On September 27, 2025, at the “Asia’s Top Trusted Brand Awards 2025” ceremony, Ms. Tran Thi Lam, senior advisor of Hoa Lam Shangri-La Healthcare, was named among Asia’s excellent leaders 2025.
The honor, presented by the Asian Economic Research Institute, recognizes entrepreneurs who have driven strong business growth while making significant contributions to the economy, society, and community.
Ms. Lam was born into a revolutionary family in a poor mountainous district in Quang Ngai Province. After her father passed away early, she helped her mother support the family. She graduated from Nghia Binh Medical Secondary School (now Dang Thuy Tram College) and first worked as a physician’s assistant at Geological Division 502. In 1988, she set aside further study and moved south to earn a living, taking with her only determination, extraordinary resilience, five children, and an old bicycle.
Through perseverance, she gradually built Hoa Lam Group into a major multi-sector corporation. Her credibility and reputation have extended internationally, attracting cooperation with leading global organizations and multinational companies.
One of her most notable achievements is HCMC High-Tech Healthcare Park, which she founded and developed. Launched in 2008 as a joint venture between Hoa Lam Services, Shangri-La Healthcare Investment (Singapore), and Aseana Properties Limited (UK), the project became Vietnam’s first and largest international-standard medical complex. With advanced hospitals, education programs, and research initiatives, it has brought Vietnamese healthcare closer to global standards.
At the heart of the complex are City International Hospital (CIH) and Gia An 115 Hospital, both equipped with advanced specialties such as cardiology, neurology and stroke, spine care, dialysis, obstetrics and pediatrics, aesthetics and regenerative medicine, and IVF. They house some of the world’s most advanced equipment, including the SOMATOM Force VB30 CT scanner, which is only available in a handful of developed countries.
Both hospitals have also gained international recognition, becoming the first in Vietnam accredited by the American Accreditation Commission International (AACI). At the same 2025 ceremony, they were also named among the “Asian’s Top 10 Trusted Brand Awards 2025”.
The Healthcare Park is also home to the Viet Nhat Tissue Bank, certified to ISO 14644 standards and pioneering research and applications in stem cell technology.
Beyond building a modern medical complex, Ms. Lam has advanced humanitarian values through community programs. Under her leadership, CIH and Gia An 115 have provided free medical check-ups and medicine, scholarships for underprivileged students, and medical equipment donations to localities.
During the toughest months of the Covid-19 outbreak in 2021, she made the decisive move to convert both hospitals into Covid-19 treatment centers, helping relieve pressure on frontline facilities. She also contributed hundreds of billions of dong, medical equipment, and essential supplies to quarantine centers and field hospitals across Vietnam and even abroad, including Japan and Germany. In November 2021, the HCMC People’s Committee awarded her and both hospitals certificates of merit for their contributions.
Despite her demanding role as strategic advisor to Hoa Lam Group and affiliated units, Ms. Lam has pursued lifelong learning. At 67, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Banking and was recognized as an outstanding student by the Banking and Finance Institute at the National Economics University.
The Asia’s excellent leaders 2025 award is a well-deserved recognition of Ms. Tran Thi Lam — a resilient businesswoman guided by integrity, trust, and vision. It stands as both a source of pride and a motivation for her to continue advancing Vietnam’s healthcare system, ensuring high-quality treatment at home, reducing medical spending abroad, and positioning Vietnam as a trusted medical tourism destination in Asia.
