
Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo
"Queen of Coffee" — CEO of King Coffee, bringing Vietnamese coffee to 120+ countries
Notable Quotes
“Coffee has always brought me endless joy, creativity and passion.”
“Go out to see the opportunities and take action. It is your achievements that create your reputation, not your speeches.”
“Why, while the price of a cup of coffee abroad is 5 dollars, in our country farmers can only sell coffee beans for 5 cents per kg?”
Advice
The "reverse" strategy
Enter international markets first to build world-class credibility, then return to dominate the domestic market with brand advantage.
Actions build reputation, not words
Don't just talk about your plans — execute and let results speak for you.
Build the value chain from the farmer
The true value of Vietnamese coffee lies with the growers. Supporting farmers is supporting yourself.
Key Highlights
- ✓Co-founded Trung Nguyên Group, directly managed operations 1998-2014
- ✓Founded King Coffee (2015) — exported to 120+ countries
- ✓"Most Admired CEO in Vietnam" (F&B) — Global Brands Magazine (2020)
- ✓Launched "Women Can Do" supporting 100,000 women entrepreneurs
Biography
Lê Hoàng Diệp Thảo was born in 1973 in Gia Lai. Together with ex-husband Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ, she co-founded Trung Nguyên Group and directly managed operations from 1998-2014, playing a key role in bringing the G7 brand to international markets. In 2015, she founded TNI King Coffee with a "reverse" strategy — entering international markets first to build credibility, then returning to dominate domestically. Within just 1 year, the distribution network covered all 63 provinces. Today, King Coffee is present in over 120 countries. She received the "Most Admired CEO in Vietnam" award (Global Brands Magazine, 2020) and was the first Vietnamese speaker at the Allegra World Coffee Portal CEO Forum. She launched the "Women Can Do" project supporting 100,000 women entrepreneurs.
Articles & Resources
Other Experts
Đỗ Duy Thanh
Creator of the 9Ps Restaurant Management model, 20+ years empowering hundreds of Vietnamese F&B brands
Hà Chu
Founder of Vietnam's first F&B Marketing school, food brand strategist & educator
Trần Trung Hiếu
"F&B Coach" — cafe & restaurant consultant for small business owners
Đào Thế Vinh
Chairman & CEO of Golden Gate — Vietnam's largest restaurant group with 40+ brands and 500+ locations
Found this useful? Share with friends!
Help more F&B owners discover this free tool.
