VIETNAM. At a glittering Trinity Forum Gala Dinner in Ho Chi Minh City on 6 November, two leading industry figures – Imex Pan Pacific Group Founder & Chairman Johnathan Hanh Nguyen and outgoing Mondelez World Travel Retail Managing Director Jaya Singh – were honoured with awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Airport Commercial Revenues Sector.
Each year The Trinity Forum recognises individuals who have stood out during their careers for achievement and excellence.
An emotional Imex Pan Pacific Group Founder & Chairman Johnathan Hanh Nguyen (right) shows his appreciation after the award is presented by The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie
Assessing the career of Johnathan Hanh Nguyen – whose company co-hosted The Trinity Forum in Vietnam – The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “He has not only shaped the history of the aviation, tourism, travel retail and luxury sectors in his country but that of the nation itself.”
“It was Johnathan who effectively opened Vietnam to the world from the post-war blockades it was suffering so dreadfully from by convincing President Marcos of the Philippines to allow a Vietnam Airlines jet to fly into Manila from Ho Chi Minh City on 9 September 1985 and five days later return with vitally needed supplies.
“It was a momentous occasion in Vietnamese history and will never be forgotten by the nation. In the ensuing years Johnathan has continued to work on behalf of his country to advance its remarkable transformation this century into an emergent Asian economic powerhouse with aviation central to that dynamic.”
Johnathan Hanh Nguyen graciously accepts the award and offers thanks to the many partners in the room that support the growth of travel retail and airport commercial activities in Vietnam
Moodie added: “His is the narrative of a man dedicated to his country while simultaneously building a business empire that has transformed the nation’s fortunes across multiple business sectors, nowhere more so than in aviation, tourism and travel retail.”
Besides his leadership of one of Vietnam’s most powerful companies, IPPG, Nguyen is also Chairman of Southern Airports Services Joint Stock Company (SASCO) and of Cam Ranh International Airport Company.
Moodie also highlighted Nguyen’s philanthropic and wider Corporate Social Responsibility contributions to Vietnamese society, saying he was “truly a deserving recipient” of The Trinity Award 2024.
Of Jaya Singh, who retires in January 2025, Moodie said: “He has given tremendous service to our industry on so many levels, as a highly successful executive on one level over more than two decades for his company, and as a thoughtful, committed and passionate contributor to industry initiatives and causes.
“He has been a champion of travel retail even at the darkest of times for the channel, and an unrelenting supporter of charitable projects.
Outgoing Mondelez World Travel Retail Managing Director Jaya Singh with his award for Outstanding Contribution, as he prepares to retire in January
“He has been a leader of regional and international trade associations. I was going to say as a fierce advocate for the category he represents but there is nothing fierce about this man, just a quiet but always well-articulated wisdom.”
Moodie added: “His influence in the evolving Trinity debate over the years both in public and – less-known – behind the scenes has been immense. I, along with all those who know him in the travel retail community, will miss his contribution greatly. Just as I, in common with so many, have gained so richly from it.”
*Click here for our day-by-day coverage from The Trinity Forum on 5-6 November. ✈
