Graduating with a degree in Environmental Management from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, when Lâm Ngọc Vân Anh joined the hospitality industry in 2010, she simply wanted to experience an international environment. Starting as a secretary at InterContinental Saigon (IHG Hotels & Resorts), her path wasn’t defined by quick leaps, but by quiet persistence and a willingness to learn through everyday challenges.
Lâm Ngọc Vân Anh, Personal Assistant to the General Manager, Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
Overcoming Challenges Through Self-Learning
A major turning point came in 2014 when she was entrusted with the role of Continuous Quality Improvement (QCI) Officer. Moving beyond her familiar background in environmental safety, she found herself evaluating departments across the hotel, often working alongside colleagues with decades more experience.
“The new role was interesting, but it carried a lot of pressure,” she recalls. “I had to work alongside colleagues with far more experience than me, in areas I had never been exposed to.”
There were times when the pressure almost made her step back, especially as she was going through back-to-back pregnancies and raising two babies at the time. Instead of stepping back, she leaned on the support of her leaders and family, and developed a simple way of looking at her work: if the hotel is a machine, every department is a vital gear. Her job wasn’t to point out flaws, but to stand quietly beside the struggling gears, offering the support they needed to keep turning smoothly.
Today, as Personal Assistant to the General Manager at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, her view encompasses everything, from housekeeping to security. Yet, her approach remains the same. She views herself not as an overseer, but as a companion—always ready to listen, understand, and figure things out together.
Vân Anh at work
Connecting the Pieces with Swiss EHT
Despite her years of practical work, Vân Anh felt a quiet need to organize her experiences so she could better support her team. The opportunity came when she was nominated for the Swiss Executive Hospitality Training (Swiss EHT) program.
She found herself entirely in her element during the program. The lessons of Swiss EHT were far from dry theory; instead, they helped her make sense of the experiences she had gathered over the years.
For her, the program’s lessons weren’t dry theories but they helped make sense of the everyday realities she had lived. She noted: “The program, the instructors, and my fellow learners were all wonderful. Swiss EHT created an open learning space that encouraged me to keep growing and sharing what I know. More than that, it connected me with a network of peers from various hotels so we could learn from one another.”
The most profound change Vân Anh experienced after the program was in her approach to hospitality. Beyond simply serving guests, she gained a deeper appreciation for empathy, sustainability, and guiding a team by placing people at the center. The knowledge she gained helped her see her daily work not just as operations, but as a series of human connections—where every guest’s experience is an emotional journey that requires genuine care and sincerity.
Vân Anh and other participants of the Foundation Course at the graduation ceremony in August 2025
The Real Impact: People at the Core
The true value of the Swiss EHT program isn’t found in a certificate, but in the positive changes a person brings back to their workplace. For Ms. Van Anh, these lessons became a quiet motivation to foster a culture of care within her organization.
Returning to Hotel Indigo Saigon, Van Anh wove this “people-centric” philosophy into her daily routines. She used her new knowledge to help colleagues communicate better, fostering a workplace where people feel safe sharing ideas. Caring for the well-being of her team and the guests naturally became the compass for every decision she made.
“Never stop learning, so we can create positive value for the people around us,” she often reminds herself.
“People-centric” philosophy is applied into her daily routines
Looking ahead, her focus is simply on nurturing a team that brings the authentic, welcoming spirit of Hotel Indigo Saigon The City to life. Van Anh’s journey is a gentle reminder that continuous learning is most meaningful when it translates into a lasting, positive impact on others. On this journey, the Swiss EHT program is glad to have been a supportive space where practical experience can grow into lasting, meaningful impacts for the people working in Vietnam’s tourism industry.