Nguyen Chi Thang
Major
Campus
Graduation Year
Initiative/ Project/ Organisation
Role at the organisation
Current location
Values
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Leading a well-established Swedish organization as a Vietnamese professional presents inherent challenges. Bridging cultural differences, aligning expectations, and motivating a Swedish team—while navigating language barriers and contrasting leadership styles—requires adaptability and empathy. These complexities are further intensified by a turbulent macro environment marked by war in Europe, sluggish economic growth, and increasing global fragmentation.
Seek first to understand then be understood
My motivation in leading Nutifood Sweden is to prove the value of a fusion leadership style—combining the democratic, consensus-driven approach of Scandinavia with the fast-paced, results-oriented style of Asia. This project is a real-world test of whether such a hybrid model can succeed in a cross-cultural business environment.
The core challenge has been bridging the cultural and operational gap between Asian business expectations and Swedish working culture. Differences in speed, communication, and leadership styles created friction and misalignment. Making this fusion work required deep cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and a clear vision.
After two Swedish CEOs led the company in 2019 and 2020 without success, I stepped in as CEO in 2021. At that time, Nutifood Sweden was a loss-making company. Through strategic restructuring, cultural integration, and team empowerment, we turned the business around—achieving profitability in 2023, with continued growth since.