Eight years — a journey measured not by time, but by the standards that have been shaped and the values that have been patiently nurtured within Vietnam’s corporate governance community.
VIOD was founded in 2018 out of a belief strong enough to lead the way: a belief that Vietnamese enterprises deserve the highest standards of governance, that transparency is the foundation of enduring value, and that corporate governance, when placed at its rightful stature, becomes the common language through which businesses build trust with the market.
With the support of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), together with founding members Deloitte, Dragon Capital, and VinaCapital, VIOD began its journey with a clear mission: to strengthen the capacity of Boards of Directors and to promote sound governance practices across Vietnam’s business community. As an independent professional institution, VIOD has chosen the role of a companion to the market — not standing apart to observe, but walking alongside the market through each stage of its maturity.
The early years were years of conviction and quiet groundwork. Programs were built, one by one. Partnerships were formed, one by one. Spaces for dialogue were opened — where enterprises, regulators, and international institutions came together to discuss the core governance issues of the market. And from there, a community began to take shape.
From its earliest steps, VIOD set out to answer a question the market needed answered: how can the quality of governance be measured and recognised objectively? As the technical partner of the annual Vietnam Listed Company Awards (VLCA), VIOD has helped create an independent yardstick — allowing the market to see enterprises through the quality of their governance practices. Through the implementation of the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS) — as the technical partner authorised by the State Securities Commission — VIOD has helped Vietnamese enterprises speak the same language as regional investors, a prerequisite for integration into international capital markets. Alongside these, VNCG50 was born as one of VIOD’s signature initiatives, honouring the listed companies with the best governance practices in Vietnam and setting a new benchmark for recognising governance quality in the capital market.
Year by year, the VIOD community has grown. The Directors Certification Program (DCP), the Corporate Secretary Master Program (CSMP), and the Audit Committee Master Program (ACMP) have been continually refined — their content more closely aligned with operational realities and with the ever-rising expectations of the market. Each program is more than a course; it is a professional space where successive generations of business leaders and governance practitioners raise the standards of their own practice.
VIOD’s network of collaboration has likewise grown stronger with partners across the market. In 2019, VIOD signed its first Memorandum of Understanding with the State Securities Commission — laying the foundation for coordinated efforts to elevate governance standards at listed companies. In 2024, the Memorandum was renewed, reaffirming a shared commitment through the market’s new phase of development. In 2025, VIOD signed a Memorandum with the Vietnam Association of Certified Public Accountants (VACPA) — joining forces to advance professional expertise in auditing and internal control. In 2026, two further Memoranda were signed with the Vietnam Exchange (VNX) and VCCorp — strengthening connections with the capital market infrastructure and expanding the channels through which governance standards reach the business and investor community. Alongside these, a group of pioneering enterprises — members of the Corporate Membership Program (CMP) — have placed their trust in VIOD, building together an ever stronger corporate governance community in Vietnam. Also in 2026, on 16 April, VIOD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Talentnet Corporation — opening wider opportunities to connect the community of Board members with high-quality leadership talent for Vietnamese enterprises.
Each year, the Annual Forum and the AGM Forum have become spaces of dialogue for business leaders, Board members, market participants, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), MSCI, and international experts — together raising questions and shaping practical answers for the Vietnamese market. And year by year, those questions have found increasingly concrete answers: more than 1,000 Board members, executives, and business leaders have taken part in VIOD’s training programs; more than 100 in-depth training courses and workshops have been delivered; hundreds of listed companies now stand within the network. At a time when corporate governance has become a core criterion in the decisions of international investors, these numbers reflect VIOD’s growing role in shaping governance standards in Vietnam.
This journey has also carried VIOD beyond national borders. In 2022, VIOD became an official member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI), standing alongside peer institutes across ASEAN and around the world — a milestone affirming VIOD’s professional standing and independence within the international governance community, and opening new opportunities for its members to learn and connect beyond national boundaries.
Eight years is a journey. For VIOD, it is a foundation on which to continue. VIOD remains committed to walking alongside Vietnamese enterprises on the path of international integration — in a landscape where standards grow ever clearer, and the expectations of the market ever higher.
Our sincere gratitude goes to the partners, experts, and business community who have accompanied VIOD on the journey to this day.
VIOD — a place where knowledge and insight are continually shared, a place that connects members of Boards of Directors, and the place where the profession of corporate governance in Vietnam begins.
