icham newsletter n.3/2014 - eng
DESCRIPTION
In this number: - Italian Leather Trends A/W 2015-2016 - Desk Vietnam in Emilia-Romagna -Vietnam Amends Customs Laws - New Financial Tools for Italian-Vietnamese EnterprisesTRANSCRIPT
JULY 2014
Newsletter
New Financial Tools For Italian
Vietnamese enterprises (p.3)
Italian Leather
Trends A/W 2015 -
2016 (p.11)
Desk Vietnam
in Emilia-
Romagna
(p.11)
Vietnam Amends
Customs Law (p.15)
N.3 /2014
Italian Prime Minister visits
Vietnam (p.6)
2
From 9th – 12th of May, Education Fair: Italian
Days on Higher Education was held for the first
time in Vietnam. This education fair introduced a
variety of education programs in Italy, from under-
graduate, graduate to exchange and transition ones,
as well as cultural activities, arts and cuisine of
Italy.
The event was organized by the Uni – Italia, the
Embassy of Italy in Vietnam, Vietnam‘s Ministry
of Education, Casa Italia, the University of Social
Sciences and Humanities (USSH), supported by
ICHAM, at Casa Italia in Hanoi and the USSH in
Ho Chi Minh City, with the attendance of more
than 12 Italian universities.
Michele D’Ercole visited the exhibition and congratulated
the photographer
During a period between May 12th and May 22nd,
an exhibition of 20 photos named ‗Nocturnal
Memories. Milano and Roma‘ by the Italian pho-
tographer Paolo Belletti was opened at Casa Italia,
offering an opportunity for visitors to discover the
hidden life of empty urban spaces.
To take his pictures, Belletti had to leave home at
midnight and returned early in the morning – at
4:00PM. ―I want to present how the cities look like
without their daytime bustle. The light of the night
changes magically the structure and shape of
every location and space. Through my photos, I
hope that people who are busy dealing with their
daily concerns and problems can stop for a while
and look around to enjoy familiar places that they
usually ignore,” he said.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION:
ITALIAN NIGHTS, MILANO AND ROMA
ITALIAN DAYS ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Page 2 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
3
EU BUSINESSES AND EU MEMBER
STATES NETWORKING
In the evening of Tuesday May 13th, ICHAM
president - Mr. Michele D‘Ercole attended a net-
working event between EU Business an EU
Member States Heads of Mission and Deputies.
On this occasion, the European Chamber of Com-
merce (EuroCham) also honorably introduced
their new chairwoman - Ms. Nicola Connolly
(photo).
On May 13th, EuroCham and BBGV invited Sir
Thomas Harris, Vice President of Standard
Chartered Bank, to share his thoughts on the
need to continue trade liberalization process,
especially the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agree-
ment.
At this meeting, Sir Thomas Harris provided a
specialized perspective on some of the chal-
lenges which Standard Chartered Bank has been
facing. He also joined with prestigious econo-
mists and policy makers to discuss how Viet-
nam and its enterprises could become a benefi-
NEW FINANCIAL TOOLS FOR DEVELOP-
MENT IN THE ITALIAN SYSTEM
The New Financial Tools for Development in the
Italian System is a fund available for Italian enter-
prises that intend to create a mixed enterprise
BUSINESS BRIEFING WITH SCB‘S
VICE CHAIRMAN FOR ASIA:
―HOW VIETNAM CAN BENEFIT
FROM A CHANGING WORLD‖
(Italian and Vietnamese) operating in one of the
designated fields. It is established aiming at pro-
moting entrepreneurship and transferring knowl-
edge as well as welfare as a means of facilitating
inclusive and sustainable development.
The manager of the fund is the Italian Ministry of
Economy and Finance (MEF) that disburses the
funds through the Directorate General for Devel-
opment Cooperation (DGCS) of the Italian Minis-
try of Foreign Affairs (MAE).
Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
Page 3
4
Commerce (ICHAM) on Thursday the 29th of
May at Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel.
Enterprise representatives had an opportunity to
meet potential partners, new suppliers and clients
to develop their business. Moreover, they could
also access a large range of innovative products
and services as well as become a part of the cor-
porate social responsibilities initiative by sup-
porting smaller ones. Fivee members of ICHAM
joining this event are: Bonfiglioli, Datalogic,
Piaggio, Generali and Perfetti van Melle.
Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
LUNCHEON WITH EU AMBASSADOR
The EU Ambassador - Dr. Franz Jessen organ-
ized a meeting between representatives of busi-
ness associations such as ICHAM President,
Eurocham President and some entrepreneurs
with Mr. Andrew Small - his transatlantic fellow
at the German Marshall Fund based in the
United States. During the meeting, Mr. Small
illustrated the crisis situation that has arisen be-
tween Vietnam and China as well as informed
some updates on the crisis in Ukraine and reflec-
tions on Asian markets.
SME – MNCs SPEED MEETING
SME – MNCs speed meeting was the only Euro-
pean Business Matchmaking event in Vietnam,
organized by the EU – Vietnam Business Net-
work (EVBN) and the Italian Chamber of
Page 4
5
VCCI MEETING WITH FOREIGN
BUSINESS COMMUNITIES IN
SOUTH VIETNAM
On Friday, May 30th 2014, a meeting was hosted
by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and In-
dustry (VCCI)‘s chairman, together with the at-
tendance of representatives from ministries, lead-
ers of Ho Chi Minh City, representatives of for-
eign business associations and FDI enterprises.
During the event, there were discussions on up-
dated information about implementing means un-
der the instructions of Vietnam Prime Minister
after the events on May 13rd &14th, feedbacks of
enterprises and measures to enhance the public
security to assist enterprises as well as investors
overcome difficulties and stabilize their activities
in Vietnam.
ICHAM PRESIDENT ON VTC 10
ICHAM President Michele D'Ercole was invited
as a guest speaker on "Sharing Vietnam" talk show
of VTC10 about the topic: ―Commercial Partner-
ship Achievement of Vietnam-Italy Private Sec-
tor‖.
During the interview, the President shared his view
on how to support the bilateral trade between Italy
and Vietnam and talked about his new assignment
as Representative of Italian Chambers of Com-
merce in Asia as well as the Italian Chamber of
Commerce in Vietnam (ICHAM) activities in the
year 2014 to foster cooperation between Italian
and Vietnamese enterprises.
He also congratulated on Vietnam‘s positive im-
provement of investment environment in terms of
law amendment and Open Policies to attract for-
eign investors.
Page 5 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
6
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS VIETNAM
Page 6 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
On June 9th, Prime Minister of the Re-
public of Italy, H.E. Matteo Renzi,
started his two – day official visit to
Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnam-
ese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung.
Beside institutional meetings, the Prime
Minister also visited Casa Italia (Italian
country promotion center) and had a
meeting with the Italian business com-
munity in Vietnam, the Italian Trade
Agency, the Italian Chamber of Com-
merce in Vietnam and representatives of
the most important Italian enterprises in-
vesting in Vietnam including: Ariston
Thermosanitari, Piaggio, Cae, Intesa San-
paolo, Bonfiglioli, Danieli, Eni, Finmec-
canica, Perfetti Van Melle, Carvico, Stu-
dio Legale De Masi Taddei Vasoli.
7
68TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITALIAN INDE-
PENDENCE DAY
Mr. Le Quang Liem – Vice President of HCMC
People‘s Committee congratulated Italian friends
on occasion of the Independence Day, emphasiz-
ing that the partnership between Vietnam and
Italy is always strengthened in all fields.
To celebrate the 68th anniversary of Italian Inde-
pendence Day (2/6/1946 – 2/6/2014), the Italian
Consulate General in HCMC held a ceremony on
2nd June, with the presence of Vice President of
HCMC People‘s Committee Mr. Le Quang Liem,
representatives of foreign embassies and consu-
lates, and the Italian community in Vietnam.
2nd June, with the presence of Vice President of
HCMC People‘s Committee Mr. Le Quang Liem,
representatives of foreign embassies and consu-
lates, and the Italian community in Vietnam.
Mrs. Carlotta Colli – Italian Consul General gave
a warm welcome to the invitees, sharing socio-
economic achievements of Italy over the past
years and expressing her joy at seeing the devel-
opment in Vietnam-Italy bilateral cooperation.
Mrs. Colli also hoped that in her position she will
contribute to foster the cooperation between the
two countries, helping people in Ho Chi Minh
City know more about Italian cultural values as
well as helping more Italian people know about
Vietnam.
