How Citibank’s first Vietnam CEO is now building the country’s next generation of global-ready startup leaders

Vietnam’s digital economy is booming. With over 4,000 startups, two unicorns, and projected digital revenues of $45–52 billion by 2025, the country is Southeast Asia’s fastest-rising tech star. But beneath the surface, a quiet structural challenge threatens to cap its potential: a lack of globally fluent leadership that can scale companies beyond local success.

That’s where Bradley Lalonde comes in.

The former Citibank Vietnam CEO, AmCham Vietnam co-founder, and 30-year veteran of Vietnam’s business transformation, Lalonde has launched the Global Mini MBA — a mission-driven executive program aimed squarely at closing the leadership capability gap in Vietnam’s startup ecosystem.

“We don’t need more accelerators. We need founders who can lead 500-person teams, raise capital from global funds, and manage across borders,” says Lalonde. “This program isn’t academic — it’s strategic infrastructure.”

From Wall Street to West Lake: A builder’s journey

Lalonde first arrived in Vietnam in 1994, just after the normalization of US–Vietnam diplomatic ties. He reopened Citibank’s operations after a 19-year absence, then helped set up AmCham Vietnam, where he served as its first elected chairman during the bilateral trade agreement era. Later, as Managing Partner at Vietnam Partners LLC, he led over $150 million in private investments into growth-stage Vietnamese companies. Notable early-stage, pre-listing investments included Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI), Vinasun — then the largest taxi company in Vietnam — Minh Phu Seafood, the world’s largest shrimp processor and exporter by volume, Cau Tre Export Goods Processing Company, and FPT Software, the leading IT company in Vietnam. 

But even with decades of capital, deals, and diplomacy behind him, he’s chosen to invest his most valuable asset — his time — into something else: people.

“Vietnam has energy, talent, and vision. What’s missing is executive discipline,” he says. “That’s what this Mini MBA is designed to build.”

The Global Mini MBA: Not another program — a strategic platform

Designed by the Vietnam Partners Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (VPCEI) in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s William Davidson Institute, the Global Mini MBA is a 10-week hybrid program for startup founders, mid-level executives, and innovation leaders in Vietnam’s tech space.

What makes it different?

• Built for Vietnam: Real-world business cases, not Harvard hypotheticals. Every module is tied to a local challenge — whether it’s managing family capital, navigating state regulation, or scaling across ASEAN.
• Global and local faculty: Co-taught by top-tier U.S. professors and Vietnamese operators who’ve built and exited companies in the region.
• Outcome-driven: No academic papers. Participants complete live business challenges — fundraising pitches, go-to-market simulations, or investor memos.
• Investor alignment: Each cohort culminates in a showcase where founders present to local and international investors.

“This is not about earning a degree,” says Lalonde. “It’s about earning the tools — and confidence — to lead at the next level.”

Vietnam’s startup moment — and the execution bottleneck

Vietnam has everything going for it: high mobile penetration, young tech-savvy talent, and rising foreign interest in its startup ecosystem. And yet, many promising startups hit the ceiling.

Why?

Because while Vietnam has improved access to funding, strategic leadership still lags. According to Lalonde, many founders struggle with fundamentals: managing multi-functional teams, scaling operations across provinces or markets, or communicating with global VCs and partners.

“The big risk is that Vietnam builds 10,000 startups — and too few scale beyond Series A,” he warns. “We don’t just need startups. We need leaders of scale.”

Not just an education — a national investment

The Global Mini MBA is not a commercial play, says Lalonde. It’s a public-purpose platform, backed by a lifelong commitment to Vietnam’s economic rise. For him, this isn’t about retirement — it’s legacy.

And his legacy is not measured in branches or buildings, but in human capital: the next generation of Vietnamese founders who think globally, lead with vision, and scale with strategy.

Applications now open

The first cohort of the Global Mini MBA begins in September 2025. Applications are open to:

• Startup founders and co-founders
• Product and operations leads from growth-stage ventures
• Innovation managers in local and regional corporates

The program will be delivered through a hybrid format — live sessions in Vietnam, online modules, guest lectures from U.S. faculty, and final pitch showcases.

Final thoughts

Tech is rewriting Vietnam’s economic story — but founders need more than energy and funding to reach their full potential. With the launch of the Global Mini MBA, Lalonde is building something far more enduring than a school: he’s constructing a bridge between Vietnam’s entrepreneurial passion and the global expertise needed to thrive beyond its borders.

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