Former German Vice Chancellor on Vietjet's Board of Directors

Philipp Rösler, the former Vice Chancellor of Germany, has been appointed as a director of the budget airline Vietjet.

The 52-year-old man of Vietnamese ethnicity will serve until 2027. Since 2023, he served as an independent director at another airline, functioning as a strategic advisor with an emphasis on enhancing international collaboration, especially with investors and partners in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

German politician Philipp Rösler in the town hall in Oldenburg, Germany, on 25 August 2011. Image credited to DPA Picture-Alliance via AFP

German politician Philipp Rösler in the town hall in Oldenburg, Germany, on August 25, 2011. Image by DPA Picture-Alliance through AFP

Originating from the Mekong Delta district of Soc Trang, he was adopted and reared in Germany.

He served as a military physician before to transitioning to a political career.

In 2009, he was appointed Minister of Health in Germany, and two years later, he assumed the role of Vice Chancellor while concurrently serving as Minister of Economics and Technology and Minister of Health.

He departed from parliament in 2014 and has since occupied significant roles with major German corporations such as Siemens, Deutsche Bank, and Lufthansa.

Vietjet announced the dismissal of Donal Boylan, Luu Duc Khanh, Chu Viet Cuong, and Nguyen Thanh Hung from their director positions as they will transition to members of its founding council.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, the chairwoman of the airline and the wealthiest woman in Vietnam, stated at the annual general meeting last week plans to expand new destinations and to increase its wide-body aircraft fleet to 40 through a contract with Airbus.