‘Choosing Dong Nai City to establish our headquarters is a strategic move’: KienlongBank Chairman Tran Ngoc Minh

2025 was considered a pivotal year, marked by the most impressive achievements in profit and technology in the 30-year history of Kien Long Commercial Joint Stock Bank (KienlongBank).

In an interview with Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio, Television, Tran Ngoc Minh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KienlongBank, said that just before the milestone when Dong Nai’s elevation to city status was approved by the National Assembly, the bank’s 2026 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 23 approved the relocation of its headquarters to Dong Nai. “This is not merely a change in administrative boundaries, but a strategic relocation that opens up new room for growth, is well-positioned to capture large-scale financial opportunities, and reaffirms our commitment to supporting Dong Nai City’s sustainable development in the new phase,” he emphasized.

We consider Dong Nai a "golden land" to realize our goals in the coming period.

* 2025 was considered a pivotal year with the most impressive figures in KienlongBank's 30-year history of formation and development. Looking back at that breakthrough journey, what are the core values that helped the bank achieve such impressive results?

In 2025, overcoming the general economic challenges, KienlongBank recorded a pre-tax profit of 2,323 billion VND, completing 168% of the plan. Key indicators such as return on equity (ROE), net interest margin (NIM), and return on assets (ROA) were all among the top in the banking sector. This was also the year we underwent a comprehensive qualitative transformation, achieving initial success in the "Breakthrough in the Digital Era" strategy. When 98% of customer transactions are conducted through digital channels, it means that KienlongBank has truly "touched" every rhythm of people's daily lives in the most natural way.

Establishing its headquarters in Dong Nai will be a solid launchpad for KienlongBank to realize its goal of becoming a comprehensive digital bank with a dynamic and modern ecosystem.

In addition, the successful introduction and application of the Kiloba AI artificial intelligence model into the core process has created a major breakthrough, helping to optimize the operating apparatus, reduce operating costs, deeply personalize each customer's experience, thereby enhancing service value and managing risks more tightly and accurately.

The breakthrough in 2025 not only came from dry financial figures, but also from the synergy of an innovative corporate culture and a high-quality workforce. With a 5.0 human resources competency framework, a dedicated, professional spirit, and a flexible attitude, ready to adapt to technological changes, the KienlongBank staff collectively created an inspiring year of growth. This will be a solid launchpad for KienlongBank to continue consolidating its position and conquering strategic goals in the next development phase.

*In the context of an economy still facing many challenges, KienlongBank made a surprising move by deciding to relocate its headquarters to Dong Nai - a locality that will officially become a city at the end of this April. Could you share more details about this strategic decision?

Choosing Dong Nai as the new "headquarters" is a carefully calculated decision based on the 2026-2030 vision. We recognize a deep similarity between KienlongBank's aspiration for a breakthrough and the locality's development vision.

The province is embracing a new position and opportunity, as the National Assembly has officially approved the Resolution on the establishment of Dong Nai city. It is a new "growth pole" of the region with an economy ranking fourth nationwide, serving as the trading hub of the Southern region with a synchronous infrastructure network ranging from expressways to the mega-project of Long Thanh International Airport.

Dong Nai is a new "growth pole" of the region with an economic scale ranking fourth nationwide, and is the trading hub of the Southern region with a synchronous infrastructure network ranging from expressways to the mega-project of Long Thanh International Airport. Photo: Cong Nghia

For KienlongBank, Dong Nai is not just the location of its new headquarters, but where we realize the mission of a technological financial institution. We choose to become a strategic "link", accompanying the authorities and the business community, individuals in the process of creating the future. Moving the headquarters to Dong Nai is not just a geographical change, but an affirmation of a forward-thinking mindset, bringing KienlongBank to the center of the dynamic economic axis and future financial flows.

This is the perfect launchpad for the bank to realize its strategic vision for the 2026-2030 period, which is to become a comprehensive digital bank with a dynamic, modern ecosystem. Positioned as a local bank in the new "growth pole" of the country, KienlongBank will certainly have the mindset and strong resources to make a breakthrough, bringing sustainable value to the locality, customers, and shareholders.

KienlongBank  hopes to become a model for business-local government engagement

*You just mentioned the concept of a "local bank" in a smart megacity. So, what will be the specific roadmap for KienlongBank to integrate into Dong Nai's infrastructure ecosystem in the coming time?

KienlongBank will bring a development-enabling journey when establishing its headquarters in Dong Nai. The bank has a roadmap to build an interconnected ecosystem, integrating financial products and services with local infrastructure platforms, thereby forming a chain of journeys for a digital bank serving the digital city and digital citizens.

KienlongBank has a roadmap to build an interconnected ecosystem, integrating financial products and services with local infrastructure platforms in Dong Nai.

Specifically, in the upcoming roadmap, KienlongBank will focus on 3 key solution groups:

Firstly, it is to develop and replicate the “always-on banking” model and AI-powered smart transaction networks (X-Digi), allowing businesses and people in Dong Nai to access 24/7 financial services.

The second solution is providing linked credit packages and supply chain financing solutions for businesses, industrial parks - which are Dong Nai's strengths. We will integrate financial solutions directly into the enterprise's management system, helping to shorten approval times and optimize cash flow.

Thirdly, Kienlongbank wishes to become a strategic partner in local digital transformation. KienlongBank will provide technological solutions and digital payment systems for public services, and the daily needs of all people, households, helping residents in Dong Nai truly become "digital citizens" in modern, high-class smart megacities.

*A commitment to companionship often goes hand in hand with specific economic and social contributions. Could you share more details about the specific goals KienlongBank sets when "establishing its headquarters" in Dong Nai?

Having determined to "come to co-create", KienlongBank is committed to contributing  nearly 1,000 billion VND annually to the State budget right in the initial phase of establishing its headquarters. This is the strongest affirmation of the bank's responsibility for the overall development of Dong Nai City.

Dong Nai currently has the scale and potential for leading logistics industry development nationwide. Photo: Cong Nghia

To ensure this journey to truly create sustainable value and become a model for the connection between technology enterprises and local communities, we have identified three pillars to accompany the city government in the coming time:

The first is accompanying in creating an investment environment. KienlongBank is committed to upholding the law and believes in the strong administrative reform efforts of the Dong Nai government. We expect to benefit from a transparent and open legal environment so that the bank can quickly stabilize and develop. KienlongBank's success will be a vivid testament, sending a positive message to large investors about a Dong Nai ready to welcome leading financial institutions.

The second pillar is accompanying in digital infrastructure. KienlongBank wishes to contribute its digital ecosystem and AI capabilities to the common goals of the locality. We are ready to cooperate with the locality to solve difficult "problems" in digitizing public services and smart payments, aiming to become a reliable technology-financial partner in the process of building a smart urban area of Dong Nai city.

The third is accompanying in connecting value chains. We are in dire need of the support and bridging role of the government for KienlongBank's financial solutions to reach industrial parks and the business community more deeply. This will help unblock capital flows, enhance productivity, and improve the competitiveness of the local economic ecosystem.

We believe that when KienlongBank’s financial and technological strengths align with Dong Nai’s aspiration for breakthrough growth, we can work together to create a model of sustainable synergy, where the bank grows alongside the prosperity of the locality.

By Hai Quan, Vi Lam -- Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha