meet the team
meet the team
HE Mr Do Minh Hung is Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, concurrently Ambassador to Ireland. He completed a degree in International Relations at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam in 1988, before studying Political Science at Birmingham University in the UK in 1994 and subsequently securing a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Trade from Monash University in Australia in 1998. He started his diplomatic career in 1992 and has held various positions at the MFA, serving in Switzerland and Belgium before being named Ambassador to Israel from 2019-2022. The Ambassador then served as DG of the European Department before being appointed to his new role in June 2024. Ambassador Do Minh Hung was born in 1967 in Hanoi and has a family with two children.
HE Mr Iain Frew took up the position of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to The Socialist Republic of Vietnam in August 2022. Iain is a career diplomat who joined the Foreign Office in 2005. His first overseas posting was to Russia, before serving in Brussels, Latvia, Brazil and now, Vietnam.
Founder of the Network and its first Chairman from 2013 to April 2018. Ben was MP for Wirral South from 1997 until 2010. He set up and chaired the All Party Group for Vietnam. He signed the Memorandum of Understanding that governs the relationship between the two parliaments. Ben has been a regular visitor to Vietnam both privately and officially. He is married to Maureen and lives in Bath.
A diplomat for 39 years until 2008, Warwick was Britain’s Ambassador to Vietnam 2000-2003 and then to the Republic of Korea 2003-2008, where he’d served twice before. Subsequently, and among other roles, he was Adviser to Lloyd’s Insurance on Vietnam and Korea, and an External Director of Prudential’s business first in Korea and then for 9 years in Vietnam until 2022. In 2013 he was awarded the Order of Friendship by the President of Vietnam. One of the founders of the Vietnam-UK Network, he was a Vice-Chair from 2013 to 2018, and then Chair until 2023. Warwick was appointed OBE in The King’s 2023 Birthday Honours for services to the UK’s relations with Korea and Vietnam.
Mark Kent CMG has been Executive Chair of the Vietnam UK Network since April 2023. Mark joined the Scotch Whisky Association as Chief Executive in January 2022, and lives in Edinburgh. Mark previously spent 34 years in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (formerly Foreign and Commonwealth Office). He was latterly British Ambassador to the Argentine Republic (2016-2021), Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand (2012-2016) and Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2007-2010). He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to British foreign policy. Mark is also a trustee of Project Trust, an international volunteering charity for young people.
Bao Ha Pham was born in Hanoi and grew up in Nha Trang, Vietnam. She is a senior in-house counsel for a leading investment bank in London. She supports the Network in her personal capacity as a volunteer in her free time. Bao Ha is passionate about bringing Vietnam and the UK closer together in culture, friendship, people, charitable activities and more. Bao Ha studied law in Vietnam and started her legal career in Ho Chi Minh City before she was offered to join the Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi. She subsequently moved to the UK and trained with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London. Bao Ha currently lives and works in London. When in Vietnam, she considers Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang as her homes.
Matt is a long-term supporter of the Vietnam-UK Network and friend of Vietnam. He joined the Network’s mission to Vietnam in 2016 and actively supports the UK-Vietnam relationship. Matt is Head of UK-ASEAN business at KPMG LLP UK, having worked in leadership positions on International and Emerging Markets at KPMG for 15 years. His work encompasses advising clients on market entry and consolidation, interaction with governments and wider stakeholder eco-systems. He has led numerous private-sector funded trade missions globally, supporting UK business with growth opportunities across Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Matt is passionate about social mobility and the roles of sport and education in providing opportunities for all.
James Kenny is Director of Global Affairs at Arup, the global design engineering and consulting firm. He is responsible for advising on relationships with governments, key clients and stakeholder groups around the world on behalf of the Group Board, as well as managing reputational risks across the firm. James has worked in senior management positions around the globe in a number of fields, including engineering, publishing and public affairs. He holds degrees in civil engineering, management and law. He works in London and lives in Brussels.
Jakki lived in Vietnam from 2001 to 2015 during that time she was the Executive Director of the British Business Group VN and Development Director for Operation Smile Vietnam. Jakki was a Trustee with Saigon Children’s Charity for three years and joined the VN-UK Network as their Treasurer in September 2017.
Mark is a supporter of the Vietnam UK Network and a friend of Vietnam having lived in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for eight years whilst working as a lawyer and investor in the country. During his time in Vietnam, he travelled from Con Dao in the south, to Dien Bien Phu in the east to Lao Cai in the north and many points in between. He remains passionate about a country where he still has family links.
Mark is the Chief Legal Officer of British International Investment plc (BII), the UK government’s development finance institution and impact investor, which invests in businesses in developing countries, including Vietnam, seeking to achieve reasonable financial returns whilst doing some good. BII has a growing investment portfolio in Vietnam, focused primarily on the green economy and renewable energy.
Mark has attended many Network meetings over the years and is keen to support the deepening between two countries close to his heart.
Born in Hanoi, Vu moved to the UK in 2016 to pursue his education and went on to study Engineering at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He is now based in London, working at an Engineering Consultancy firm with a focus on the public sector.
Between 2020 and 2022, Vu served as Vice-President of Events for the Vietnamese Student Association in the UK (SVUK), where he led nationwide initiatives to engage and support the Vietnamese student community across the UK.
General Manager of Vietnam Airlines United Kingdom
Duncan is Head of Global Policy and Office of the Chair at Prudential plc. He used to work as an Adviser in Global Counsel and Head of SE Asia unit at UK Trade and Investment.
Thuy Anh Nguyen is Director – Portfolio Specialist at Dragon Capital.
Carina is Head of Asia Alliances at Arup, a global engineering, design, planning and consultancy firm. She is responsible for managing key client and stakeholder relations, with a special focus on inward investments from Asia and cross-regional projects.
CEO NashTech. John has worked in the information technology industry for over 35 years, beginning his career as an engineer and more recently holding senior roles at Accenture, Ernst and Young, Capgemini, Hitatchi, Infor and Gartner.
Dr Dao Quyen Truong is Counsellor at the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in the United Kingdom. Born in 1983 in Hai Phong, he is a career diplomat with nearly 20 years of experience in foreign affairs. He previously served at the Embassy of Viet Nam in the Russian Federation (2013–2016) and has held various positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam.
Dr Dao holds a Bachelor’s degree (2007), Master’s degree (2012) and PhD (2023) in International Relations. Alongside his diplomatic duties, he regularly lectures and provides training for foreign affairs officials at the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam and across provinces nationwide.