STORYTELLERS
Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President, Ho Chi Minh City Peace and Development Foundation; Vice President, Viet Nam Peace Committee; Former Ambassador of Viet Nam to the E.U and Belgium (2000 - 2002); Former Vice-chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, Viet Nam National Assembly (2002 - 2007)
Following ten years in academe in Paris and Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Madam Ninh served as a career diplomat specializing in global issues (international peace and security, development, environment, governance and human rights) and multilateral institutions before being elected to Viet Nam’s National Assembly where she continued to actively work to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between Viet Nam and the world, more particularly highlighting the National Assembly’s integral role in Viet Nam’s “Doi Moi” (Reform and Renewal) and democratization.
Today, she consistently pursues her lifelong commitment to Viet Nam’s sustainable development and more
effective integration with the world. Through her frequent interaction with the public, especially youth, women and the media, she is known as one of the public figures with a meaningful voice in Viet Nam.
Madame Ninh has been awarded the French Legion d’Honneur (Commandeur), the Belgian Order of Leopold II, and the Vietnamese Medal of Labor – First Class. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) has conferred upon her an Honorary Doctorate of Social Science.
Thai My Phuong, a.k.a Tamypu was born and raised in Da Nang City, Vietnam. She then moved to Saigon to study BA in Interior Design. She also completed a Master in Sequential Design and Illustration in the UK, giving her more chances to travel to many parts of the world. Tamypu has over 11 years of experience working as Interior Designer, Author, Illustrator, Lecturer for local and international organizations.
She enjoys expressing her life experiences and discoveries, whilst supporting the young generation on transferring it's messages and stories visually to the world.
CURATOR
Irene has been based in Vietnam since 2012, and has focused on initiatives that inspire women to find their own paths, and to ignite their leadership. She is the co-author of a Book on Women Leaders, ‘Ba Trieu’s 21st Century Daughters’, the co-founder of the Women’s Story Telling Salon™, and has introduced the women leadership development programme Coming Into Your Own (CIYO) to Vietnam.
Irene’s truly global experience spans more than 20 years living and working as a certified coach and international facilitator across four continents in her country of origin (Austria), China, Brazil, New Zealand, and presently in Viet Nam.
Her Masters Degree in Sinology first brought her to China. There, in 2002, Irene became one of the first certified executive coaches working in Shanghai with Fortune 100 companies (in Mandarin).
In Brazil she continued advising as a China specialist, intercultural consultant and executive coach. There, in 2007, Irene also founded her own leadership development consultancy, iglobal Coaching ltd., which she later continued with new programmes for business and government agencies in New Zealand.
Each country and culture provided its own challenges and rewards; each move entailed deep reflections on how to best contribute to her new host country.
%20copy_.jpg)