Page 7 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN
VIETNAM FOR PARMESAN COM-
PANIES
ICHAM collaborated with Unioncamere Emilia-
Romagna and Chamber of Commerce of Parma to
organize a mission in Vietnam for a group of 3
companies from Parma. The Italian companies
participated in B2B meetings with potential Viet-
namese partners from 5th to 10th June, in HCMC
and Hanoi. ―Many useful contacts and prospects
for cooperation‖, one Italian enterprise remarked.
8 Page 8 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
VIETNAM BUSINESS FORUM 2014: PREPARING FOR NEW TRADE
AGREEMENTS
The 2014 Midterm Vietnam
Business Forum (VBF)
chaired by Vietnamese Prime
Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
took place on June 5th in Ha-
noi with the theme ―Agenda
to Action – Preparing for New
Trade Agreements‖.
The Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) is a structured and ongoing policy dialogue between the Vietnamese
Government and the local and the foreign business community for a favorable business environment that
attracts private sector investment and stimulates sustainable economic growth in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen
Tan Dung and ICHAM President
EuroCham Vice Chairman - Mr. Tomaso Andreatta, on behalf of
EuroCham and EuroCham‘s partner European Business Groups, pre-
sented five main points that he would like Vietnam to focus on: Re-
spect and implementation of WTO commitments prior to signing an
FTA; Distribution licensing for foreign companies; Visa issuance to
facilitate tourism and business visits; Removal of cap for foreign own-
ership, in particular as it relates to banking; and Business to Govern-
ment Dispute Settlement Procedure in the EU – Vietnam FTA.
9
ICHAM BREAKING ITS OWN RECORD OF NETPLUS
Breaking its own record of Netplus, ICHAM‘s
11th edition ―Italian Six Senses: Feel it your
way‖ held on 12th June attracted nearly 400
business guests from prestigious enterprises in
spite of bad weather. The Chamber was also
honored to welcome Italian Consul General
Carlotta Colli.
Guests were entertained with many interesting
activities in an energetic atmosphere at Hard
Rock Café. The event began with a perform-
ance ―Dance of fragrances‖, also the theme for the perfume-making game.
On this occasion ICHAM also held a ceremony to award the ―Golden Q‖- the Ospitalita‘ Italiana label
of Quality certificates to 4 Italian restaurants in Vietnam: La Hostaria, Pendolasco Italian Garden Res-
taurant, Pendolasco Italian Restaurant & Gourmet Shop and Pomodoro. Finally came the most exciting
part of Netplus when the luckiest guests had their business cards picked up and won valuable prizes
from ICHAM sponsors, with the 2 special prizes including 2 round-trip tickets from Etihad Airways.
ICHAM would like to send our sincere thanks to all sponsors for their precious contribution to
the success of the event: Asco Lotus Vietnam, Crystal Spa, Da Loc Wine, Dezan Shira, Etihad Airways,
Intercontinental Nha Trang, Hausbrandt, La Hostaria, La Perla, Nhat Tan, Park Hyatt Hotel, Pandanus
Resort, Robertet, The Drinks Shop, TAS Art & Fashion, Tombolini and Vuvuzela Beer Club.
Page 9 Newsletter N.3/2014
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10
This was a good opportunity to master the coop-
eration between the ICsCA in order to improve
the service that these organizations provide to the
Italian enterprises which desire to enlarge their
trades in foreign countries. The ICsCA also hoped
that by supporting the Italian firms, they might
contribute to foster the recovery and development
of the Italian industry.
15th MEETING OF THE SECRETARIES GENERAL OF ITALIAN
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE ABROAD
The meeting between the Executive Director (ED)
of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad
(ICsCA) took place in Rome from June 15th to
June 18th.
This annual event organized by Assocamerestero
had the aim to improve the ICsCA trade promotion
and marketing activities, further to coordinate and
update the ICsC programs.
During these meetings, the EDs could discuss and
share their ideas or suggestions. Furthermore, they
could enquire and listen to advices from numerous
experts at the meeting.
The representative of ICHAM Mr. Michele D‘Er-
cole and Mr. Hoang Hai joined the event in the
team composed by the Asia, Middle East, and
South Africa EDs.
Page 10 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
11
BRUSSELS LAUNCH OF EU-ASEAN
BUSINESS NETWORKS
Brussels, 25th June - Eurochambres organized in
collaboration with EIBN, EPDN, EVBN and with
the Italian partners of the Consortium including Un-
ioncamere Emilia-Romagna and ICHAM, a seminar
to promote and support the economic activities out-
side EU of SMEs.
