CGIF (a trust fund of the Asian Development Bank) and loans from global financial institutions such as Standard Chartered and SMBC.

"Through multiple deals, we realized that the more trust you build, the more resources you attract, not just financial capital, but also true partners who are willing to join you on the path of long-term development," said the CEO of PAN Group at the forum.

Through cooperation among leading companies within the PAN ecosystem (from seed production, plant protection chemicals, to fertilizers), the group has helped farmers increase income by 28% and reduce production costs by 26%. In addition, the company and farmers have worked together to identify solutions that significantly reduce carbon emissions in the cultivation process.

In response to a question about how she defines success today, Nguyen Thi Tra My said that, to her, success means building sustainable values that others trust, commit to, and thrive with.

That could mean creating a company where value is shared, where young people see their future, and where leaders are not only appointed but nurtured through courage, vision, and integrity.

Success is seeing the next generation confidently step into leadership roles with boldness, global thinking, and passionate hearts, doing even better than what we once achieved, also creating products from the homeland's fields and rivers that carry the soul of Vietnamese culture while meeting the world's most stringent standards.

Success is helping farmers increase their income and proving that sustainability and prosperity can go hand in hand.

"My success is not measured by profit figures, but by the sustainable values I can leave behind for future generations. I hope to stay healthy so I can help underprivileged children go to school, nurture their dreams, and inspire them to become valuable members of society," the female leader emphasized.

At present, the greatest challenge for PAN Group is no longer growth; it is succession. If we believe in the younger generation, give them the opportunity to "think differently, act boldly," and guide them with clear objectives, the company will not only grow but grow sustainably and enduringly.

The 2025 Global Summit of Women was held in Berlin, Germany, with the participation of Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, Irene Natividad, President of the Global Summit of Women, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Minh, Chairwoman of the WeLead network, along with more than 1,000 delegates including national leaders, business executives, and international organizations from over 60 countries and territories.