Dr. Ly Qui Trung is currently the Adjunct Professor and Senior Advisor to the President of Western Sydney University in Australia. He holds a PhD in Business Administration, a Master and Bachelor degree in Hospitality Management. Dr. Trung is also a successful entrepreneur and start-up founder with over 25 years of experience in the field of retail and hospitality.
In his business career, he founded Pho24 restaurant chain that has been named by international media as the Vietnamese McDonald’s. At its peak, there were 60 outlets across Asia including Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and Australia. He sold the business in 2011 and in the same year, VnExpress readers voted him as one of the 50 game changers of the country.
After successfully exiting from Pho24, Dr. Trung relocated to Sydney where he opened two fine dining Vietnamese restaurants and guest lectured at Western Sydney University. He returned to Vietnam in 2018 as a CEO of AKA Furniture Group that owns and operates over 30 showrooms in HCMC and Hanoi.
In addition to Pho24, Dr. Trung also co-founded several other reputable food and beverage brands in Vietnam. He bought the master franchise rights to exclusively develop Gloria Jeans coffee chain and BreadTalk bakery chain for the Vietnam market.
Prior to opening his own restaurants, coffee shops and franchise outlets, Dr. Trung operated a three star hotel as a General Manager and a joint venture factory producing snack food as a Deputy General Manager. During this time he also guest lectured at different universities in Vietnam such as Van Lang University, University of Economics HCMC and RMIT University.
Dr. Trung has authored numerous books including a brand-building guide for SMEs, an autobiography, two franchising books, a hospitality startup book and most recently a book for startup founders during the new normal.
Qualifications
- PhD - Western Sydney University
- PhD - Kennedy Western University
- Master - Griffith University
- Bachelor - Western Sydney University
Regional and community engagement
- Executive Committee, HCMC Peace and Development Foundation, VN, 2019 - Present
- External Advisory Committee, Western Sydney University, 2016 - Present
- Advisory Board, Branding Hochiminh City, Tourism Department, Vietnam, 2009 - 2010
- Advisory Board, Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence, Australia, 2008 - 2010
- Young President Organisation YPO (Education Chair), Vietnam Chapter, 2009 - 2010
- Tourism Association of Hochiminh City (Vice Chairman), Vietnam, 2008 - 2010
- Leading Business Club LBC (Vice Chairman), Hochiminh City, Vietnam, 2008 - 2009
- Youth Business Club 2030 (Vice Chairman), Hochiminh City, Vietnam, 2003 - 2004
- Vietnamese Graduates from Australia Club VGAC (Founding Chairman), Vietnam, 1997 - 1999
Publications (books)
- Start-up trong thời kỳ bình thường mới (Start-up in the new normal) (2021), Youth Publisher
- Chỉ có niềm đam mê - 20 điều chia sẻ cùng người khởi nghiệp (Only the Passion - 20 Important Tips for Startups) (2016), Youth Publisher
- Bầu trời không chỉ có màu xanh (The Sky Does Not Have To Be Blue) (2013), Youth Publisher
- Franchise - Bí quyết thành công bằng mô hình nhượng quyền kinh doanh (Franchise - How to Build a Successful Model in Vietnam) (2005), Youth Publisher
- Mua Franchise - Cơ hội dành cho các doanh nghiệp Việt Nam (Buy Franchise - A New Opportunity for Vietnamese Enterprises) (2006), Youth Publisher
- Xây dựng thương hiệu dành cho các doanh nghiệp Việt Nam đương đại (Brand Building for Vietnamese Small and Medium Enterprises) (2007), Youth Publisher
Awards
- Doctorate of Letters (Western Sydney University, Australia), 2021
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alumni Award (Western Sydney University, Australia), 2017
- Outstanding Alumni Award (Griffith University, Australia), 2009
- International Alumnus of The Year (Queensland Government), 2008
- Australia Asia Pacific Executive Award (Australian Government), 2007
- Entrepreneur of The Year (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), 2007 - 2009
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