This promotion activity has been identified as an
important part of the global competitiveness strat-
egy of EU, communicating for Europe 2020. In or-
der to help SMEs seize global opportunities and to
help increase and diversify their exports and invest-
ment into ASEAN regional markets, EU has co-
funded these new consortia. The consortia cannot
only provide information services for market ac-
cess, but also contribute to policy dialogue on eco-
nomic context and trade relations in their respective
countries. Also, B2B meetings were organized be-
tween companies and representatives of the three
consortia. ICHAM President Michele D'Ercole
joined the event and delivered a speech on behalf of
EVBN, and also as a representative of Unioncamere
Emilia-Romagna. Entrepreneurs have been able to
get information for their possible interest in the
ASEAN markets.
VIETNAM DESTINATION FOR
ITALIAN COMPANIES IN
AGROFOOD AND LIFESTYLE
Vietnam is now the sixth largest economy in
South East Asia with a fast-growing market and a
young population (64% in working age). To
provide Italian businesses with an overview of the
Vietnamese market, especially business
opportunities in agrofood and lifestyle industry,
Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna, ICHAM and
EVBN collaborated to organize the web-
conference “Vietnam Destination” on 24th of
June. During the conference, live streaming
between Parma and Ho Chi Minh City, the
opportunities were illustrated to Emilia-Romagna
companies. “On one hand, there can be
companies who want to move part of their
production to Vietnam, which offers low-cost but
qualified labor. On the other hand, there has
always been many companies interested in
exporting their products to this market”, noted
Mr. Michele D’Ercole, ICHAM President.
Furthermore, there were two round tables in
which the representatives of Vietnamese business
associations provided insights and answered the
questions of Italian entrepreneurs.
Page 11 Newsletter N.3/2014
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12
BUSINESS FORUM ASIA
In 19th and 20th June, PiemontE Foreign Center held
an economic forum to provide Italian enterprises
with an overview of the business opportunities in
Asia, focusing on: Japan, South Korea, Singapore,
Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The ICsCA Executive Directors coordinated the
event in collaboration with representatives of the
Italian prestigious institutions, Simest and Sace.
ICHAM Executive Director, Mr. Hoang Hai joined
the forum as speaker exposing to the Italian firms
the possibilities that Vietnam may offer to them.
Indeed, Vietnam is a perfect market for Italian com-
panies. It offers wide availability of partnerships
and many business opportunities.
The program was followed by B2B section between
ICHAM and the enterprises. Thanks to these meet-
ings, Italian enterprises could receive more insights
on the Vietnamese market.
DESK VIETNAM IN EMILIA-
ROMAGNA
ICHAM collaborated with Emilia-Romagna Re-
gion to organize a series of meetings in the prov-
inces of Bologna, Parma, Ferrara, Rimini, and
Piacenza from 23 to 27 of June. The mission,
within the framework of ―Vietnam Destination‖
project, was conducted by ICHAM Executive Di-
rector Mr. Hoang Hai, aiming at providing useful
information to Italian enterprises to expand their
trade in Vietnam.
―Vietnam Destination‖ fosters the investments and
collaborations between Italian and Vietnam firms.
Vietnam, as an emerging economy, is an ideal des-
tination for Italian companies to enlarge their busi-
ness activity. On one hand, Italian companies can
cooperate with Vietnamese companies in terms of
high technology transfer. On the other hand, Ital-
ian enterprises who face the steady Italian market
can be attracted by Vietnam‘s dynamic economy
as perfect location for the sale of finished prod-
ucts.
Page 12 Newsletter N.3/2014
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13
ITALIAN LEATHER FASHION AUTUMN WINTER 2015—2016
Page 13 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
This was a good opportunity for Vietnamese
designers and enterprises to update latest leather
fashion trends for Autumn Winter 2015-2016
and to learn about application of various leather
types through the presentation made by
Lineapelle. While the morning section was
dedicated to shoe and bag design, in the after-
noon the focus was on design for interior furni-
ture and automotive industry.
The seminar attracted more than 100 Vietnam-
ese designers and enterprises operating in
leather, footwear and interior design sectors.
Italy has long been renowned for high quality
fashion trends, especially leather fashion.
