25 Sep 2015 17:00
25 September 2015
VinaLand Limited
Director Appointment
VinaLand Limited ("the Company" or "VNL"), the AIM-quoted investment vehicle established to target strategic segments within Vietnam's emerging real estate market, announces that the Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Tran Trong Kien as a new Independent Non-executive Director, effective 25 September 2015.
Tran Trong Kien
Tran Trong Kien, aged 42, is a qualified Medical Doctor and began his business career running local tours to fund his medical studies in Hanoi. Leveraging that experience, he founded Buffalo Tours in 1994 and has subsequently grown it into the Thien Minh Group (TMG) with assets across three divisions, Travel, Hospitality and Online. TMG is one of the region's top integrated tourism operators providing tours, hotels and other travel related services in 11 Asian countries (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar) with sales offices in Australia, the UK and USA.
Mr. Tran currently serves as the Chairman of TMG and on various businesses within the group. He has also applied his entrepreneurial mind to financial services as an independent board member of the Asia Commercial Bank, and has been involved in charitable work with the Pearl S. Buck Foundation.
Mr. Tran has replaced Mr. Daniel McDonald, who has resigned from the VNL Board in order to pursue new challenges. Mr. McDonald was elected as a Non-executive Director in 2014 and was a member of VNL's Valuation Committee and its Divestment Committee. As a result, the total number of VNL Board members remains at five.
Michel Casselman, Chairman of VinaLand, stated : "I am very pleased to welcome Kien to the VinaLand Board ; his experience in owning, developing and guiding both property investments and commercial enterprises in Vietnam and the region over the last 20 years will greatly assist VNL as it seeks to develop and realise its property portfolio. At this occasion I also want to thank Daniel Mc Donald for his valuable contributions to the VNL Board and wish him all the best with his new challenges."
Mr. Tran is based in Ho Chi Minh City and, as well as being a qualified Medical Doctor, has earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hanoi Foreign Language University and an MBA from Hawaii University in America.
Enquiries:
Jonathon Trewavas
VinaCapital Investment Management LimitedInvestor Relations/Communications+84 8 3821 9930jonathon.trewavas@vinacapital.com
Philip Secrett
Grant Thornton UK LLP, Nominated Adviser
+44 (0)20 7583 5100
philip.j.secrett@uk.gt.com
Hiroshi FunakiEdmond de Rothschild Securities, Broker+44 20 7845 5960funds@lcfr.co.uk
David Benda / Hugh JonathanNumis Securities Limited, Broker+44 (0)20 7260 1000
funds@numis.com
Andrew WaltonFTI Consulting, Public Relations (London)+44 (0)20 7269 7204andrew.walton@fticonsulting.com
Further information
Tran Trong Kien currently holds and has held (including all appointments during the five years preceding the date of this announcement), the following directorships and partnerships, other than the Company:
Current directorships:
| Former directorships/partnerships (in the last five years):
|
Mr Tran is not currently beneficially interested in the issued share capital of the Company.
There is no other information that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Schedule 2 paragraph (g) of the AIM Rules.
Notes to Editors:
VinaCapital
VinaCapital is a leading asset management and real estate development firm in Vietnam, with a diversified portfolio of USD1.3 billion in assets under management. VinaCapital was founded in 2003 and boasts a team of investment professionals who bring extensive international finance and investment experience to the firm. Its mission is to produce superior returns for investors by using its experience and knowledge to identify the key trends and opportunities that emerge as Vietnam continues to develop its economy. To achieve this, VinaCapital has teams with broad experience covering equity markets, fixed income, private equity, venture capital, real estate and infrastructure.
VinaCapital manages three closed-end funds trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange. These funds are: VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Limited (VOF), VinaLand Limited (VNL), and Vietnam Infrastructure Limited (VNI). VinaCapital also co-manages the DFJ VinaCapital L.P. technology venture capital fund with Draper Fisher Jurvetson and the Forum One - VCG Vietnam Partners Fund, an open ended UCITS compliant fund.
VinaCapital has offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang, and Singapore. More information about VinaCapital is available at www.vinacapital.com.