Carlsberg Vietnam Builds Teams Through Trust and Empowerment

When business leaders talk about high performance, they usually mention strategy and targets. But at Carlsberg Vietnam, the conversation starts somewhere else: whether people feel trusted enough to take ownership.

At the Work the Nordic Way 2026 conference in Vietnam, leaders from the brewing company shared how they're building stronger teams by removing layers of control and adding more room for employees to operate. Managing Director Andrew Khan explained that growth happens faster when teams have clarity and trust, not more oversight.

"Growth culture is not something we put on slides; it's how we work every day," Khan told attendees on May 21. When people feel empowered, they solve problems earlier and take greater ownership of outcomes.

The company is applying Nordic leadership principles like flat organizational structures and collaborative decision making, but adapting them to fit Vietnamese workplace culture. Senior Director of People & Culture Dang Tran Ngoc Ngan emphasized that building trust in Vietnam requires open communication and creating safe spaces where employees feel comfortable raising challenges and trying new approaches.

Carlsberg Vietnam recently launched SHELeads, a women's leadership community designed to strengthen confidence and capability among future female leaders. The initiative supports Carlsberg Group's global goal of reaching 42 percent women in senior leadership roles by 2032.

In 2025, the company signed the Women's Empowerment Principles established by UN Women and the UN Global Compact, reinforcing their commitment to gender equality through structured talent development and succession planning.

The Ripple Effect

This approach is responding to a broader shift in what Vietnamese workers want from their jobs. Employees today are seeking more than better salaries. They want flexibility, wellbeing support, meaningful career development, and workplace experiences where they feel valued.

Ngan noted that psychological safety forms the foundation of everything the company does. When people feel safe to speak up and learn from mistakes, they build stronger workplaces together.

The shift away from traditional hierarchical control toward trust-based empowerment shows how companies can adapt global values to local contexts while creating environments where both business results and human wellbeing can thrive.