With the aim of promoting cooperation be-
tween Vietnam and Italy in leather sector, the
seminar ―Italian Leather Fashion Autumn
Winter 2015-2016‖ was organized on
11th July in Ho Chi Minh City, as part of
Trends Selection Seminars promoted by
Lineapelle (International Leather Fair Sys-
tem), in collaboration with Promos (Special
Agency of Milan Chamber of Commerce)
and the Italian Chamber of Commerce
(ICHAM).
14
SEMINAR: ‗OPPORTUNITIES & CHAL-
LENGES IN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
VIETNAM – EU‘
To present the opportunities as well as challenges
of the Vietnam – EU Free Trade Agreement and
introduce the Export Helpdesk, Vietnam Trade Pro-
motion Agency (VIETRADE), with support of the
Italian Chamber of Commerce (ICHAM), organ-
izes a seminar on July 4th.
At the seminar, there were attendances of Ms. Bui
Hoang Yen (Deputy Director of Vietrade HCMC),
Mr. Tran Ngoc Quan (Deputy Director General of
EU Department—MOIT), Mr. Le Ky Anh
(Economic & Trade Officer—Delegation of EU),
Mr. Michele D‘Ercole (ICHAM President) and rep-
resentatives of Italian companies who shared their
views from professional perspectives. The seminar
attracted more than 100 participants from both
WEB CONFERENCE BETWEEN ANCONA
(ITALY) AND HO CHI MINH CITY
(VIETNAM)
Page 14 Newsletter N.3/2014
NEWS
On July 29th, a video conference was held by
Marchet, the Special Agency of the Chamber of
Ancona in collaboration with ICHAM, Union-
camere Emilia - Romagna and EVBN. The
seminar was aimed at introducing cooperating
opportunities with Vietnamese enterprises in the
field of Wood Industry and Interior Production
to Ancona enterprises.
Speakers in Vietnam were Mr. Michele D‘Er-
cole (ICHAM President), representatives of
HAWA, TTT Corporation, IFC Company and
EVBN. In Italy, meanwhile, there were atten-
dances of the President of Marchet, representa-
tive of Unioncamere Emilia Romagna and 20
Italian enterprises who are interested in the
Vietnamese market.
15
THE STATE BANK OF VIETNAM SAYS
TO INTERVENE IN GOLD MARKET
T he Customs Law (revised) will come into
force on January 1, 2015 and to enforce it,
the Vietnamese government will have to issue
five Decrees, one Decision and 15 Circulars.
The key objective of the law‘s revision is to en-
sure that the sector has a comprehensive system
in place to respond to international integration
and import – export activities. The proposed re-
vised law also includes major principles on the
establishment of the General Department of Cus-
toms which has been received public support in
the context of socioeconomic development.
VIETNAM AMENDS CUSTOMS LAW
T he State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has
enough gold bullions that can be sold on a
large scale to intervene in the local gold market to
ensure its stability. If there are more fluctuations
in the gold market, SBV will jump in to stabilize
it, said SBV Deputy Governor Dao Minh Tu in a
press release on Sunday afternoon.
The strong measures of SBV since late 2013 suc-
cessfully fixed the disorder of the local gold mar-
ket, which included insignificant price differences
between domestic and world gold prices and the
Decision makers warned the public to carefully
consider market trends before buying or selling
gold so as to avoid unnecessary losses.
impact of speculative activities.
Decision makers warned the public to carefully
consider market trends before buying or selling
gold so as to avoid unnecessary losses.
VIETNAM PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSES
FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN WEF BLOG
POST
I n his ―Why Foreign Investment in Vietnam is
Booming‖ blog post, the Vietnamese premier
stated that attracting foreign direct investment
(FDI) has always been a key part of Vietnam‘s
external economic affairs and the country is
―working hard to become even more appealing to
foreign investors.‖
According to the Prime Minister, there were more
than 16,300 active FDI projects, which have col-
lectively pulled in a total of US$238 billion, in
Vietnam in the year to May. These investors came
from 100 countries and territories, and many of
them are some of the world‘s leading multina-
tional corporations.
In conclusion, he stated Vietnam is confident that
it will continue to find success in attracting FDI
inflows as international forecasts have suggested
that FDI flows are returning to dynamic econo-
mies as the world economy recovers.
Page 15 Newsletter N.3/2014
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16
V ietnam‘s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
has approved more international airports and
seaports to open counters for value-added tax
(VAT) refunds for the goods foreign passport
holders buy in Vietnam and bring along with them
when exiting the country from July 1.
