Recap SMU Executive Dialogue: Finance, Transformation and Talent in Action

On the afternoon of 29 July 2026 at The Sentry C, Sonatus Building, Singapore Management University (SMU) Vietnam hosted Executive Dialogue | Strategy in Action: Driving Value through Finance, Transformation and Talent. The event brought together business leaders, experts and strategists to discuss how organisations create sustainable value in a volatile economic period.

BlockchainWork attended with three representatives: Ms. Le Ngoc My Tien – CEO & Cofounder, Mr. Koichiro Abe – Cofounder, and Hannah Teh – Community Growth intern at BlockchainWork from SMU. As part of the programme, BlockchainWork was also one of the companies taking part in the Corporate Pitching Session.

The dialogue was set against a global and Vietnamese economy entering a multi-speed phase, where each industry, market and company moves at its own pace. Some organisations are already using AI and digital transformation to build new advantages; others are still navigating interest rates, geopolitical volatility, shifting customer behaviour, sustainability requirements and productivity pressure.

The new role of the CFO in the AI era

The keynote was delivered by Ms. Yvonne Chan, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of SMU. With nearly 30 years of experience in finance, governance and strategic planning, including senior leadership roles across Singapore’s public sector such as Enterprise Singapore and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, she offered a practical view on how the finance leadership role is shifting.

“The CFO is no longer just a financial controller. The CFO must become a strategic partner to the business, involved in resource allocation, risk management, driving transformation and developing people.”

In her view, the modern CFO wears several hats at once: business partner, guardian of compliance and risk, driver of technology and automation, owner of data analytics and security, and builder of partnerships. More importantly, the CFO should not appear only at the final approval step but be present while business decisions are still taking shape – moving from “the person holding the brake” to part of the growth engine.

Another notable point concerned how numbers should be read. “Financial statements always reflect the past. Investors do not invest because of where a company has been, but because they believe in where it is going.” For startups without a long operating history this is even more true: the market cares about where the company is investing, whether the product risks becoming obsolete, and whether the leadership team can execute.

For the same reason, when budgets are reviewed, historical data speaks louder than a polished plan: “If for years you forecast a result of 45 but only deliver 30, I will not keep believing that number without new evidence.” Conversely, an unspent budget is not necessarily an achievement, because “money always has a time value and there is always an opportunity cost.”

From basic AI to business process transformation

The discussion on AI was arguably the part that gave attendees the most to think about. Ms. Yvonne Chan argued that using AI tools to draft emails or plan a trip is only a starting point.

“The real value of AI lies in changing how a business operates, lifting productivity and helping leaders make better decisions.”

The level of adoption to aim for is process automation, data analytics, forecasting and decision support, accompanied by building prompting capability across teams and integrating AI into the work of each department. SMU itself has applied a human-in-the-loop approach in several processes such as admissions screening: AI performs the first filter, while people carry out detailed assessment, interviews and the final decision.

That approach shows AI does not necessarily replace people; it frees them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on analysis, advisory work, planning and improvement. A very practical reason was also raised: hiring for monotonous data entry roles keeps getting harder, so redesigning job roles is close to inevitable.

Three perspectives on one stage

After the Q&A, the panel brought three different views of the same problem onto the stage, moderated by Ms. Caressa Hanh Truong, an SMU alumna.

Ms. Yvonne Chan continued the perspective of an educational institution transforming itself from within. Mr. Prajith Nair – Senior Vice President and Head of Learning & Innovation at FPT Software, FPT Corporation – brought experience from a large technology company, where he leads initiatives helping businesses and workers adapt to the future of work through talent development, digital transformation and workforce capability building.

Mr. Bui Hai Nam – CEO and Cofounder of Finan – represented the view of an entrepreneur working directly with the smallest businesses in the economy. Finan is one of the technology platforms in Vietnam supporting micro and small businesses in their digital transformation through technology and financial solutions, helping thousands of them access technology, optimise operations and open up growth opportunities. Placed side by side, the three perspectives showed that transformation is not a privilege of large organisations: different scales simply require different starting points.