According to Document 806/TTg-KTTH, the VAT
refund counters would be allowed at Da Nang and
Cam Ranh international airports and Da Nang and
Nha Trang international ports in central Vietnam
as well as Khanh Hoi International Wharf in Ho
Chi Minh city.
MORE AIRPORTS ALLOWED TO OPEN
VAT REFUND COUNTERS FOR FOREIGN-
ERS
A s of July 1, all people flying to Vietnam
from countries affected by the Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome caused by the Corona virus
(MERS-CoV) are required to fill out health decla-
ration forms before entering the Southeast Asian
country.
Under the new rule, visitors from nine Middle East
countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United
Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Jordan and Iran must make health declarations as a
procedure for their entry. The new regulation will
first be applied at three international airports: Noi
Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City,
and Da Nang in central Da Nang City.
VIETNAM ASKS VISITORS FROM MERS –
COV AREA TO FILL HEALTH DECLARA-
TION
V ietnam is quickly becoming a prime market
for foreign investment in e-commerce ac-
tivities. The country‘s rapidly growing economy
and middle class are, in turn, spawning a strong
consumer culture and increasing levels of dispos-
able income. Electronic retail is fast becoming the
preferred method of shopping—particularly among
the country‘s youth.
According to the market analysis firm EuroMoni-
tor, by 2016, internet penetration in Vietnam will
reach 43 million people – 40-45 percent of the to-
tal population. This percentage is thought to be the
―golden proportion‖ at which investors will pour
into the e-commerce market.(Source: Dezan Shira)
VIETNAM‘S E-COMMERCE ACTIVITIES
I nternet penetration in the country is expected to
rapidly increase – this will in-turn drive strong
growth throughout the e-commerce market. As a
result of this growth, it will become more and
more crucial to create reliable and easy to use pay-
ment systems.
While growth has been strong across the board in
Vietnam‘s e-commerce market, there are still hur-
dles for businesses to overcome. Key among these
are the lack of trust that many consumers feel
about the products they order online – they prefer
to physically touch and evaluate products before
making a purchasing decision. (Source: Dezan
Shira)
LOCAL COMPETITION HEATS UP
Page 16 Newsletter N.3/2014
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17
Members & Friends
Newsletter N.3/2014
Interview Mr. Mario Viarengo, Southeast Asian Development Di-
rector of Shell Lubricants
This interview cannot be completed without the precious collaboration of Massimiliano Bertollo.
1. Mario, how did your ‗adventure‘ to Vietnam
start?
In June 2014, I went to work in Bangkok and
Kuala Lumpur: it was my first time coming to
Asia and I am a European who struggled (and
still struggles) to start again. I was so fascinated
by the dynamics of these markets and the general
sense of optimism. When returning back to Lon-
don, I talked to my colleagues and my boss
about the excitement, after several consecutive
years working in Europe; I was willing to have
professional experience in Asia. My boss, at that
time, was surprised. ―Be aware of what you are
wishing as it may become true‖, he said. Some
weeks later, I was offered this job in Vietnam.
2. Can you share something about your family?
I got married with Alexandra - a Venezuelan.
We have an 8 - year – old daughter and a 2 –
year – old son who are accompanying us on this
adventure in Asia.
3. Recently, Angelia Jolie gave her lover – Brad
Pitt – an island in the shape of a heart. This
called Petra, 50 miles away from New York City
and cost 15 million Euros. On her next birthday,
what will you give to your wife Alexandra as a
present?
island is called Petra, 50 miles away from New
York City and cost 15 million Euros. On her next
birthday, what will you give to your wife Alexan-
dra as a present?
The heart shape is a bit cheesy so I do not think I
will take inspiration from Angelina‘s gift. How-
ever, the island is a good idea: maybe we‘ll make a
trip to one of the Asian islands that we would like
to visit.
4. How do you feel as being one of the top seniors
of a non-Italian company? That‘s true meritoc-
racy. Tell me about your role in the Shell Vietnam.
After 7 years in Belgium, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands, I came back to Italy working for
Shell in 2004. At this company, I held various po-
sitions, including Marketing and Sales, on both
national and international scales (before coming to
Vietnam, I lived in London). At Shell Vietnam, I
follow development activities of our Lubricants
Division sales network for Southeast Asia. Other
than main activities, together with our team, we
select retailers and the optimal structure of our
sales force.
Page 17
18
Members & Friends
Newsletter N.3/2014
5. Recently, 830 distributors of Shell were trans-
ferred to Q8. Can you share some brief comments
with the readers?
The transaction is in line with the strategy aimed at
concentrating Shell‘s global Downstream business
activities in a more limited number of assets and
markets, where they can be more competitive.
The Upstream, Gas & Power and Lubricants busi-
ness in Italy are not involved in this operation and
Italy still remains an important country for Shell.
For example, Shell is one of the largest investors
in hydrocarbons exploration and production in It-
aly - a country which has a strong presence and a
development strategy with fast growth prospects.
6. Speaking of meritocracy and professionalism,
what do you think and would you say to young
people who enroll in universities? Go to Albania to
graduate more easily? I remember that the son of a
prominent Senator graduated in Albania without
ever having set foot in the Land of the Eagles
(which means Albany) (verified by the Judiciary
of Milan). This person, after that, had a position in
the Board of the Lombardy Region and, among
other things, still confusing Austria with Australia.
And, I‘ll stop!
Back to us, Marino, I promise that no one will
know: you graduated in Albany and pursued MBA
in Burundi, didn‘t you?
http://www.corriere.it/scuola/13_ottobre_11/piano
-b-aspiranti-medici-bocciati-italia-provano-albania
-d102907e-3238-11e3-b846- b6f7405b68a1.shtml
The problem here is not that the son of that boss
went to Albany as hundreds of students enroll in
universities with dubious academic quality or at-
tempt to finish national examinations at easier
schools just to get the title. At least in the environ-
ment of multinational companies, these tricks can-
not be used because the selection is made on the
quality of academic training and experiences. The
same amount of time and money should be better
invested to have better opportunities and get into a
well-qualified university, maybe even abroad. As
for me, I graduated in Business Economics at Boc-
coni and obtained my Master in International Man-
agement at CEMS (Community of European Man-
agement Schools) after having studied in Belgium.
In fact, it was the opportunity to study abroad that
I then started my international career.
7. When talking about the ‗signs‘, what do you
think?
I think that all the streets in Ho Chi Minh City
should have a little more but in fact, few people
would follow them.
8. As far as I know, the types of crude oil are dif-
ferent in every country. For example, the North
Sea crude oil is far better than one of Arab nations;
therefore, the price and the quality are much
higher. Is it true?
According to some of my friends working in geol-
ogy, oil is like wine: there are different types and
depending on where it is produced, it will owns
technical features, price and yield typical for that
location.
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9. Will recently – discovered deposits of ‗black
gold‘ be sufficient for consumption in the coming
years? And as human discover more deposits of
fossil fuels (including gas, also called blue gold),
the world continues to depend inexorably on the
political adventures of a few countries, including
Venezuela, Ukraine (35% of Russian gas to the
EU passing Ukraine). Please give some of your
opinions.
The world is now in its period of unprecedented
progress and prosperity. The average wealth,
health and life expectancy are increasing. Higher
standard of living, for example, allows greater ac-
cess to hospitals, electricity and transportation. By
2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet
compared to 7 billion of today. This is equivalent
to adding the population of China and India to-
gether.
It is estimated that global energy demand will
grow by 15 – 20% by 2020, with nearly all the
growth coming from non-OECD countries such as
Vietnam. A 20% growth in demand is like adding
another China in less than a decade. During the
first half of this century, global energy demand
could double to 200 million Boe (equivalent to a
barrel of oil) per day in 2000 to approximately 400
million BOE per day by 2050. To meet energy
needs of the whole world in coming years and dec-
ades, we will need to mobilize all forms of energy.
The growth in electricity demand will outpace
overall demand for energy. By the year of 2020, it
is expected that electricity consumption will in-
crease between 25% and 35%, in comparison with
the figure of 2012. Just like electricity, natural gas
has a significantly lower impact in terms of CO2
(carbon dioxide) and a water footprint less than
coal. We are confident about the possibilities of
long-term supply. Throughout the world, there are
extensive gas reserves sufficient to last 250 years
at the current level of consumption.
10. Chiquita Brands International - an American
group that brought the bananas with blue seal
around the world blends with the historic Irish
competitor Fyffes to give birth to the global giant
banana company, with a turnover of 32.3 billion
euro.