Talent, lifelong learning and the bridge between universities and business

After the break, Ms. Prasanthi Guda – Director of the Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre at SMU – introduced the One-SMU Talent Solution initiative. With years of experience in career development and industry engagement, she works closely with industry partners, employers and the student community to narrow the gap between education and the constantly shifting needs of the labour market. One-SMU Talent Solution follows exactly that direction: consolidating the touchpoints between the university, students and companies into a single entry point, so that businesses can access talent more easily and students become career-ready sooner.

Ms. Yvonne Chan also underlined a view on education: “One degree is no longer enough for a 40-year career. Learning has to continue throughout life.” The stackable credentials model allows working professionals to return to university several times, accumulating credits from short courses and progressing towards practice-oriented master’s programmes.

Her closing message to attendees applies to any role: “Whatever position you are in, keep asking: what is the organisation trying to achieve? Then align yourself with that strategy and help turn it into real results.”

BlockchainWork shares the Blockchain/Web3 talent ecosystem

At the Corporate Pitching Session, CEO Le Ngoc My Tien represented BlockchainWork in a roughly three-minute presentation. It outlined the overall picture of the Blockchain/Web3 industry, hiring demand and the shortage of specialised talent, and how BlockchainWork connects companies with the right candidates.

The BlockchainWork solution ecosystem was introduced at a high level: a recruitment platform dedicated to Blockchain and Web3, market research advisory, blockchain talent sourcing, support for companies building and scaling their teams, and connection activities with universities, businesses and the technology community. The positioning BlockchainWork pursues is that of a bridge – between companies that need people, candidates who need opportunities, universities that need outcomes for their students, and a Blockchain/Web3 community that needs a place to converge.

“Blockchain and Web3 in Vietnam still hold a lot of room to grow, but the specialised talent gap remains the biggest barrier: companies need people who can deliver from day one, while candidates do not have enough touchpoints to enter the industry. BlockchainWork is actively solving that by connecting the professional community and working alongside strategic partners, instead of leaving each side to figure it out alone.” – Ms. Le Ngoc My Tien, CEO & Cofounder of BlockchainWork.

Expanding connections between business, education and the tech community

Two hours of networking closed the programme and opened up opportunities for BlockchainWork to exchange directly with business leaders, experts and SMU’s partner network on AI, digital transformation, financial strategy and talent development.

BlockchainWork sincerely thanks SMU Vietnam for hosting a high-quality programme that helps advance the dialogue between business and education, and looks forward to continuing to work with SMU on corporate engagement, talent development and the expansion of the Blockchain and Web3 ecosystem in Vietnam.

Building the Blockchain – Web3 talent pool is not a journey anyone can take alone. Whether you are a candidate looking for opportunities in the industry, a company that needs a specialised team, or simply someone following how this market moves, keep following BlockchainWork so you do not miss new job openings, market reports and upcoming connection activities. Join the community to get the earliest updates and talk directly with people working in the field.

Closing

BlockchainWork sincerely thanks SMU Vietnam for hosting a high-quality programme that helps advance the dialogue between business and education, and looks forward to continuing to work with SMU on corporate engagement, talent development and the expansion of the Blockchain and Web3 ecosystem in Vietnam.

Building the Blockchain – Web3 talent pool is not a journey anyone can take alone. Whether you are a candidate looking for opportunities in the industry, a company that needs a specialised team, or simply someone following how this market moves, keep following BlockchainWork so you do not miss new job openings, market reports and upcoming connection activities. Join the community to get the earliest updates and talk directly with people working in the field.

Event highlight moments:

 

BlockchainWork

BlockchainWork – Vietnam’s leading blockchain talent community, connecting passionate candidates with pioneering companies in blockchain and Web3. With 20,000+ registered candidates and 300+ hiring companies, BlockchainWork is the specialized platform for blockchain careers in Vietnam.

Partnership enquiries: contact@blockchainwork.net

Learn more at: blockchainwork.net

Latest blockchain jobs: blockchainwork.net/viec-lam-moi-nhat

Employers connect with young talent at: blockchainwork.net/employer-signup

Candidates grab new opportunities at: blockchainwork.net/candidate-signup

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