14 billion euro is a huge amount of money which
was paid out by Mark Zuckerberg to buy
WhatsApp – a popular messaging application that
has 450 users.
Microsoft has owned Nokia at the price of 5.44
billion USD. Google completed acquisition of
Nest and invested 3.2 billion for thermostats
manufacture. I usually ask myself whether these
mergers or acquisitions in other cases will lead to
the final consumer welfare or not. What‘s your
opinion?
http://food24.ilsole24ore.com/2014/03/chiquita-si
-allea-con-il-concorrente-irlandese-nasce-il-
colosso-mondiale-delle-banane/
I think that today consumers have much more
choices than in the past. Taking messaging appli-
cations as example, WhatsApp has replaced BBM
(Blackberry Messenger) and if you cannot keep
up with the competition, the consumers will leave
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for Viber, Line or maybe an alternative that has
not existed yet. Perhaps the real question is if these
operations make sense from an industrial point of
view and if ultimately be able to remain competi-
tive.
11. What do you think of the judges who take the
path of politics?
I‘ll speak from my personal perspective. Article 49
of our Constitution states that: ‗All citizens have
the right to freely associate in parties to contribute
to democratic processes and to determine national
policy‘. I think that some professions such as mag-
istrate and journalist need precautions to avoid the
doubt that judgments or opinions expressed in
their first career have been influenced by political
guidelines and as such are not impartial. If I re-
member correctly, a career in judiciary already
provides that the resignation may not be canceled.
It may be assumed a break at the end of a magis-
trate and therefore, they possibly enter politics.
Now we come to the tricky part of the interview
12. Why does Devil always wear Prada? In your
opinion, is Prada his sponsor?
Perhaps because the historic location of Milan
(Via Turati) is very close to the first Prada store
( in Galleria, also in Milan).
13. On Feb 11 1929, Lateran pact was signed at St.
Giovanni Laterano. It was leaders of Rome and
Lazio‘s supporters who signed this pact. Accord-
ing to the pact, every year at the end of each cham-
pionship, there will be a break on gentle shores of
Lake Bracciano for 10 days (just like Decam-
eron). These young people spend their time at
banquets, dancing and playing games, and to
pleasantly occupy the hottest hours, they decided
to tell a story every day. For example, ‗What
should be a gift for a referee?‘Ham at Christmas.
Or scarves or gloves, but ham is still the best one.
‗When done eating, there is no evidence remain-
ing‘ (Massimo Moratti). Mario, when playing
football, basketballs or any other sports, have you
ever given a gift to a referee?
I‘ve never played football such at that high level
to think of gifts every Christmas. But on a profes-
sional level, I consider inappropriate to give gifts
to referees. Working many years in Northern
Europe, I saw that gifts in Italy (or other countries
like Vietnam) are a normal practice. In fact, it is
likely to be less appropriate for both the giver and
the receiver.
14. Have you read Rosso (Red), Captial or other
books of political philosophy?
I am an avid reader but I have never been at-
tracted by classical politics, neither right nor
left...maybe I can find the passion here, in the So-
cialist Republic of Vietnam.
15. In daily life and workplace, can people deal
with everything or are there things that are non-
negotiable?
I do not think that it is necessary to have two dif-
ferent measures for personal life and workplace,
and there are principles which cannot be negoti-
ated. This, in reality, can simplify problems
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because it can take away the doubt of having to
evaluate situations from time to time.
16. Both of us are married and you have definitely
experienced those ‗not-so-good moments‘; I am
finishing the convalescence after the ‗trauma‘! Tell
me one thing to do before wedding.
Forget that the perfect marriage is between a blind
woman and a deaf man…
17. It is still early to mention this but to whom will
you give the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize?
There are no distinguished personalities in these
first months that come to my mind right now.
Maybe the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize will be
awarded to organizations who have been overcom-
ing great difficulties to bring aid to people in-
volved in military conflicts. Médecins Sans Fron-
tières won the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize and after 15
years, it may be Save the Children or Emergency‘s
turn.
Thank you, Mario and wish you a good day.
w
w
w
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i
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a
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o
r
Quote of the month: <<We can face the future by
nurturing a faith, any faith…>> S. Jobs.
Van Tinh – TRAN LE
Councilor – The Italian Chamber of Commerce in
Vietnam
Email: [email protected] -
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Newsletter N.3/2014 Pagina 22
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